About Me

Overview: 

I started playing guitar in 1991. I quickly became obsessed and practiced for hours every day. In time I formed many bands, mainly playing in the Chicago area. In 1998, I was hired to be a guitar set-up/repair technician for Washburn Guitars. In 2001, I got my first job as a music teacher and I've never stopped since.  Over the years I have taught for various music stores, schools, park districts and lesson companies. I have taken on hundreds of bass, guitar and ukulele students- in my home, their homes, online- one-on-one and groups. In 2006, I also opened and ran a music venue/recording studio called Swing State. There I hosted artists almost nightly from all over the world. In the day, I ran the venue as a recording studio. Sadly, the venue was forced to close down in 2015 (the building was set to be demolished by the property owner). In 2013 I started my own lessons company, Lessons & Beyond ( www.lessonsandbeyond.com ) where I still host music and art teachers all over the world and still run this company to this day.

The bands I  have had the pleasure of creating, collaborating, booking and performing with are all listed below, after my teaching/musical work experience.

 Résumé 

1998-2000 Washburn Guitars- Mundelein, Il

Guitar Set-up Technician

Set-up and repair of guitars to be inspected and then sent out to distributors. This included: Intonation adjustment. Crack filling/buffing. Saddle/nut/truss rod adjustment. Re-stringing

2001-2003 About Music- Libertyville, Il

Guitar instructor

2002-2008 Music Source- Grayslake, Il

Guitar and Bass Instructor

Here I became the top teacher between 2006-2008, with a roster of close to 60 weekly students

2006-2015 Swing State Ltd- Lake Villa, Il

Owner; Manager; Booking agent; Event Coordinator; Sound Technician; Recording Engineer

This was a music venue/recording studio that I created and ran for 8+ years. I booked bands/artists for almost nightly performances from all around the world. By day, I recorded musicians in the recording studio

2008-2011 Guitar Heaven- Grayslake, Il

Guitar, bass and ukulele instructor

2008- Present - Takelessons (online lesson company)

Guitar, bass and ukulele instructor

2009- Present- Musika (online lesson company)

Guitar, bass and ukulele instructor

2011-2012 The Music Store- Libertyville, Il

Guitar, bass and ukulele instructor

2012-2016 Veritas- (music school) Gurnee, Il

Guitar and bass instructor

2013- Present- Lessonface (online lesson company)

Guitar, bass and ukulele instructor

2013 - Present- Lessons & Beyond (online lesson company)

Owner; Guitar, bass and ukulele instructor

2015-2017 Guitar Fundamentals (online lesson company)

Guitar, ukulele and piano teacher

Personal musical projects (bands):

2000-2003 Mantra (playing throughout the Chicago area. We became residents at the Burkhart Underground Lounge in Chicago)

2002-2004 Gift of Tongues (residents at The Orphanage venue in Chicago)

2005-2006 Swing State (Winning the multi-national Emergenza music competition)

2007-2008 I (resident at Swing State)

2009-2011 Girl (resident at Swing State)

In addition, I have written hundreds of songs and recorded several albums- mainly with the above mentioned bands. I am proficient in multi-track recording, working for studios (and eventually running my own). Booking, promoting, playing shows. Starting and running a music venue. 

My life has been full of musical experiences!

My story:

I grew up like a lot of kids in lower/middle class middle-America. But one thing that was different for me compared to most people was that instead of watching tv or playing games as a family pastime, my Dad and I usually just listened to his records. He had a room dedicated entirely to his vinyl records that he had collected since his childhood. He made it a mission to have me not only listen to all of them, but to know an extensive amount about these artists and their music from his past. Almost nightly we listened to different records covering genres such as big band jazz, classical, British invasion, psychedelic rock, folk, blues- just to name a few. Just about every weekend we'd go to the record store to get something new to listen to. I owe it to my Dad for building  such a love of music within me from such a young age.

When I picked up my first guitar, I felt like I almost already knew how to play it. I knew I had found a love that would never fade. I practiced every day- reading every book I could find on the subject (this was before the internet). I studied the masters. A couple years later I put together a band that won the school's annual talent show.

Over the years, I went on to put together several bands. Some of which gained quite a following in the Chicago area. I never personally got 'famous', but I accepted that fate long ago. Most artists don't become famous for their craft (we only really talk about the few who do)- and honestly that was never my ultimate goal anyway. I have always created and played music because of my passion. If others liked it, that was a nice bonus- and many did!. I still live proudly by this same philosophy.

In 1998 I started working for Washburn guitars, doing guitar set up and repair. I loved learning about guitars and how to fix them.  In the meantime I kept learning and practicing diligently.

A couple years later, I heard a local music store was looking for a teacher. I figured I'd go talk to them and see if they'd be interested in taking me on. 

In the interview, the owner asked me some questions, tested me out on several levels and hired me on the spot. I was thrilled. I wasn't sure how I'd do as a teacher but I knew I'd try my best.

After about a month in, and some adjusting, something clicked. I knew I had found my calling. I absolutely LOVED teaching. Not only did I get to have a guitar in my hand as a job, but the satisfaction I felt from seeing people learn something I loved was beyond compare.

A year or so later, the music store closed down (this is sadly the fate of many small time music stores). I went to another music store that was actually even closer to where I lived to see if they were interested in a new teacher. Again, in the interview I was hired on the spot. Over the next 6 years I threw in bass and ukulele and built a student base of about 60 students per week. I became the most asked-for music teacher in the store. Again, I credit this to my passion for learning music and passing on knowledge.

In early 2006, my band Swing State put out an album and it is still to this day one of my proudest musical achievements. Sadly the band collapsed under pressure and broke up shortly after.

Not long after that, something struck me. A vision, if you will. What if I opened a music venue in my area- for struggling bands and musicians much like myself? On a whim, I decided to do it. I found an old bar/house, managed to borrow a little money from my Dad, and opened a music venue.

I literally had no idea what I was doing but I was convinced that it would be so beneficial to the local music scene that the love of all the musicians and artists in the area would keep it going.  And I was right.

I named the venue Swing State, after my last band because it was the best band I had ever had. And I kind of felt like it was time to put my efforts into giving a stage to others like me.

I can write a novel about what would happen at this venue over the next 9 or so years, but I'll just say this: I made life-long friends and met musicians from all over the world. I learned how to record professionally (I eventually turned the venue into a recording studio by day). My life and many others has been forever changed by Swing State.

And all the while I never stopped teaching!

In 2015, I was forced to close Swing State because the building had been bought out by developers. I picked up my belongings and moved to the city (Chicago). I decided it was time to really get back into my biggest love: teaching- and take it to a level I had never done before.

Since then, I have built up a student base that sustains me. I travel to some student's houses. Some of them come to me. And now I teach most of my students online. I have a student in Poland. I teach an entire family of kids in Utah. In other words, I have students all over the world!

I also started a lessons business in 2013 called Lessons & Beyond, featuring teachers all over the country in any and all forms of art and music. We specialize in sending teachers to people's homes and online for in-home lessons. 

I am so blessed to be able to play music every day and impart my knowledge to my students!

I made this page to be a hub for new students to find me, learn more about me and come to me directly for lessons. Here's to more adventures in music and learning. If I can fit you in my schedule, I'd love to meet you and add you to my roster!

Thanks for reading. And best of luck to you with all of your musical endeavors!