Guitar
Don Parkhurst is a lifelong musician with over 40 years of guitar experience and 15 years of teaching experience. Though his personal specialty is in rock (including classic rock, modern rock, and metal), Don has also taught a wide variety of other genres and styles, from pop to country to folk, and is happy to tailor his lessons to the individual interests of each student.
Don’s musical background includes years of study under prestigious private teachers like Alex Skolnick (Testament, Trans-Siberian Orchestra) as well as his formal education at Hartford Conservatory and the Atlanta Institute of Music. As an instructor, he pulls from his extensive knowledge base and breaks the information down into an easy-to-understand approach that students of any skill level can easily comprehend.
Music fundamentals are very important, and over the years Don has created his own method for teaching technical skills and theory, but actually PLAYING MUSIC is a huge part of Don’s program. He understands that for a student, learning one’s favorite songs is essential in staying motivated to keep moving forward and improving. Therefore, his lessons focus on applying students’ newfound skills and knowledge directly to the songs they want to learn.
Throughout his years of teaching, Don has built an extensive collection of tools and activities to inspire, encourage, and motivate students of all ages. Don often records his students’ performances and creates cool videos so that young ones can see how far they’ve come and how much they have accomplished. When they feel ready, students can also plan their own private in-home concert to show family and friends the exciting things they have learned. They can also earn performance awards at various levels, from “demo awards” on up to Gold and Platinum Recording Artist Awards. It’s tons of fun and highly rewarding for both student and teacher!
All of Don’s students also have access to an online classroom where they can view videos on various musical topics, play along with full band backing tracks, review videos of material covered in lessons and contact Don with any questions they may have between lessons. To sum it up, Don is always here to help you out and he cares greatly about your progress. He looks forward to helping you achieve your goals while having tons of fun along the way!