Parker B. — Guitar Teacher — Mile End, Montreal

A native of Music City, Nashville, I’ve been immersed in a world of sound since I was a kid. Now, I'm a professional jazz musician, music teacher, and master's student. I have played all types of gigs - rock concerts, jazz dinners, and cocktail parties, country dance parties, weddings, corporate parties, etc At this point in my career, I am well-versed in playing rock, jazz, blues, country, R&B, and classical music. Some of my favorite musical artists are Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Willie Nelson, Miles Davis, Aretha Franklin, Pink Floyd, Herbie Hancock, Sting, Steely Dan, Erykah Badu and Kanye West, to name a few. My performance journey began in junior high, and I was playing professionally by the time I started my undergraduate degree in Jazz Performance at the University of Tennessee. To further expand my artistry and network, I recently relocated to Montreal, where I am now pursuing a Master's in Music at McGill University.

Personalized instruction for bass, guitar, and composition/songwriting. My goal is to inspire you and help achieve your musical goals. Whether you're a complete beginner or an advancing player, our lessons will be built on a solid foundation of technique and music theory, while directly applying skills to the songs and styles you love. My approach is informed by my professional career as a gigging musician and formal education in jazz performance and composition. I focus on practical musicianship, including improvisation, rhythm, ear training, and playing with others, to prepare you not just for practice, but for performance. **Teaching Statement** As a teacher, my primary objective is to help instill in every student a love for their craft and a personal connection to the music they play. While I believe that technical proficiency is important, it is a vehicle for communication. Rather than asking a student for a profound "why" behind their creativity, I focus on the "what": what sounds move them, what songs they enjoy, and what they hope to achieve on their instrument. My role is to act as a catalyst for the student’s discovery of their own tastes, enabling them to find the bridging point between their natural musical instincts and the technical skills required to express them. To help students realize their potential, I believe it is vital that they understand musical fundamentals on a high level, both technically and aurally. This involves rigorous work on instrumental proficiency paired with a focus on ear training. I prioritize making this process as engaging as possible; treating practice as "play" is the most efficient way to learn. My methodology often involves taking a specific piece or style a student is curious about and immediately applying these skills to it, breaking the music down into manageable, actionable chunks. As someone who was surrounded by diverse musical traditions growing up in Nashville, I realize the value of immersion. Music is a language, and one can only reach fluency if they are hearing and speaking it as often as possible. While it is important to understand vocabulary on a textbook level, immediate application to real songs is the only way to ensure the knowledge sticks. The foundation of a successful studio is a relationship built on respect, communication, and curiosity. When a student makes a mistake, I treat it as an opportunity for growth and a neutral "event" rather than a failure. This mindset is essential for high-level musicianship, where the excitement of the music often depends on the willingness to take risks. By allowing a student to feel comfortable taking those risks, I facilitate their long-term growth. I make it a priority to listen to my students and ensure their musical interests are valued. By explaining my teaching strategies clearly and using inclusive language, I build a collaborative atmosphere where every student is treated with dignity. Ultimately, this trust enables me to give students the skills to teach themselves: to diagnose and solve problems independently and to stimulate their own lifelong curiosity. At 24, I recognize that my own journey is still unfolding. I am a self-reflective practitioner, constantly auditing my own limitations to ensure I am providing the most empathetic and effective mentorship possible. My goal is to share a genuine joy for music and, in doing so, contribute to an educated society that values the arts not just as entertainment, but as a vital form of human connection.