"Hello! my name is Joel P. I graduated from Calvin University with a BA in music composition in 2022. I have an enormous passion for making music and bringing the sounds in one’s head to life! I began teaching guitar lessons in college and have continued teaching over the last 5 years. In 2022 I also began serving as an after school tutor at The Other Way Ministries in Grand Rapids. I am so grateful for all the students I have had the privilege of meeting and working with over the last few years.

From my teaching experience I have developed my own approach to helping students learn how to play guitar and make music. The heart of my approach is helping students understand music theory and how it applies to the guitar. A big pitfall and cause of musical stagnancy when learning guitar (or any instrument) is skipping understanding music and instead just memorizing where to put one’s fingers. Though this is tempting as it results in quicker immediate results, it quickly catches up with the student. I make a point to help students understand concepts like keys and scales, so they can know the notes they are playing and how they fit into the songs they love. As they play, they will also develop their ear and begin to hear the music theory concepts they have learned. The payoff of this work is enormous. The guitar goes from being an encrypted bunch of finger patterns to an understood tool of expression and true music making. I cannot overemphasize the value of learning guitar this way.

I would love to hear about your musical goals. Whether you’d like to learn guitar, develop your ear for hearing chords and notes, understand music theory, learn how to write songs, or record and produce your own music, I’d love to help!" less...