My name is Everett LaRoi and I am an Edmonton-based guitar teacher. My private guitar lesson program offers a personalized lesson experience for players of all ages that respects and validates a student’s own ideas about music, while still giving them a firm foundation in music theory and guitar playing technique. There is nothing generic about my approach; every student’s lesson content is specifically tailored to their interests and goals.
My guitar lesson program is a unique hybrid of online and in-person guitar lessons. Students alternate between in-person lessons, in the comfort of my home based studio in Capilano (East Central Edmonton), and online guitar lessons via ZOOM. Some students prefer to take lessons exclusively online or just do one lesson per month in my studio. I am flexible and receptive to different scenarios. This hybrid format has been working extremely well and has offered the flexibility that allows students to keep their lessons moving forward even when there has been a lot of sicknesses circulating. Lessons are held Monday to Friday between 4:00pm and 8:00pm. Lessons are 30 minutes in duration and are held on a weekly basis. For more information, visit the programs and pricing page.
First and foremost, I believe that students should play the music that they enjoy. This may sound obvious, but students constantly tell me about lessons that they have taken in the past where they have learned to play just about everything but what they were interested in playing. As a student of mine, you will decide on virtually all of the music that you will learn. I have an enormous database of music of all styles that I can teach you – if it’s not available, I can transcribe it.
Let’s face it, if you’re not playing the music you like, it’s not as much fun to play. Students begin by submitting a list of 10 of their favourite songs and then this music is then integrated into their lesson curriculum.
I subscribe to a long term view of music education that is nurturing and not too pushy or regimented. For starts, I avoid guilting anyone out for not practicing and I will never judge your musical tastes. I think people should pursue learning at their own pace and learn whatever type of music they are most excited about at the time. Lessons are as rigorous or relaxed as what works for you.
What unites all of my successful students is their love of music and interest in playing guitar. I try to nurture these traits in my students.
Learning to play music is a gift that can be enjoyed for a lifetime. It is something you can give to and get something back from. Plus it’s fun! As an added bonus, numerous studies reveal that whether you’re young or old, playing music is beneficial to the brain. If you’ve always wanted to play guitar, what is holding you back? If your son or daughter keeps asking you for guitar lessons, you owe it to them to give them a chance to learn!
Please visit the Guitar Lessons by Everett Frequently Asked Questions page for more information. Looking for Suzuki Guitar Method lessons? There is a separate website for that: Click Here.