Professional guitar tutor with 19 years of experience in gigging, recording, and touring, and holds a master's degree in music.

Find out more about Dexter

• When did you first develop a passion for music and your favourite instrument?

  I started playing guitar when I was 14. I used to skateboard until I listened to Kerrang’s ‘Skate or Die’ compilation. Black Sabbath’s ‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath’ was on there, and I loved how it went from a gorgeous jazzy chorus into this monstrous, sludgy riff at the end. I’d never heard anything like it! My friend played guitar, and I wanted to be able to do cool stuff like that. Out went the skateboard, in came the guitar. My life’s never been the same since.

• 2) Is there a particular type of music or artist that you listen to on a loop without it driving you crazy?

  I listen to all sorts of genres and artists. Every now and again, an artist will come along that blows me away, and I'll listen to them heavily on repeat. I play a lot of loud guitar live, so I tend to listen to softer stuff at home or on the tube!

• 3) Explain to us the most difficult or riveting course you could personally give to a student of music.

  It would have to be something grade 8 level - Django Reinheart or Robert Johnson. I have to work hard at that myself, it’s a real taskmaster. No matter how much you work at it, there’s always something that could be better, cleaner, or something new to take from it.

• 4) What do you think is the most complicated instrument to master and why?

  I think every instrument has its limitations. Every instrument is complicated to master - bass, drums, guitar, vocals… You can never know it all with any of them; it’s the opposite of a video game - you’ll never complete it! But that’s what makes it so special, and also why so many artists change their direction or vision over time.
  
  Keith Richards ditched the 6 strings and went to 5, then swapped to open tunings. Dave Grohl swapped from drums to guitar and vocals. Thom Yorke went from Radiohead, to electronic solo ventures, to the Smile where he swaps between guitar and bass. His genre is miles away from the RHCP, yet worked with Flea to have something new.
  
  No matter what instrument or musical discipline you practice, they are all impossible to master, and as your tastes change and you explore different genres, there’s always something else to learn or try.

• 5) What are your keys to success?

  Don’t give up, and be disciplined. If you don’t play, you can’t improve. If you don’t try, you can’t succeed. It’s a myth that ‘some people have it, some people don’t’. Imagine how many hours Janis Joplin or Amy Winehouse sang over their lives, or how many hours Jimi Hendrix played guitar, or how many hours Miles Davis played the trumpet, or how many hours Jack and Meg white played, jammed or rehearsed… They all have one thing in common - people who succeed across all instruments and genres have put the time, love, and work in.

• 6) Name three musicians you dream of meeting in your favourite bar in the early hours of the morning. Explain why.

  I was lucky enough to actually meet them - The Libertines (there’s 4 but still)… When I was younger me and a friend had another pal who worked as a limo driver. He took us for a free ride on the way to drop it off at the depot, and we looked through the CD folder in the limo. The only thing worth listening to was the Libertines' first album. We felt like rockstars listening to that album riding in the limo, and it made me want to be in a successful band, and I always wanted to meet them after that.
  
  A band I’m in - PREGOBLIN - got signed to Pete Doherty's label, and we have gigged with him, supported him in Paris, and supported the Libertines in Milton Keynes. I was lucky enough to perform with them and hang out with them after the gig. Who would of known that dream would have come true?

• 7) Provide a valuable anecdote related to music or your days at music school.

  One of my teachers at ACM - Pete Friesen - inspired me as he had played for Alice Cooper and Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden. He gave me and the class a great piece of advice on the last day - ‘don’t be an a**hole’! I wasn’t expecting it, but he was right. If you want to improve and play in bands, the best way to do that is to surround yourself with the best musicians possible. And the one who gets that gig with those musicians is the one who can play well, but is also the one who’s great to hang out with!

• 8) What are the little touches that make you a Superprof in music?

  I love people! I will listen to your goals, hopes for the lessons, and your interests. As I mentioned, there are infinite things to learn, and I’ll tailor the lessons to your interests. You’ll feel like you’ve achieved something, and be itching to keep going, practice and learn more!