Testimonials
Words from my fantastic students
Learning to play guitar with Phil has been a lot of fun. I am a complete musical novice, plus I have a demanding full-time job, so he’s needed to be both patient and extremely flexible. In addition to the usual “book learning,” he asked me to find and taught me songs I wanted to learn, which was a nice break from the “Grade 1″ selections. Quite comfortable and knowledgable in a wide variety of musical tastes and styles, Phil is definitely worth talking to if you’re looking for a fantastic music teacher.
Alan L.
He's very patient and has a unique way of teaching that is easy for a person to learn.
Denise G.
I'm an intermediate level guitarist and I've been taking Guitar lessons from Phil a little over 7 months now. Without a doubt, he's the best teacher that I've ever worked with so far. He's a true "guru" and a guide , so to speak. My goals with him were to analyze song structures/theory and get into songwriting and I can definitely agree that my theory/technique and analysis skills have grown tenfold in a very short amount of time. He's very methodical and organized in his approach when it comes to teaching a lesson or tracking your progress. The best part about him is he tailors his lessons specifically for your skill level no matter what part of the journey you're in. He's very patient, humble and super fun to be with. He's an amazing professional with great depth of knowledge spanning across multiple genres be it Jazz/Blues/Rock/Metal. I would 100% recommend him to any aspiring guitarist.
Sivalalith M.
My three children have been taking guitar, piano and flute lessons with Phil for six years. Phil is by far the best music teacher we've had, and the kids' progress has been outstanding. Not only that, but Phil has nurtured their enthusiasm and encouraged my older children to study theory at home to improve their understanding and playing. Phil works as well with my quiet, reserved child as he does with my energetic, loud kid, who he manages to keeps focused and settled, harnessing the energy appropriately. I can't recommend Phil highly enough, we expect to continue lessons for many years to come!
Josef C.
He is very professional and patient. I am a beginner and that is very important to me.
Ed B.
In this age of free online guitar classes, infinite youtube videos on how to play guitar, and eye catching books and sites screaming "learn guitar in one day", one wonders if we still need "real" guitar instructors anymore! Phil Johnshon has been a clear proof to me that we truly need "real" instructors - perhaps even more so now than ever before, someone who takes genuine interest in one's progress, growth and evolution as a guitar player. I have found Phil very methodical and very professional as a guitar instructor. Many a times when I got stuck with a measure or bar, he would find novel ways to break that into simpler strokes and strums, so that I am sure to get past a difficult lesson. He very easily spots my mistakes and corrects them early on before these can become a habit that can become harder to overcome later on. Phil goes beyond just teaching how to play notes and strum chords for a song: he provides deeper insight into the musical background of a piece of music, how it relates to other similar pieces of the genre and other guitar players, how the piece is structured, so that you come out better equipped to play similar other music or to see patterns in music that you are otherwise unaware of. As with any new endeavor, hobby or passion - it is easy to get started, and initial lessons can be quick, easy and encouraging, but then suddenly you may find yourself not able to make much progress as the lessons get harder and you may feel that you have reached your potential and cannot go any further. Early on this happened to me - when I started learning my first classic-rock piece of music ("Stairway to Heaven") after several introductory and warm-up lessons, I thought I had hit a wall and that I would never be able to play my favorite rock music and was considering quitting. But Phil, as a true Coach, with his patience, led me to genuinely believe that I had the potential and that I could play all these classic rock pieces - he helped me through the process, building up my confidence. As a result, my passion for playing guitar has been kept alive, I have continued to become better at my guitar playing, and I am at a stage where I truly enjoy playing my guitar, thanks to Phil.
Presad B.