Benjamin Schuler
About
Hi, I’m Ben Schuler, a guitarist with years of experience both teaching and performing as a street musician in New Orleans—a city where music isn’t background noise, it’s the heartbeat of everyday life. Playing on the street taught me lessons no classroom ever could: how to grab a listener’s attention with just a few notes, how to hold a groove when everything around you is moving, and how to connect with total strangers through sound alone.
Alongside my teaching experience, I’ve spent over a decade immersed in guitar playing—refining my own style through blues, folk, and indie influences. I work with students of all levels, helping them build confidence, technique, and the musical instinct to really play—not just practice.
🎶 What I Teach
- Acoustic and electric guitar
- Fingerpicking, rhythm, chord transitions
- Blues, folk, indie, and roots styles
- Playing by ear and songwriting fundamentals
- Performance confidence (for open mics, jams, or the street)
🌟 Why Learn with Me?
I teach from experience that’s as real as it gets. Street performing in New Orleans showed me what moves people, how to adapt on the fly, and how to turn simple playing into something magnetic. Whether you’re learning your first chords or trying to unlock a more expressive voice on the guitar, I’ll help you grow in a way that feels grounded, musical, and totally your own.
Let’s make music that feels alive. Book a lesson and let’s get started.
Teaching Style
I teach acoustic and electric guitar as well as songwriting with an emphasis on learning by ear. I have almost a decade of experience in teaching adults but work with students of all ages. I taught adult students at The Louisiana Center for the Blind from 2016 to 2024 in Orientation and Mobility and also provided guitar instruction throughout my time at the LCB. I have taught guitar privately on an individual basis from 2018. I believe that guitar should be fun and rewarding and will meet each student where they are at with patient, consistent instruction based on real world experience. I provide recordings to aid retention throughout the week so you will have refreshers in between lessons.
Curriculum
Focused on learning by ear and basic music theory. No required texts.
Credentials & Affiliations
My performance history includes leading worship at Dogwood Church for youth and adults and playing acoustic guitar in the worship team (2003 to 2007) in Peachtree City, Georgia. I performed at The Vincent Van Gallery and Laura's Candy / New Orleans Famous Praline Shop in The French Quarter (March 2023 to December 2024). Busking and street performance of vocals and acoustic guitar in The French Quarter (Royal Street and Jackson Square; 2024 and 2025 on a weekly basis). Busking vocals and acoustic of both covers and original music at Domino Park in Brooklyn, NY (August 2025). Busking in NYC Subway Stations regularly throughout summer of 2025.
Studied voice at NOLA School of Music (New Orleans, LA; 2024). After earning my bachelor's degree in Psychology from Georgia State University in 2014, I completed my Master's of Arts in Counseling and Guidance with an emphasis on Orientation and Mobility (Louisiana Tech University; 2016). I taught blind adults in Orientation and Mobility for almost ten years while working at the Louisiana Center for the Blind. In this role, I also provided private guitar instruction to youth and adults. Although I worked primarily with adult students, I have taught children and teenagers and even worked as a private contractor with seniors. I enjoy working with people of all ages and abilities. I love teaching and helping students to work through problem-solving situations.