Bob Story

30 years as a guitar teacher and playing professionally for 40 allows me many ways to connect with students young and old!

While sharing insights into how the guitar can sing and growl I love seeing the lights go on in a student's eyes.

As a songwriter and producer, I create music with people from all over the world and believe music is the one universal language.

I teach ukulele, bass, lap steel, slide guitar, open tuning, fingerstyle, chart reading, and re-harmonization of popular songs.

 

Tom Carleno

Tom Carleno is a highly qualified guitar instructor with over 30 years of teaching experience. He teaches beginner to a professional level on acoustic and electric and contemporary styles such as rock, jazz, blues, and fingerstyle. Several of Tom’s students have continued on to professional music careers.

Tom's teaching philosophy stresses a solid base of guitar fundamentals emphasizing ease, relaxation, and technique. The ability to read music as well as play by ear are both important skills that he teaches. His adaptability and expertise allow him to tailor the lessons to fit his student's needs and interests. He believes an easy-going, fun approach makes for a better learning environment.

Tom composes and performs with Perpetual Motion, a Jazz/World/New Age ensemble, and the progressive Americana band, The Coyote Poets Of The Universe, both of which have received stellar reviews and worldwide airplay for their recordings. His solo album, entitled “Perfect Imperfection”, also garnered international acclaim with reviews, radio play, and winning ‘Best Instrumental Album - Acoustic’ at the 2014 Zone Music Reporter Awards in New Orleans.

Dave Goodheim

David has been a musician since the age of six beginning on piano,  then playing woodwinds in school (flute, saxophone, clarinet), and finally his main instrument guitar (since 1996, theory, songwriting/composition, improvisation, classical, electric (rock, blues, experimental, ambient, jazz), and steel-string (folk, American, country, fingerstyle)). David also is a young maestro playing the classical music of northern India since 2003, having studied within the preeminent Maihar Gharana on sarod with Ustad Aashish Khan and Pandit Rajeev Taranath and earlier on sitar with Ustad Roshan Jamal Bhartiya. He attended the University of Colorado (Phi Beta Kappa honors, EPO Biology ’08) and received a BFA performer/composer degree from California Institute of the Arts in 2008.

Music pedagogy has been an important part of David’s life both as a devoted lifelong student of broad musical interests and as a teacher first offering guitar lessons to students in 2003. He has taught lessons, classes, and workshops in California and Colorado for schools, educational organizations, and as a private instructor. David fosters enjoyment of music and practice by tailoring repertoire and selection of pieces for practice for each student, or by supplementing a student’s choice of musical repertoire and style with further and deeper exploration thereof. Lessons and assignments emphasize:

• development of good technique,
• facilitating understanding of the fundamentals of music theory and
• musicianship as applicable (if desired),
• close listening and ear training to foster and support musical growth, musical improvement, and enjoyment of playing, practice, and music,
• instilling good habits and tools for the practice of practicing music,
• utilizing students’ strengths and tailoring lessons and take homework to address areas where improvement will benefit students on their individual path,
• and teaching students to be good learners with their own tools, skills, and knowledge for continued growth and improvement beyond lessons.

Ellen Persiko

I am excited to be one of the teachers at Monkton Guitars! I have a Bachelor’s in Music Performance from Albion College, Michigan, and have taught violin for 22 years in Colorado. Since moving to Colorado in 1997, I have performed with the Fort Collins and Greeley Symphony Orchestras. Currently, I am a member of the Stratus Chamber Orchestra in Denver. I am also a free-lance musician.

To grow as a teacher, I was involved with two violin pedagogy courses led by Barbara Barber at the Peak Arts Academy in Boulder. Private violin teachers from many cities took part.

Currently, I am accepting students from ages six (6) to adults. My teaching style is traditional and orchestral. I use Suzuki songs for my younger students. I want my students to have fun while learning to play the violin: I am open to teaching contemporary music tunes and fiddle. When recitals are held, any student is welcome to take part!