Red House Studios - Guitar Lessons

GUITAR CURRICULUM

Red House Guitar Curriculum A proven path from learning your first chord to playing scorching solos.

Red House 'Trax' Guitar Books Improve your practice time with top quality excercises, backing tracks and reference material.

SUCCESS STORIES


Nathan Kearns Becomes a Real Guitar Hero at Red House	02/04/10
9-Year Old Nathan Kearns is playing Van Halen, Maiden and more LIVE in Red House's A-List, and its a whole lot more satisfying that just winning at Guitar Hero. Read More

Eli and Matthew: Multi-instrumentalists in Elementary School	01/28/10
Matthew and Eli Holland have learned Piano, Drums and Guitar and Red House - and graced our stage through Band Foundry and Explore Rock & Roll. Just think what they're going to do once they turn ten! Read More

Alex and Darius Tehrani: Perfecting Their Craft at Red House	12/31/09
Alex and Darius Tehrani started by taking lessons and rocking at jam sessions. Now their band's draw big crowds at Red House's weekend shows. Read More

Ben Leslie-Bole: consultant, parent, guitarist	12/18/09
Ben had dabbled with the guitar for years, but had never gotten anywhere with his lessons. At Red House, he's learned to play, performed on staged, jammed with others and even sung some songs live! Read More

Jeff Magidson

Jeff was born in San Francisco to a family of musicians. After picking up the guitar at the age of 15, he's played professionally almost ever since. The lure of the stage took hold firmly in 1983, when Jeff cut short a study program in France to join a jug band and tour Europe. In 1990, Jeff was performing as a one-man band, playing the dobro, a harmonica, a bass drum and a high hat. In 1993, Jeff formed his own band to perform his own songs - a mix of blues, folk and funk.

Three albums, two kids and ten years after his studies took him to Europe, Jeff and his wife moved back to California. Jeff and his wife perform together as Duo Gadjo, and Jeff also plays guitar in the Hot Club of San Francisco. Check out Jeff's web site at http://www.jmagmusic.com to hear some of his work.

Jeff has been involved with Red House right from the beginning, and has brought his ten years of teaching experience to bear on Red House's design. In his role as Red House's Music Director, he helps plan and implement our monthly programming, and develop our group courses. Jeff also teaches private guitar lessons, and leads our weekly 'Unplugged' and 'Jazz Band' programs.

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Jeff Kalmbach

Jeff Kalmbach is a 2002 graduate of Berklee College of Music (Boston, MA) with a Bachelor of Music, Magna Cum Laude, in Guitar Performance. While at Berklee, Jeff tutored jazz harmony, classical harmony, ear training, reading and arranging. Having studied with Jon Finn (Boston Pops, Mel Bay Published Author), Kenwood Dennard (Miles Davis, Jaco Pastorius), Wayne Krantz (Leni Stern, Steely Dan), & Dave Fiuczynski (Me'Shell NdegeOcello, Screaming Headless Torsos), Jeff is a versatile guitarist, instructor, and songwriter. His abilities range from jazz, solo acoustic music and electric blues to funk, hard rock, punk and heavy metal. Jeff is currently the lead guitarist for the San Francisco-based rock band Rubbersidedown (http://www.rsd-music.com). His recording credits include Devas' True Illusions, NARC and The Feed. He's also expert in the music scene through his years as a manager at Rasputin Records.

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Brooks Lundy

Brooks Lundy has been playing, performing and teaching music for over twenty years, and is a living jukebox of rock songs. As a testament to his skills as both a guitarist and vocalist, Brooks laid down many of the tracks on the Guitar Hero and Karaoke Revolution video games. He also performs locally with his bands, The Inflatables and Stung (a Police tribute band). A Walnut Creek native, Brooks' musical accolades began while at Las Lomas High. Brooks sang in the school choir and founded the official Guitar Club. During his senior year, he conceived, directed and starred in the musical Is There Anybody Out There?, an original tribute to Pink Floyd. The project earned him the honor of 'Musician of the Year' at Las Lomas, and was helpful in securing his internship at MTV during the following summer. After matriculating to UC-Berkeley, Brooks performed with the UC Jazz Ensembles, produced 2 original EPs with his original rock band 62ND STREET, and performed with world class bands like Train and the Counting Crows, all while earning degrees in Psychology and Education. Brooks leads the Red House Classic Covers class, and our Tuesday and Friday rock jams. Brooks is also available for private lessons in both guitar and vocals, and teaches guitar classes and Band Foundry programs.

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Johnny Nitro

" If the world was fair, Johnny Nitro would be famous," says Michael Locke. The dean of the North Beach blues scene, mentor to Tommy Castro and countless others, Johnny Nitro packs The Saloon every Friday and Sunday night, when he often invites his many guitar students to come air it out. Johnny Nitro has played with Albert King, Albert Collins and Sonny Rhodes. Johnny wrote Dirty Dishes, a song made famous by Albert Collins and also recorded by Tab Benoit. Johnny's also a long time blues instructor at Blue Bear School of Music in San Francisco. Johnny hosts many Red House Blues jams and classes for Red House members, and also teaches our 'Blue Highway' blues guitar course. Johnny is also available for private guitar lessons.

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Ed Platt

Ed Platt has been playing the bass for 25 years. His influences span a variety of musical styles, and include Dave La Rue, Mark King, Geddy Lee, Stanley Clarke, Jaco Pastorious, Stu Hamm, Chris Squire and Larry Graham. As the bassist for the progressive rock band Enchant (www.theoasis.cc), Ed is known for his unique and very rhythmic style of playing, adding slap, snap, and tapping rock's progressive edge. Ed and the band have toured extensively since 1992, sharing the playbills with Dream Theater, Spocks Beard, Marillion, the California Guitar Trio and others, and also recorded 7 studio albums and a live DVD /CD.

Ed teaches all things bass at Red House, including private lessons and master classes.

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Dominic Henri

Dominic Henri has been studying and playing bass for over 14 years. His studies have included private lessons in his hometown of Solon, OH all the way to Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he earned a BA magna cum laude.

Being a bassist, Dominic had a choice of styles to learn while at school, so he picked all of them becoming versed in everything from straight ahead jazz to progressive rock and everything in between. He also took coursework in polyrhythms, advanced reading techniques, and free jazz. While at Berklee he studied privately under Joe Santerre who has taught greats such as Tom Hamilton of Aerosmith, Johnny Myung of Dream Theater, and Brian Bellar of Dweezil Zappa's band. Dominic's influences include John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin, Jaco Pastorius, Flea, and Victor Wooten.

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Kennan Shaw

Always a bassist, Kennan Shaw has been playing for nearly 36 years. He's a prolific live player, and was most recently the touring bassist for the John Lee Hooker, Jr. band. Other gigs include those with Danny Click, The Sinners, The Deportees, and the Wingnut Adams Band. Check out his web site at http://www.kennanshaw.com.

Kennan has all road-tested experience to teach you what you need to know - from surviving your first blues jam, to turning a chord chart into a killer bass line. When not on the road with John Lee Junior, Kennan hosts many of our Blues jams and also teaches private lessons at Red House.

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Jeff Campitelli

Jeff is the drummer for Joe Satriani's band, and has credits on all of his albums, including the legendary 'Surfing with the Alien' and the recently released 'Super Colossal'. He is also the drummer that powers the G3 Tour - keeping time for Joe and fellow guitar gods Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Vai, John Petrucci, Eric Johnson, Kenny Wayne Sheppard and others. Jeff is endorsed by DW, Paiste, Evans, Vic Firth, and Earthworks. Just as important for Red House, Jeff has been teaching drums for over 25 years.

In his role as Music Director, Jeff selects and mentors our staff drum instructors, and establishes an overall teaching curriculum and methodology for Red House. He will also teaches master classes to Red House members, conducts drumming workshops and is available for private lessons.

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Max MacVeety

Max MacVeety is a 1999 graduate of the Berklee College of Music, majoring in drum performance, with over 10 years of professional teaching experience. Max has studied with drumming and percussion heavyweights Kenwood Dennard, Jamey Haddad, Dave Dicenso, Randy Kaye, Chuck Brown, Bobby Sanabria and Jon Ramsay, and is well versed in a wide variety of styles.

Max has also recorded and toured extensively, beginning at an early age with his father's blues and R&B band. While at Berklee, he recorded 3 albums and toured with punk/ska powerhouse Big D & The Kids Table. For the past seven years, he's recorded and performed with the Oakland-based live hip-hop act The Crown City Rockers.

Max is available for private drum instruction at Red House. When he's not here or rocking with his band, Max works in the Berkeley School District, where he assists kids with learning disabilities.

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Andrew Griffin

Andrew is a drummer, drum instructor, record producer and session musician. Andrew has taught hunders of students at his East Bay Drummers' Studio in Oakland, California. He is a graduate of Berklee College of Music in Boston where he studied with drumming greats Kenwood Dennard , Joe Hunt, John Ramsey, and Gary Chaffee. The California Percussive Arts Society sponsored Andrew's drum clinic, Essentials of Funk Drumming, as part of their annual Oakland Day of Percussion.

Recently, Andrew toured with Sacramento-based 'CAKE', including drumming on their tour of Europe while opening for Wilco. Andrew is an also an active producer and session musician, and has worked with a number of prominent musicians, including: Vince Welnick (Grateful Dead, Tubes, Todd Rundgren), Victor, Jonathan & Greg of Camper Van Beethoven, Carole Pope (singer, Rough Trade), Nate Query (bassist, the Decemberists), Eric Holden (Bassist, Josh Groban and the Bodeans), Duane Jarvis (guitarist & co writer for Lucinda Williams), Darren Cassidy (bassist Cherry Poppin' Daddies), Steve Fisk (producer Nirvana, Soundgarden, the Posies, Soul Coughing), the legendary Carol Fran (blues singer and vocalist formerly employed by Ray Charles).

Andrew teaches private drum lessons at Red House, and is also available for recording sessions.

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Otto Huber

Otto Huber started playing drums at age 14, when he started learning rock beats in the back of a mom & pop music store. His teacher eventually turned him onto jazz, which has been his passion ever since and led him to a degree in drumming from Northern Illinois University.

Since moving from Chicago to Oakland in 1998, Otto has been an active gigging musician in the Bay Area jazz scene. He's had the pleasure of performing with the following musicians: Cody Anderson, Dana Atherton, Will Blades, Christian Boyd, Brenda Boykin, Gary Brown, Steve Carter, Michael Coleman, Delta Wires, Lorenzo Farrel, Ben Fajen, Ben Flint, Evan Francis, Herb Geller, Aaron Germain, Rich Gerrard, Jim Grantham, Rev. Johnathan Green, Gerry Grosz, Henry Hung, Sasha Jacobson, Saul Kaye, Art Khu, Mark Little, Damien Masterson, Paul Mausavi, Matt Morrish, Len & Ellen Patterson, Fred Randolph, Brad Russel, John Santos, Naim Satchia, Don Seaver, Dayna Stephens, Adam Shulman, Yancy Taylor, Dani Thompson, Dave Yudolph. He also plays gospel music at the Second Baptist Church in Redwood City, CA.

Otto is an active private lesson instructor at Red House, and routinely subs for other Red House instructors.

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Alex Taite

A resident and native of Oakland California, Alexander Taite graduated in April 2007 from Pepperdine University where he obtained his Degree in music theory and composition with a main emphasis in vocal performance and a minor emphasis in jazz piano.

Alex has a young and fresh sprit with an abundant performance experience under his belt including Barbershop, Spirituals, Opera, Jazz, Blues, Choral Renaissance/Baroque, and Hip-hop. He was selected to study opera in Germany with accomplished tenor Dr. Henry Price. He has been cast to sing at the San Francisco Opera, The Berkeley Opera Company and the Walnut Creek Festival Opera Company. He is a co-producer, musical director, vocalist, and vocal percussionist for local rap/hip–hop group Laced Out Crew.

Alex has also been a pianist/keyboardist since he was 8 years old, studying both classical and jazz. Over the years he has played in many types of bands ranging from jazz/funk/R&B to rock, hip–hop and pop. He has also been selected as a piano finalist in the Young Performers Concert series in San Francisco. Since graduating from Pepperdine, he has found a calling teaching music. His uniquely patient demeanor and fun–loving spirit create a comfortable learning environment and his attention to detail enables each student to personally tailor their musical studies.

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Eli Sundelson

Born and raised in Berkeley, CA, Eli began is musical career playing piano in the award winning Berkeley High Jazz Ensemble. While still in high school he toured Europe to play the Umbria, Montreux And Vienne Jazz Festivals. During his senior year he took up the Hammond B-3 Organ and began gigging at San Francisco clubs like The Boom Boom Room, Club Deluxe and Bacar.

Eli went on to receive a BA in Ethnomusicology from UCLA, where he studied jazz performance with Kenny Burrell. While living in LA, Eli performed at venues like The Jazz Bakery, Catalina’s Bar and Grill, The Mint and the Temecula Valley Jazz Festival. He was reviewed and featured in LA Jazz Scene, The Hollywood Weekly and interviewed on Los Angeles radio stations. After graduating, Eli moved back to the Bay Area and established his own trio while also playing in numerous other groups. In the spring of ’09, Eli was selected to participate in the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead program in Washington D.C. and perform on stage at the Kennedy Center.

Eli’s extensive professional experience has helped him become well versed in other styles of music besides jazz, including blues, R&B, hip-hop, funk and rock. He has studied with Susan Muscarella, Wil Blades, Sam Yahel and Dr. Lonnie Smith. Eli has been teaching music for several years now and holds the philosophy that learning to play music should always be fun and inspiring.

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Leslie Noel

Leslie Noel was been teaching vocal lessons for over 8 years. In addition to founding her own successful teaching studio, Leslie assists in the Choral programs at Joaquin Moraga Middle School (5 Years). Leslie has always integrated recitals, musicals and performances into her teaching programs. In her most ambitious undertaking, Leslie is the Founder and Director of the Peter Pan Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that produces musicals. Leslie composes, casts and directs the productions, which typically involve over 150 performers.

Leslie has studied and performed music since the fourth grade, and been seen in musical theater all over the Bay Area. Her favorite roles include Maria in West Side Story (Contra Costa Civic Theatre), Emma in Jekyll & Hyde (Contra Costa Civic Theatre; East Bay Critic's Award), Laurie in Oklahoma (Pleasanton Playhouse), and Adelaide in Guys & Dolls (Acalanes High School). Her formal studies have included undergraduate courses at Cal State Hayward, and Italian opera training with Lorenzo Malfatti and Franc D'Abrosio. She has been nominated for two 'Shellie' awards, and was the opening singer for Franc D'Ambrosio's Broadway tour at the Dean Lesher Center.

Leslie is also an experienced pianist/accompanist, a prolific songwriter/arranger. She teaches private vocal lessons and leads Red House's chorale groups.

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Adam Goodhue

Drummer since birth, music has been the caravan that has brought me to stages and studios all over the world. Be it Big Band Jazz in China, Neo Soul and Blues in Oakland or New Orleans styles w/ Maria Muldaur and Bonnie Raitt...I just love to play and am blessed to be able to perform with such great musicians. Besides playing in some great bands i also have a amazing group of students that always push me to be a better player/teacher. I'm excited to be part of the Red House faculty and look forward to meeting you! Current events and sounds available @ www.adamgoodhue.com

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Ryan Lendt

Ryan Lendt is singer, songwriter, and guitarist who's composed upwards of 200 original songs. His self-titled debut album has sold thousands of copies worldwide, and is currently getting airplay in Great Britain and many internet based radio stations in the USA. Check out Ryan's work at www.ryanlendt.com or on MySpace.

Beginning his relationship with Red House as a member and frequent acoustic performer, Ryan has joined the staff in 2007 and has since earned rave reviews in leading our group guitar courses and Saturday morning acoustic sessions.

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Vince Lay

Vince Lay is the charismatic frontman of alternative rockers Go Kart Mozart, and (now defunct) Kid Moe.

An East Bay native, Vince is an eternal student of the DVC music program, and a pillar of the local scene.

Check out Vince as he leads the Wednesday and Saturday rock jams at Red House, plus his hugely popular 'Rock Essentials' Tuesday nights. Vince also teaches private lessons, band foundries and guitar courses at Red House.

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Jed daRoza

Jed da Roza has been a private voice teacher and music director for 7 years. His students have ranged from age 6 to 76 and have focused on rock, pop, musical theatre, and classical technique. He has been the music/vocal director for 30 productions through children’s theatre companies and high schools. Some of his favorites have been the rock-musicals Bat Boy, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Rent, as well as Guys and Dolls, The Mikado, West Side Story, Honk!, and Les Miserables.

Jed has performed in more than a dozen productions, including three operas. His favorite starring roles include Joseph (Joseph...), Ugly (Honk!), Dr. Parker (Bat Boy), and the Mad Hatter (Leslie Noel's and the Peter Pan Foundation's Wish Upon a Star). Jed was also a regular performer and host of the Octavia Lounge in San Francisco for two years.

Jed studied voice with Broadway National Tours and opera star Richard Nickol at the San Francisco Academy for the Performing Arts for six years. He's previously studied acting with Leslie Martinson, Bobbie Weinapple, and Joshua Finkel. His current coaches include Sarah Franklin and Stephen Smith, a member of the voice faculty at The Juilliard School.

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