Expert Instructor: Guitar, Composition, Songwriting, Music Theory

Rob S.

I am an accomplished, award-winning guitarist, composer and teacher. I have both a Bachelor's and a Masters Degree in Music. I teach all levels from beginner to advanced, and all styles (rock, jazz, blues, folk, funk, metal, shred, pop, R&B, classical, etc.). I am a professional performer, composer, arranger, studio musician and producer. As an experienced teacher of composition, arranging, orchestration, music theory and guitar for 20 years, I have developed teaching methods for improving technique, chord/scale theory and counterpoint. I have taught privately, in music schools, and in colleges and universities.

I completed a Bachelor of Music degree summa cum laude, studying jazz guitar and composition/arranging and the Honors program at Temple University's Esther Boyer College of Music. I was awarded membership in the Golden Key Honor Society. I also studied guitar with Greg Howe (Shrapnel/Tone Center), Scott McGill (Lasers Edge) and Jazz icons Pat Martino (Blue Note) and Jimmy Bruno (Mel Bay). I earned a Masters of Arts degree in music composition at Rutgers University, studying with world renowned, Pulitzer Prize winning composer Charles Wuorinen, and was awarded a Teaching Assistantship in Music Composition/Theory. I attended the National Guitar Summer Workshop, studying with guitar icons Vinnie Moore, Stanley Jordan and Mick Goodrick and studied film scoring and guitar at Berklee College of Music.

I have been featured in publications, including Guitar Player, Guitar World, 20th Century Guitar, among many others, and was selected as a Top 5 Finalist in the North American Rock Guitar Competition, presented by Guitar Player magazine and Gibson guitars. I have composed the scores for many feature films, television, web and ad campaigns. My music has been featured on MTV, VH1, NBC, CBS, ABC, Discovery, History Channel, PBS, etc. I am an endorsee of Seymour Duncan pickups, Morley pedals, Madison Amps, an ASCAP affiliated composer and publisher and an International Alliance Of Composer's member.