How to find the right teacher in your area - Here are some tips and questions to ask to find a suitable instructor for you:
1. Educational Background - How many years playing and how many years of formal study at a qaulified music school or conservatory are always good questions to inquire with. A music degree is a good thing for an instructor to have.
2. Reading Ability - Every music instructor should be fluent in sight-reading music.
3. Music Theory - Every music instructor should be competent in instructing music theory.
4. Does the Instructor know the CAGED System? - If the answer is no, you as the student will not understand your instrument as well as you would like to (especially if you wish to compose or improvise).
5. Teaching Experience - How many years has the instructor been teaching?
6. Performance Experience - Does the instructor play gigs on a regular basis, if not he/she is a hobbyist and is not a professional. Do not fool yourself, a hobbyist can never have the training and experience a professional has.
7. Price and lesson policy - Try to find the best deal that you can afford without cheating yourself of any proper training. Always remember you get what you pay for.
8. Ages and Levels accepted - Some instructors only teach from a certain age up, so if you are looking for lessons for a young child please mention this fact to the instructor. Also be sure to ask what levels (beginning, intermediate or advanced) the instructor is best suited for.
9. Genres or styles taught - Always match your goals with your instructor for the most success.
10. Is proper technique taught - If a student has poor technique pain will result, and this pain can result in future injuries.
11. Lesson Scheduling and Lesson Duration - This changes based upon the instructors and the area you currently live in. The majority of studies on the subject highly recommend that music lessons should be taken at least once a week for 30 minutes duration for the most rapid and steady progress.
12. Defined Curriculum (based upon your goals) - Ask the instructor what method books he/she uses to instruct with and see whether they are suitable for your level and match the goals you have. An instructor with no methodology is most certainly not a professional.

Maurice Arenas - BM , MM, with over 30+ years of playing experience (started music studies at age 4), Founder of Music Department at St. John's, former Director of Music at St. Andrew's, former NYC studio musician and Broadway Show pit musician on both guitar and bass guitar, clinician for Cumberland Valley School of Music, founder of MAGA and MAGA's Guitar and Bass Curriculum, performs in many venues and genres including freelance work and studio work in the PA/MD/VA/WV area. Recently has come back full circle to composition. Is currently working on a video and book series for the technical guitarist.

Aaron Myers - BM in Composition. Over 20+ years of study and playing experience in Popular Music, Latin, Flamenco and Jazz groups and ensembles.  Aaron specializes in teaching College Preparatory, Music Theory, Sight-reading, the CAGED System, Nashville Number System, Classical Guitar, Flamenco, Beginning and Intermediate Latin, Jazz and a myriad of different styles of Composition. (Picture courtesy of Tanya Ziniewicz Copyright 2006)
 
 

TJ Perry - Over 10+ years of study and playing experience in Popular Music, Classical, Flamenco, R n B, Blues, Heavy Metal and Hard Rock Guitar. TJ has studied numerous aspects of music in 8+ years of study with Maurice Arenas and believes in teaching his students the foundation in technique refinement, playing pain free and effortless as well as inspiring students to play in the musical genre of their liking with his short and long term goal teaching methodology.