Guitar & Piano Lessons with Sam B.

Sam is an audio engineer, composer, songwriter, and guitarist who became engrossed in creating and playing music at a young age. From the start, he wanted to figure out why the music he loved sounded the way it did, and how to create from the inspiration that followed.

Playing guitar since 12 years old, Sam always had a fascination with writing pieces both instrumentally and lyrically, learning how to find his unique voice as the years went on. His philosophy of music comes down to expression: believing that mastering a craft that so freely allows for us to voice ourselves is one of the most important aspects of life, truly. Whether that means picking up a guitar for the first time, or playing through your favorite changes for the thousandth time— each day you pick up your instrument is a day to be proud of. Growing up, he began to learn the basics of music production, theory, and multi-instrumental performance which fueled his decision to receive a formal education in the field. In junior college, Sam played in several bands and studied jazz/blues, pop, and rock guitar performance/theory before transferring to San Francisco State University— where he graduated with a Bachelors of Music in Composition. He was involved with several leadership roles throughout, both helping his peers with their own education, and building community ties across all of California. During and after his education, he focused his efforts on recording two albums, scoring several short films and games, working at a local studio, and finally moving to Chicago to begin establishing his career.

Sam’s teaching style is centered and based on the experience, knowledge, and goals of each individual student— tailoring lesson plans to ensure the success of every guitarist he has the privilege to instruct. Whether the student’s interests are centered on building foundational skills on their instrument, casually adding songs to their repertoire, or wanting to understand more advanced concepts like music theory, Sam is dedicated to building a focused, individualized plan that works for everyone. He is constantly impressed with the progress made by his students, hoping to continue to foster an environment of musical curiosity and comfortability.

While guitar is his primary instrument, Sam can write parts for nearly every instrument, so incorporating aspects of composition is seamless, often being a very effective learning tool in advancing students' musicality and understanding if it suits their goals. He offers teaching students to read tabs, sheet music, charts, develop ear training, and any other aspects of musicianship pertaining to their interests. The idea of synergy is one he keeps in mind for every lesson, so that any concept discussed can become connected to real life experiences and contribute to building a foundation of musical knowledge.

Outside of teaching, Sam spends his time mixing, mastering, and engineering music for both himself and other musicians. His interests in personal work revolve around several subgenres of rock, creating both full band/almost orchestral arrangements and songs full of exciting, explosive energy. His passion to create drives his love to teach, hoping to instill confidence in every student to reach for any goal they have, and create ones they didn’t yet realize.