James - Teacher #2081

Instruments:
- Classical Guitar
- Composition
- Drumset
- Electric Guitar
- Guitar
- Mandolin
- Percussions
- Recorder
- Ukulele

Services:
- Composition
- Counterpoint
- Ear Training
- Harmony
- Music Appreciation
- Music History
- Music Theory (Advanced)
- Music Theory (Beginner-Intermediate)
- Orff
- Solfege

Languages:
- English
- French

Teaching Philosophy

I hold the belief that every student is unique and should be nurtured strategically based on their personality, interests, and transferable skills and knowledge. My role as a teacher is to uncover the key to each student's learning style so that I can provide the tailored support they need to embark on their journey of creating beautiful music.

Musical Education

I have a bachelor's degree from Dalhousie University for classical guitar with a specialization in orchestration. One of my first teachers in school was the Canadian fingerstyle master Don Ross who taught me a lot about new playing techniques and how to use open and altered guitar tunings for successful arrangements. I then studied orchestration with Scott Macmillan who was an award winning composer and incredible performer of Blues, Jazz, Celtic music (as he was a native of Cape Breton) as well as performing and conducting pieces by classical composers like Beethoven, Mozart, Bartok, and Hindemith. He was a great inspiration to my ability as a composer and orchestrator and guided me in my arrangements of Bartok and Ravel for solo guitar and guitar quartet.

Special Skills and Training

I enjoyed the privilege of playing viola da gamba for Soheila Goleistani, at the Toronto Tirgan Festival. I also continue to make arrangements of Persian folk music for various projects. I have also performed my own experimental compositions at the Obey Festival ( for viola, gongs and vibrating membranes in Halifax representing Dalhousie Universities. and the 21c conference for guitar and technology(guitar, vibration speakers, harp, cymbals and timpani) at the University of Ottawa. Since 2015 I have been studying North Indian Classical music on Sarod and have studied with renowned masters, sitarist Irshad Khan and Sarodist Arnab Chakraborty.

Rates

30 Minutes: $39.00
45 Minutes: $49.00
60 Minutes: $59.00

There is a one-time registration fee of 25 $ charged with the first lessons. All Taxes are included in prices, if applicable

NOTE: Your Credit card will be charged ONLY when the first lesson is set up and confirmed with the teacher

Policies


1. Cancellation Policy

Lessons not cancelled or rescheduled with at least 24 hours notice are billable to the client and payable to the teacher. This does not of course apply to travel fees unless the notice is effectively given at the door and the teacher has travelled to the location.

2. Cessation (quitting) Policy

A client must provide a 2 lesson notice period to stop lessons. So a weekly student needs to give 2 weeks of notice, a biweekly student works out to 3 weeks notice and a twice weekly student works out to a week of notice.

3. Illness Policy

Lessons cancelled due to illness or extraordinary circumstances with less than 24 hours notice remain billable to the client and payable to the teacher.

BAH teachers are encouraged to offer a make-up lesson at a future date in the interest of client relations and general goodwill. This only makes sense as teaching a student with the flu for example, will ruin the rest of your week's employment.

No more than 2 lessons may be made up due to illness within a 60 day period.

4. Rescheduling Policy

Any lesson can be cancelled or rescheduled with at least 24 hours notice.

Summer Vacation and Extended Absence Policy

Clients may schedule longer absences for trips etc. 24 hours notice is required.

It is normal and typical for students and about 20% of our teachers to schedule a break in the summer. We do not enforce a notice period (see cessation of lessons) at the end of a long summer break.

5. Evaluation Period

There are no free trial lessons with Beethoven at Home but we do offer a 2 lesson evaluation period where it is easy to try out a teacher. There are no free lessons during the evaluation period and clients may choose to discontinue the lessons at any time by providing the required 24 hours notice. After the student's 3rd lesson the required 2 lesson notice period will apply (see cessation of lessons above).

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