Toronto

Daniel

(6 reviews)

Lydia

« Perfect! Daniel is a great teacher. He's patient and explains concepts... More »

Lydia

« Perfect! Daniel is a great teacher. He's patient and explains concepts clearly. I enjoyed my consultation lesson with him and plan to take more lessons from him in the future. »

$60^/h

1^st lesson is free!

Superprof Private lessons Acoustic guitar lessons electric guitar lessons classical guitar lessons musical improvisation lessons

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Lessons offered by Daniel

Individual

The lessons will be held

By webcam

Taught subjects

Acoustic Guitar
Electric guitar
Classical Guitar
Musical improvisation

Levels

All Levels

Guitar Lessons Online (Skype/Zoom/Discord) with a real guitar professor at Wilfrid Laurier University!

Methodology

**NEW FOR 2020** Special Sliding Scale for those with Extenuating Financial Circumstances. Please inquire for more info.

Music lessons should be about serving YOUR individual needs as a student, learning how to supercharge your practice to get the most out of your time, and help you develop independence and flexibility so you can reach your artistic goals with guidance and ease. Lessons with me will help you prepare mentally and physically to conquer stage fright in auditions, exams, competitions, or on any stage imaginable!

Most importantly, anyone can learn an instrument at any age!

1. YOUR GOALS ARE MY GOALS. At the core, I believe that every teacher needs to adapt their lessons to the individual goals of each student, rather than pushing their own agenda on each player that comes into their studio. I believe in working to help people realize their own potential, not the goals of their teacher.

2. YOUR MIND IS YOUR GREATEST INSTRUMENT. I strongly emphasize the importance of developing mental tools to make our practicing as efficient and creative as possible, and helping students to learn real life strategies to deal with their own fears involving performing and practicing.

3. CONQUERING YOUR FEARS IS PART OF MUSIC-MAKING. Many students often stop playing, or even quit music as a result of the pressures and fears they experience as a result of not learning strategies to deal with their music performance anxiety, or as a result of the abuse of their teachers. Since this is an area of expertise for me, and is the primary focus of my doctoral research, I am more than happy to help individuals deal with their own unique challenges in this area, while remaining sensitive to the needs of each player, in helping them reach their often ambitious goals.

4. IF YOU WORK WITH ME, YOU WILL BE IN GOOD HANDS. With years of professional training from some of the best guitarists on the planet, I help students develop a strong and flexible technique right from the start in both hands, while training them to become as independent as possible. This means that I strongly favour learning to read music well so we can communicate with other musicians.

5. UNLOCKING YOUR CREATIVITY IS A KEY COMPONENT OF MASTERING THE INSTRUMENT. Although improvisation was once a crucial aspect of "classical" music learning until about 150 years ago, I believe that its elimination from the music curriculum has been detrimental to the inherently creative abilities that all individuals have. I strongly favour an approach to technique that teaches students to master the fretboard through improvisation and writing their own music, as well as learning to read music of past masters.

6. Most importantly, MUSIC IS FOR EVERYONE. Music learning can start at any time, at any age, and I love teaching beginners as much as I love teaching the most advanced players. All are welcome.

Background

I have given concerts in Japan, Italy, Austria, the US, and all over Canada, and I was recently appointed as a guitar instructor in the Faculty of Music at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo. At the same time, I am currently completing my Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree from the University of Toronto, where I also work as a teaching assistant for undergraduate guitar majors. I am researching the effects of Music Performance Anxiety (stage fright) on guitarists, and have taken many psychology courses related to performance to supplement this research.

I hold a Master's Degree in Music from the University of Ottawa, and have studied privately in Florida and in Europe on scholarship with world-renowned teachers such as Bruce Holzman and Lorenzo Micheli. I have also received awards in International, National, and Provincial Music Competitions. I have premiered new classical guitar pieces by dozens of composers from all over the world.

I have eleven years of teaching experience in guitar in all styles, ages and skill levels, and currently teach undergraduate students at the University of Toronto as part of my graduate teaching assistantship. Some of my past students have won first prize at local festivals, and have gained admission to the University of Toronto's Bachelor of Music performance program in guitar.

Rates

Rate for online lessons : $ 60/h

Rate for 5 hours of lessons : $280

Rate for 10 hours of lessons : $550

Details

For students ages 16 or under with difficult economic circumstances and an eagerness to learn classical guitar, I am willing to give a special discount. Please inquire via this website for more information.

Lessons offered by Daniel

Individual

The lessons will be held

webcam

Taught subjects

Acoustic Guitar
Electric guitar
Classical Guitar
Musical improvisation

Levels

All Levels

Daniel's Resume

Education

Doctoral Candidate, Doctor of Musical Arts, University of Toronto 2017-2021

Master of Music (M. Mus), University of Ottawa, 2015-2017

Bachelor of Music (B. Mus), University of Ottawa, 2010-2014

Recent Performance Highlights

-Performing in Spain at the Angel Pinero International Guitar Competition, 2019
-Performed solo guitar works by new composers at the Polish General Consulate Toronto, in February and April 2019
-Gave a marimba/guitar duo recital in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan with Naoko Tsujita, August 2018
-Performed and premiered six new works by new composers written for marimba and guitar at the Alte -Schmiede Kunstverein, Vienna, Austria, 2018
-Performed solo guitar at the Livorno Music Festival, Italy, 2018
-Gave a solo guitar recital at the National Arts Centre, Ottawa, April 2017
-Performed for Ottawa International Chamberfest, Spectrum Music Toronto, INNERChamber Stratford, Stratford Summer Music, and several other music festivals in Canada

Awards and Achievements

Finalist, Montreal International Guitar Competition 2019
Received a $4000 scholarship to study guitar in Europe with renowned Italian guitarist Lorenzo Micheli in Summer 2017
Second Place, National Music Competition, 2016
Finalist, Hamilton International Guitar Competition 2014
First Place, Ontario Music Festivals Association Provincial Guitar Competition, 2014 AND 2016
First Prize, Ottawa-Gatineau Guitar Competition 2013
Sole recipient of the Domaine Forget Guitar Prize, 2013, in Charlevoix, Quebec

Current Student's Achievements

First Prize, Kiwanis Music Festival Peel Region, Grade 5 Category, 2019
Admission to University of Toronto Bachelor of Music Performance Program, 2019

The 6 reviews on Daniel

5/5

All our ratings are collected by us and are given in confidence, they correspond to a real experience.

Lydia

Perfect! Daniel is a great teacher. He's patient and explains concepts clearly. I enjoyed my consultation lesson with him and plan to take more lessons from him in the future.

Daniel's response

Lydia is a really great student with a very natural aptitude for the instrument. I can't wait to see where our lessons go from here- she already has a very mature sound in the second week and great control of her tone, and it will only get better from here as her technique and attention to musical details improve!

5 recommendations

Silas

I have known Daniel for a number of years as a guitar ensemble coach during my undergrad, and now as a colleague. His vast knowledge of music pedagogy, passion for learning, and positive personality make him a teacher I could not recommend more !

Richard

Daniel taught me for the 3rd year of my undergrad in guitar, this was years ago but there are a couple of the lessons I can remember like they were yesterday. He covered a lot in that time, my favorite was his explanations on gradients of perfection. As well he explains polyrhythms with more depth than I've ever seen anyone do before and made it possible for me not only to understand but play proficiently. Time spent studying with him will show you results and I would highly recommend Daniel as a teacher.

Alex

Daniel is an energetic teacher that taught me and my duo partner the past year. I would say he definitely helped us reach an entire new level of playing. Daniel is a very experienced guitarist and knows how to explain things easily. I would definitely recommend Daniel to any other guitarists.

Branka

Daniel has been a guitar teacher to our daughter for the past two years. He is a very thoughtful teacher who knows how to make a class more engaging for 12 years old girl. His passion for classical music and patience for teaching is fantastic. We highly recommend Daniel for beginner and advanced classical guitar students.

Peter

I remember the first time I went for a lesson with Daniel and to be honest, I wasn't expecting a lot. But afterwards, legit it was honestly the best lesson I had in my life so far. He really knows what hes doing, and hes very encouraging but at the same time honest with how you should improve your playing. I got exponentially better at guitar since I worked with him, and hes definitely the reason why I got into UofT for Performance in classical guitar. I highly recommend Daniel if your interested in learning Classical guitar.

Daniel's interview

QUESTION 01 | 05

When and why did you develop an interest in your chosen field?

Daniel — I started guitar when I was 10 years old. By the time I was 12, I decided that I wanted to be a professional classical guitarist.

QUESTION 02 | 05

What makes you passionate about your subject?

Daniel — I really love the classical guitar because of its honesty. The instrument, while very unforgiving, forces you to appreciate every note in your interpretation, and the sound of one guitar playing so many voices is really special in a way that I can't describe. As far as music goes in general, we've been doing it for around 40,000 years as a species, and for me, it's one of the most human things a person can do. Everyone deserves the opportunity to be a part of that.

QUESTION 03 | 05

What do you like about tutoring? What makes you a "Superprof"?

Daniel — I love teaching, and have done it for ten years, for a simple reason: if I want the field of classical guitar to progress, it is not only a desire, but a responsibility to teach the instrument to others. If I want it to be played well, it is my responsibility to teach others to play it well. Beyond that, I simply love the human connections I make with each one of my students, understanding the ways that each of them grasps music in their own unique way. I also love seeing the unexpected ways that music learning affects their day to day life, their relationships with others, and their general approach to learning anything. I do notice that my students grow as people and seem to change for the better after about a year or more of studying the guitar.

QUESTION 04 | 05

Do you have any role models; a teacher that inspired you?

Daniel — I had many teachers throughout my life, and they all taught me a lot. Patrick Roux, who I studied with during my Master's Degree, taught me the importance of putting the music first. Bruce Holzman, who I worked with in Tallahassee, Florida, taught me the importance of psychology in teaching, learning, and performing, and the value of simplicity in interpretation and explanation. Jeffrey McFadden, at the University of Toronto, taught me how to conquer every technical problem that I can think of, and to create a consistent, clear sound. Lorenzo Micheli, an Italian guitarist who I studied with on scholarship in Europe for one summer, is probably my favourite guitarist on the planet, and he taught me the importance of relaxation, mental practice, and having clear musical ideas. Just observing his lifestyle and his approach to music improved my playing, on top of the actual work we did in lessons together.

QUESTION 05 | 05

What are your keys to success?

Daniel — Understand yourself, understand what you are trying to achieve, make it realistic, and make a plan to achieve it. I think this is the essence of learning. Beyond that, I believe that developing an open and exploratory attitude to learning and listening has really helped me to overcome music performance anxiety, push through challenging technical problems, and react positively to the various things that throw us curveballs in life.

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