#035: How to be a Great Music Teacher in 2023 with Rob Garland

Our guest in today’s episode is Rob Garland, a guitar player and a great music teacher in a very notable institution. Rob is going to share his thoughts on how to be a successful guitar teacher in 2023 and beyond. This interview is a goldmine of information for any teacher looking to take their guitar teaching skills to the next level.

• Rob shares a brief background about his career, both as a musician and teacher.
• The story of how he got a contract with Cherry Lane or getting involved with publishing companies.
• Why he took the plunge and relocated to the USA.
• The importance of human connection in building a career in music.
• How he ended up in LA and teaching in a notable institution.
• His thoughts on the younger generation of learners coming up less experienced in their ear training.
• His experience in teaching intermediate and advanced students.
• Why you need to teach your students something that will set you apart.
• Tips for teaching your students.
• One thing that is overlooked in guitar lessons.
• Advice for teachers in teaching students within 30 minutes
• Top things you need to do to become a great music teacher in 2023.

Guest Links

• Rob Garland Website
• Rob Garland Instagram

Guitar Teaching Resources Mentioned

• Free Guitar E-book Resources

Today’s Guest

Rob Garland grew up in England, worked in a diverse array of bands, and later played hundreds of gigs at festivals and clubs in the U.S. with his band The Blue Monks, opening for artists such as B.B. King, Booker T. and Chuck Berry. He now lives in Los Angeles, where he continues to write and record his original music, available to stream/download. He regularly performs at clubs such as The Baked Potato and Alva’s Showroom, and has recorded sessions at studios such as The Village Recorder, Revolver and J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot.

Rob has been teaching guitar for 25+ years and has taught hundreds of private students across all ability levels and musical genres. He has taught group classes, private lessons and masterclasses for Musicians Institute (G.I.T.) in Hollywood, CA, where he serves on the faculty and has created numerous instructional courses for TrueFire & JamPlay, including the best selling ‘Chord Navigator: CAGED’ series. He has written instructional books for Cherry Lane/Hal Leonard, and is currently writing for Fundamental Changes.

Musicians Rob has performed with include Steve Vai, Jimmy Haslip (The Yellowjackets), Marco Minnemann (Joe Satriani), Gus Thornton (Albert King), Joel Taylor (Allan Holdsworth) and Tony Newton (Gary Moore). He is endorsed by Bogner amps, Xotic guitars, Curt Mangan strings, ChickenPicks and Moody Leather straps.

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