Pianist and Guitarist with 14 years of experience gives music theory, piano, guitar lesson online in Portland

I appreciate how Ryan works with me at my pace. He is very patient and incorporates music theory into lessons in a way that allows me to discover and make connections on my own. Also he is thoughtful about what songs might resonate with me and I love that :)

Ryan is such an incredible teacher! He is thoughtful, intuitive, and worked with me in a way that made me feel comfortable and challenged. I was terrified to take lessons, and he put my mind at ease with a gentle, compassionate approach to music instruction. Ryan gave me the fundamental lessons, and then let me choose what I wanted to learn. This made me want to keep practicing and learning. I HIGHLY recommend Ryan for anyone, at any skill level.

First off, I have to say that Ryan is an excellent listener and spends his time to get to know you and where you're at musically. He does this so he can tailor the lesson plans around your goals and ability. I found this so be attractive, since my past learning experience with music was based on a set curriculum with no personalization. The personal touch made learning more exciting and satisfying, and therefore more effective. For example, I wanted to start with learn Erik Satie's Gymnopedie #1, and Ryan assessed where I was at and broke down the lesson in chunks. We covered fingering, hand placement, notes, cadence, coordination, shapes.. He walked me through playing the piece while deciphering its theory, explaining what was happening in each part and reasons behind certain musical choices (Gymnopedie #1 has an intentional ambiguity and complex minimalism to it, which creates a feeling of lofty pleasantness but also uncertainty). He takes on extra steps to help you understand what you're playing as well as being able to play it, which brings me to my second point: he has years of experience with music, which includes a depth and breadth of knowledge about many aspects of music and musicality, including the history of composers. I was really impressed by how much he knows and was able to clearly communicate. Music is his passion and I found it a benefit to be working with someone who feels that way. And lastly, Ryan conducts himself professionally and respectfully, but has a personable demeanor that made me feel relaxed. He made learning fun, interesting, engaging, and just challenging enough. He is a natural teacher and I would recommend him without without a doubt.

I've been taking lessons with Ryan weekly for about 6 months over zoom - He is knowledgeable, patient, and demonstrably passionate about teaching music, starting each lesson on-time with a smile! He is an intent listener and crystal-clear communicator. Ryan brings structure to each lesson while leaving enough flexibility to hone in on what brings you joy while playing your instruments. He's selected a few books, and even done some transcribing specifically for our lessons. For me, as an adult learner, he's made an effort to keep it interesting while not taking any shortcuts. I have fond memories when he asks "can you play whatever comes naturally to you when you touch the piano?". I started as an absolute beginner and with Ryan's help I've overcome barriers in sight reading, scales, melody and theory. Overall, if you are looking for an anchor and want someone to help you focus on your own musical goals with a personalized coach, Ryan is your guy!

I have been taking lessons with Ryan for the past few months and have enjoyed them a lot. I have been playing guitar for about 15 years now and wanted to refresh some of the basics I might have skipped over. Ryan was the perfect help for that! He quickly recognized my needs and provided personalized lessons to fit my situation. His style is very relaxed and it makes me feel a ease. I can feel rather up right about the areas of guitar that I am not good at. One lesson I spoke with Ryan about singing and playing guitar, a huge huddle for me, he gave me simple advise about how to just sing and play and not worry about what its about at first or how it sounds. It seems simple but it was a massive break through for me. I would recommend Ryan to any one starting guitar, getting back into it like me, or trying to improve their song writing skills. He was always on time, wish I could say the same for me! Thanks Ryan!

Ryan has taught me so much. He is really great at meeting me where I’m at, and offering lessons that work for me. Highly recommend Ryan to anyone looking for a teacher

Ryan is very patient and talented. He knows how to break down a lesson according to the student. He also knows how to make the lesson fun, which is very important when learning something new :)

Ryan is extremely knowledgeable and creative. He is extremely patient and helped me feel comfortable even though playing music makes me nervous. He was able to get me out of my head and into a song, theory, and experience. Ryan can be fun and focused simultaneously. Highly recommended!

Ryan has a keen sense of the feel for music and really helped me step back and be more intuitive with what I was doing! I'm an impatient learner but Ryan is a great teacher and helped me appreciate the nuances of the guitar in a way I never expected. He's a wonderful musician and a talented guide into the realm of music! Highly recommend him!

He was a very calm and patient teacher