Tutoring offered in the following fields:
(1) Math - SAT prep and high school math.
(2) Philosophy - university level understanding and writing.
(3) Music - guitar, bass, lyrics, and production
(4) Sports - mechanics of baseball and basketball
I. Math Record:
800 Math Sats
5 BC Calculus AP Exam
A's in AP Geometry, Algebra, AB Calculus, BC Calculus, Advanced Problem solving
Magna Cum Laude Summit High School
Teaching style: I mainly tutor SAT prep math. We go through the test books and I explain whatever you're having trouble with. Math is just about memorizing a series of logical steps. I have memory aids to make that easier for you, and the logic just requires clear explanation at the speed at which you are comfortable. Overwhelm only happens when trying to move on to step 2 before understanding step 1. We'll make sure you get each step before moving on, so we'll move more slowly when you need to and more speedily when its clicking. I expect your score to raise at least 50 points if not over 100 from first practice test to actual SAT score.
II. Philosophy Record:
University College London (ranked 22nd best university in the world: http://www.arwu.org/rank2008/ARWU2008_A(EN).htm)
First Class Honors = like having an A average at graduation - achieved by less than 10% of students.
Thesis - Kant: In Defense of the Neglected Argument
Other courses: Logic, Metaphysics, Greek, Modern, German Idealism, Political, Ethics, Epistemology, Phenomenology.
Teaching Style: 3 options -
(1) We sit down and talk through the philosophical issues and problems and generate a deeper understanding juts through dialogue. This is a good way to tighten up your understanding of the material, identify any areas of logical concern in your interpretation, and increase the scope of your focus and connections between concepts (2) Email me a paper you've written, I'll read it and make notes ahead of time, then we meet to discuss. This method is the best for you when you understand the material well enough to organize it into a paper. I'll help you with philosophical writing style, organization, focus, logic, and argument. Or
(3) Sit down together with the text and make sure you understand what's being communicated. A lot of author's styles can be challenging just to get past he language, not to mention the unusual concepts. No problem, we'll go through it together, translate it into more 'normal' language and discuss interpretations. Much philosophical debate centers around different interpretations of the text, so being able to reference the text and explain your interpretation against an alternative is crucial to forming strong arguments.
III. Musical Record:
Studied guitar for 14 years - took lessons all through high school, studied classical guitar in college, self-improved since then.
Bass guitar - played for 2 years, but the fundamentals are mostly the same as guitar.
Played in bands in London and New York.
Studied history of rock'n'roll, history of jazz, and basic music theory.
Styles: blues, funk, rock, folk, country, bluegrass, hip hop, indie, punk
Teaching style: I'll teach you the chord forms needed to play and write songs and the scales and modes needed to improvise and write melodies. Practice CD's will be made to play along with. During lessons we'll use my Boss RC-50 loop station to generate chord progressions, and then look at our options for soloing. You'll be playing lead with ease within a couple months with practice. That's a lot faster than teachers who take the traditional approach, i.e. learning to read sheet music of such thrillers as mary had a little lamb. We'll get right to actually jamming and having fun with music.
Studio time - I have a mac pro with pro tools, logic, and melodyne. Melodyne is an unbelievably powerful editing tool, you can now sing violins, beat box actual drum kits, or just edit your actual vocal sound to make it perfect by correcting pitch, adjusting vibrato, attack, note length, volume, rhythm etc. If its in your head we can make it sound great.
Lyric Writing - I've been writing lyrics for 8 years. I've studied closely the rhyme matching, rhyme structure, emphasis, and rhythm structures to rapping. I can explain these as guidelines to help your lyrics have more interesting word play and flow.
Sports:
Baseball - Captain of High School baseball team. I was starting pitcher and led the team in RBI's. We won our county championship against a team who was ranked in USA today's top 10.
I went to baseball camp almost every year growing up, including a camp in Sarasota, Florida with instruction from major league coaches and players. I know the game inside and out, if anyone needs help with hitting, pitching, fielding, bunting, etc. mechanics or strategies in pitching, base running, or situational game time decisions, I'd be happy to help with your improvement.
Basketball - Want to improve your shooting mechanics? I was a point guard in high school. I can shoot over 40% from 3 and explain the mechanics to the shot. I expect you to improve by at least 10%.
Summary - If you'd like to improve
(1) your Math SAT score (or high school math grades)
(2) Philosophical understanding and writing
(3) Music (a) guitar playing (b) bass playing (c) lyric writing (d) production &/or
(4) Sports mechanics - baseball and basketball
Then I would be happy to help you with your studies and customize the lessons to meet your needs.
** I guarantee significant improvement in all fields.