Bio and Brief
Teaching Philosophy

After obtaining a Bachelor of Music in Music Education Degree (University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon SK Canada), I have maintained an active performance schedule, and specifically regarding teaching, I've taught in the public and private school systems, as well as at the university level (Mount Royal University Music Conservatory, Calgary AB), and currently teaching at my studio in the West Island of Montréal. I have adjudicated at music festivals, given masterclasses to classical guitar soloists and ensembles, coached student rock bands for performances, and prepared numerous soloists for RCM exams.

Past performance experience includes the formats of solo guitar music, concerto soloist with a string orchestra, various chamber music settings with flutists and soprano vocalists, and guitar duos and quartets in university faculty concert series performances. I have also performed lead and rhythm guitar on electric and acoustic guitars, backing singer songwriters and live bands. I embrace diversity strongly because of the wealth of culture and knowledge to be learned and enjoyed by engulfing oneself in a multitude of beautiful music. Recent performances were for private functions and weddings at le Mont Stephen (Montréal - Medical Association private event/symposium)), Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise AB, Auberge Le Saint-Gabriel, Château Montebello QC, Hotel Place d'Armes, Nakoda Lodge, Delta Bessborough (Saskatoon SK), Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal (Québec government event), L'Auberge des Gallant, le Windsor Hotel, Mont Tremblant, L'Auberge Willow (Hudson QC), Parisian Laundry Montréal, l'Hôtel Lac Carling QC, Villa Armando, Ritz Carlton Montréal (art exhibition dinner), Old Mansion House (Georgeville QC), Hyatt Regency Montréal, Château St-Ambroise, Dorval Forest and Stream Club, le Westin, Club 357, Haut Bois Normand, Crowne Plaza Montréal (corprate event), Mount Royal United Church, Beth Zion Synagogue, L'Oasis De L'ile, Hyatt Calgary, Calgary Mariott Hotel, Kananaskis Mountain Lodge, International Civil Aviation Organization (United Nations special event/symposium), and private clubs, to name a few. While teaching at the Mount Royal University Conservatory, I also regularly performed in the faculty series concerts, in solo and various chamber settings.

Both in studio and online, I maintain an active teaching schedule in classical, fingerstyle, and popular styles of guitar playing. I passionately share technical knowledge, ideas regarding harmony, song structure, form, playing expressively, lead guitar, improvisation, and learning to sing while playing a variety of strum and fingerstyle patterns. I have created tablatures/notations for thousands of songs, all of which are accessible to my students. Classical studies, scales, scale picking patterns, Celtic tunes, arpeggios, and various technical tools are chosen specifically to address particular student deficiencies, with the goal of having them play with greater facility and expression. During the study of a piece, regardless of muscial genre, I regularly reference quality recordings. The use multi-tracking software is also valuable, as I regularly record layered ideas (guitar tracks with songs, blues leads, classical duets, string bends, etc.), so that my students can better hear a specific part, or make effective use of a practice track.

With constant practice, persistence, and a lot of enthusiasm, guitar students can get to a point where they have a sufficient amount of technical 'auto-pilot', therefore enabling them to focus on timing, rhythm, dynamics, and all of the aesthetic qualities of music which make it super fun to play!

If you're interested, click the "contact" link above to inquire about lessons, or to book an upcoming performance.

© 2025 Stephen Weiss
West Island of Montreal