I first started teaching guitar to a friend in high-school. I was 17 at the time.
I was inspired by the great teachers that I had in my life, who nurtured my musical curiosity and showed me the amazing rewards that music can have.
I quickly realized that my innate musical talents weren’t enough to be an effective teacher. I needed to work as hard on my teaching skills as I did on my musical abilities. Great players don’t necessarily make great teachers.
Now after more than 15 years of teaching and developing my skills, I have successfully taught and inspired many students. I am continually driven to help students overcome their unique challenges and achieve their goals to become the musician they want to be.
I want to give back to students what my teachers have shown me, that a life with music is rich with rewards in the most unexpected places. A career highlight for me was being invited to play for Geddy Lee’s (Rush) mother’s 90th birthday (a story for another time)!
My students will learn not just how to play music, but to find threads of music everywhere in life. Art imitates life, as the saying goes. To find an artistic medium to express oneself is one of the most rewarding endeavours you can pursue.
TAK ARIKUSHI 