Ethan S.-

My name is Ethan. I am 25 years old and I have been playing piano since age seven, and guitar since age twelve. I took private piano lessons for 8+ years with many exceptional teachers and guitar lessons for another 8+ years. I played guitar and wrote music for my band that performed 5-6 gigs in high school at local venues such as Jammin’ Java in Vienna, VA, Jaxx Nightclub in Springfield, VA and Ottobar in Baltimore, MD. I enjoyed learning to play the piano, but guitar stole my heart the first time I picked one up. I attended dozens of guitar masterclasses and summer camps National Guitar Workshop, Berklee's Guitar Sessions as well as Fairfax Academy's Music and Computer Technology two-year specialized course in high school. I was on track to attend Berklee as a full-time student, diligently preparing for my audition by studying jazz and sight-reading, but was ultimately persuaded by my parents to pursue a more "realistic" career field. My love for and dedication towards studying guitar and music in general has only continued grow since then, and I've since realized how much I enjoy passing on the joy of learning guitar to eager students. I have taught multiple beginner guitar students young adults and an adult 10+ years older than me on summers home from college as well as an intermediate-level peer, each of which expressed their surprise at my lack of experience with teaching. I received praise for my relaxed demeanor, sociability, ability to convey difficult/abstract concepts in a concise, helpful way, and my overall pragmatic attitude and laid-back, efficient teaching style. I catered my teaching to each of my students' individual needs and desires, and strove to ensure a comfortable, productive, and fun learning environment. I excel at teaching technique and can confidently teach beginner to intermediate-level music theory and composition. I can't wait to continue to pass on the joy of learning music!