Brendon - Teacher #2522

Instruments:
- Classical Guitar
- Composition
- Electric Bass
- Electric Guitar
- Guitar
- Mandolin
- Xylophone

Services:
- Composition
- Dictation
- Ear Training
- Harmony
- Jazz Improvation
- Music Appreciation
- Music Theory (Advanced)
- Music Theory (Beginner-Intermediate)

Languages:
- English

Teaching Philosophy

Teaching music creates a ripple effect with a positive result in the community and in the students life. I often will help guide students to decide if whether they want to be "musicians for life" or "musicians for profit" and what the differences are. Some students only want to learn a few popular songs, others are dedicated to composing and producing their own album and going on tour. I've helped tens of thousands of students further their musical journey, and every single one is unique.

Musical Education

I have been playing guitar/drums and bass for 22 years. I began teaching 18 years ago after being granted an opportunity to teach my former teachers students (from the local music school where I was taking lessons) when he had to leave due to personal reasons. I have continued to teach with passion, teaching students with disabilities, teaching for several music schools, designing curriculums for the Vancouver School Board, receiving a Grant from the Province of Alberta to co-ordinate a musical event for the community, holding a board position with the Parkland Music Teachers Association and teaching over 15,000 lessons total.

Awards and Distinctions

Alberta Culture Days - $5000 grant awarded by the Province of Alberta for a musical event entitled "Behind the Music" in 2014.

Special Skills and Training

Teaching Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Classical Guitar, Bass Guitar, Drums, Mandolin, Xylophone and beginner - advanced theory. My theoretical teaching topics includes: Scales (Major, minor, pentatonic, blues, chromatic, harmonic minor with a database of 180 scales); Chords (open chords, power chords, barre chords, inversion chords, suspended, dominant, diminished, ADD chords, augmented chords etc), Modes (Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixo-Lydian, Aeolian, Locrian); key signature theory, sharp alphabet, flat alphabet, and time signature theory. Fundamental teaching topics include: Proper posture, ear training, clapping (rhythm exercises), how to read/write music notes and guitar TAB, how to learn other songs, composition, finger picking, classical music and sight reading. I have proven communication skills and patience required to teach the philosophy of music to a range of students, including under 18 years, and children with disabilities (ADHD, Autism).

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).