Be Your Own Myth​

I've been playing guitar for over 40 years.  My very first guitar memory is from my father, who used to play exclusively by ear.  He would pick up his acoustic and play some classic '70's acoustic songs - Eagles, Beatles, etc.  He amazed me with how well he knew songs just by learning them by ear.

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At age 8, I asked my parents to start going to lessons.   I started with my father's cousin, who was traditionally trained.  He gave me the standard set of Mel Bay "Learn Guitar" books, and my journey started.

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Guitar has been in and out of my life ever since.  Over the past 15 years, I've been playing consistently with "Basement" and "Garage" Bands.  Over the past 6 years, I've been playing semi-professionally playing for crowds in the hundreds.  It's been an amazing journey.

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As I've matured as a guitarist and in the local music scene, I remember back to the days of high school, where I worshipped Jimi Hendrix, Neal Schon, Randy Rhodes, and later, Stevie Ray Vaughn, BB King, and Donnie Van Zant.  All these players were god-like to me, almost unattainable talent, but I kept practicing.

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I also figured out I wasn't a savant, or had a ton of natural talent under my fingers.  My strengths were learning, and learning a ton of information.  While some of my friends were forming bands in the 80's, I was teaching them what a pentatonic scale was, and giving them a different perspective on the neck to give some depth to their solos.  I was amazed by some of their talents in music, never realizing I had a talent of my own.

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Over the past 15 years, I've been taking my knowledge and understanding of the instrument to a whole new level.  I do have musical ability and talent, it was just hidden under my yearning to learn.  I've learned patience, perseverance, and goal setting.

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My commitment to my students, it to understand how to be their own Myth, discover their own talents, extend the talents they have, and setup up their life to be successful with their musical goals.

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I look forward to working with all of you and excited to see your potential unfold.

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As an Artist

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I am an artist who enjoys the process of connecting to others through music.  This connections is deeper than a simple handshake, or passing by smile and introduction.  I often spend time digging into a sound or piece that seems to be "missing something", as I hear the notes, but then don't feel the emotion.  I will reiterate the piece adding simple little nuances to it, something as simple as a bending of note, vibrato, or may changing the phrasing slightly, until I feel like its expressing what's inside me without having to define it with words.  

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As I work through a piece, I will often write it in sections, maybe based on a riff or set of notes that express a feeling inside me.  I'll record it, then imagine the structure of the song.  Does it have a message, it's it relatable, i.e. does it have a beginning, a middle, an ending?  Is there a statement that's being made.  I often look at music like any other language - is there a phrase, a noun, a declarative statement, and verb or some action, and a place where there's some resolution or ending that may feel unresolved, all with a purpose.

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I've also had a lot of fun playing over the past 30 years with many bands, most recently I've been able to support my daughter's career (lyssacoulter.com) supporting her as an acoustic rhythm guitarist.  I've also played rhythm and lead guitar for Grey Matter from 2010 thru 2012, and Copious Smoke from 2016 thru 2021.  I've was accepted into the Berklee School of Music Online Bachelor Degree program for Guitar in 2018, and expect to graduate in with my degree 2023. 

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I am currently in process of writing a solo album or instrumental guitar music.  It grew from decades of personal experiences that need to be expressed through a story of music and song.  I have been married three times, and divorced twice with children from one of my marriages.  These relationships have so much complexity, depth, and tension in them.  There is a constant calling for me to put this into music.  The challenge being the constant going into some dark places in my life, reliving those place, and then trying to put them to a piece of music or song.  I also think this is cathartic for me and seems to be important to pour these emotions into something that is external to my own personal being, and with each section of each piece I write, there seems to be a weight lifted off my shoulders.

As a Producer

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Through my own playing music, and being part of some amazing live Bands, I've learned I have a natural ability to work with DAWs, interfaces, and all the Engineering required to Record, Mix, and Produce music.   Over the past 12 years I've worked with Warren Huart as part of his Produce Like a Pro Academy (producelikeapro.com), and all his contemporaries.  I've worked with many artists in creating demos, and do all the recording and mixing for all the bands I've been in.  I've been fortunate enough to work with some amazing talent over the past decade.​