Guitar Lessons During the last several years, Andy has revisited his love of teaching by providing guitar lessons. His students consist of people of all ages, skill levels, and musical interests--from the teenage girl who wants to play alternative rock to the adult man who wishes to immerse himself in the Delta Blues.
In addition to 20+ years experience as a musician/songwriter, Andy has a considerable background in teaching. This is because, while in graduate school, he spent 5 years working as an Instructor and Teaching Assistant in the Philosophy Dept. at the University of California, Riverside. The range of courses he taught ran the gamut from Critical Thinking to Biomedical Ethics. "The most important thing for me, as a teacher," says Andy, is "to remember what it was like before you began to understand the material at hand. This is especially true when the subject matter is difficult or arcane--like music or philosophy--something not everyone 'gets'. If you can bear in mind what it was like before you got it, this will allow you to be patient enough to explain it to someone else and empathize with their learning process." Although he can provide lessons in many different musical genres, Andy specializes in teaching students who want to play blues, folk, rock, or any closely related styles of music. Children who are beginning will typically need to be at least 10 years of age (due to the demands that guitar-playing places on their hands), although exceptions will be considered. For more information, please contact Andy: by email, andy(at)andycoats.com or by phone at 919-760-3795.