Mark Jones

Composer, and multi-instrumentalist with 29 years of experience in music creation and 5 years of music teaching experience. This includes guitar, piano, bass, production and music theory. From genre-bending solo projects to key roles in bands and experimental collectives, I explore a wide spectrum of sound and music possibilities. I can use that to meet students where they are and get them to where they want to be.

I taught lessons for 2 years with Northwest School of Music, and for 5 years as a self-employed instructor. I am currently a songwriter, singer, guitarist and keyboardist with The New Mistakes, a rock band from the Pacific Northwest. I also release instrumental music from ranging from math rock and hip hop to jazz and classical scores under the moniker Om - some of it accompanied by published sheet music. For the last 2 decades I have participated as an emcee, singer, producer and collaborator in various musical groups from Oregon's independent hip hop scene including Mob Royalle and MobStyle.

I teach the following instruments:

- Beginner to early advanced: Acoustic guitar, piano/keys

- Beginner to intermediate: Electric guitar, bass, ukulele

I take a three-fold approach with lessons.

First, the student's goals are of paramount importance. Why do you want to learn music? What do you want to do with it? Whether you want to perform in a band, create soundtrack music, jam with friends, or just play for your own personal enjoyment (my favorite goal) -- this becomes our priority.

Next we determine the necessary steps to get to the goal - typically training a variety of fundamentals to get you there. These include, but aren't limited to sight reading, ear training, tactile technique, coordination and mobility exercises, and a practical understanding of music theory. Each lesson will be custom made for that particular student.

Finally, as the goal begins to materialize, we re-evaluate and see if it has changed. Most likely new goals have sprung up in the student's mind along the way, and we can begin to integrate these into the direction of the lessons moving forward.

Each step of the way we will be growing your ability to read, play, improvise and compose music of your own, sharpening your musical senses senses, enhancing your playing coordination and deepening your overall understanding of the art.