Sean Shea
About
Teacher of the Year for Songwriting - Lessonface 2025
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Have you ever felt left out by conventional, intellectual approaches that focus on reading notation and copying other people’s music, rather than listening and feeling the heart of the music? If you’re hungry for something that nurtures your creativity and your individual voice, we might be a good fit. You don’t need to be perfect to start. You just need a safe place to begin.
I grew up surrounded by music — hearing bluegrass musicians jamming on my neighbor’s back porch and trading guitar chords with friends to play our favorite rock songs. But the way music was traditionally taught left me feeling disconnected, like I was missing the living language beneath the notes and rules.
Everything opened up when I discovered African drumming and Indian classical singing. While these traditions might seem worlds away from my roots, I found a strong common ground with the music I grew up around: vibrant, heart-centered expression, playful improvisation, and learning through listening and sharing, not just reading notes. This oral tradition approach helped me finally find my creative voice.
With over 40 years of teaching experience — including many years in public schools — I eventually stepped away from the classroom to focus on individual coaching. This allows me to go deeper with each person and tailor learning to fit who you are and what you need.
I’ve trained as a teacher and coach, led hundreds of workshops and private lessons, and guided students through everything from voice breakthroughs to recording their first original album. What inspires me most is watching people come alive through music — whether that’s singing from the heart, crafting a lyric that feels true, or finally feeling rhythm in your body as you play.
My teaching style is heart-centered, intuitive, and flexible. I hold a safe space for you to relax, be yourself, and explore your creative voice. Whether you’re singing, writing songs, or playing an instrument, I’ll meet you where you are and help you grow at a pace that feels right for you.
Reviews from Another Lesson Platform
Caring and patient. We appreciate Sean's work and help!
Sean is an amazing vocal coach. I truly look forward to our lessons. He’s patient and encouraging. He knows his craft and in such a short time he has really helped me take my singing to the next level. If you are looking for something a little different that takes the fundamentals and then adds to that with a focus of your connection with the song and then conveying that in your delivery of the song, please give him a try. He truly helps you connect with singing from your soul!
Sean is incredible. Each session includes ukelele lessons but also music theory and songwriting. My son really enjoys his time with Sean and continues to thrive under his skilled, patient, and playful guidance.
Sean's great at helping me break down songs and learn them by ear!
Good start.
Sean is a fantastic teacher and an incredibly kind and fun person. I highly recommend him as a teacher for yourself or your children! I took his online course for about half a year, starting as a complete beginner. Sean was really patient and helped me get the fundamental codes and transition between them. Sean is also very flexible with the songs you want to learn. He reviews the songs I choose to play and finds simplified ways to approach them, ensuring they are manageable at my skill level.
Sean, is great at what he does, and he really helps to find the best composition for my songs. I’ve learned different ways to compose my lyrics and different techniques to write lyrics as well. Sean is an amazing teacher!!
Sean was a great teacher. He taught me several warm-up techniques and tricks to teach myself how to sing higher without straining. He was very interested in and understanding of the unique context I sing in with my church and tailored his advice to fit that. I feel much more confident in my singing abilities after my lessons with Sean.
After a month with Sean, I have definitely heard improvements in my singing. I am more cognizant of my pitch and hitting correct notes with more confidence. I would highly recommend Sean.
Sean is an awesome voice teacher. He takes time to understand what goals I have for singing and has helped me achieve those goals. In the short time I have been with Sean I feel my singing has gotten better
Sean is super awesome, kind, encouraging, and really overall great!
I’ve had several lessons with Sean now, and have already learned a lot and had a lot of fun. Sean is a natural teacher with wonderful energy, who tailors the curriculum to your needs. I’m looking forward to learning so much from Sean across guitar, songwriting, and singing!
Had a wonderful experience working with Sean on singing C major and (starting of) A minor scale.
Sean has helped me find a process for songwriting. I was struggling with the many questions most beginners likely have. Sean has helped me focus and I've finally made some progress in writing.
Sean has a calming and encouraging energy. I've been working with him for over 6 months and can see incredible improvements in my singing. He will teach you how to truly feel the music and become a better musician. Would highly suggest...
Sean has been "Instrumental" in improving my singing.
Sean has helped me discover a creative side of me that I didn’t believe was possible. He provides a safe and comfortable environment that encourages you to dig deeper and explore new possibilities. Highly recommended!
Sean is a great coach & mentor. He is patient and takes the time to explain techniques and methods. Highly recommend.
Sean was knowledgeable, kind, and patient! Wonderful ukulele teacher.
When I signed up for singing lessons with Sean, I was expecting to begin a singing practice of mimicking other singers and singing other people's songs. What I actually got has been so much more. Sean's approach is very holistic and organic. For instance, in an early lesson, he had me sing a random note that felt comfortable for me to sing. From there, we identified that note, looked at it's scale and chords, and ultimately, I wrote a whole song around it. Along the way, I also learned a little piano, was well as how to use music-making software to record songs. I would have never believed that I, as a beginner, would be able to do any of these things I thought were reserved for "real" musicians who had been studying all their lives or had gone to music school. I'm glad to have found Sean because he has given me the skill set and the mindset shift to become a multi-faceted musician without waiting around till I was "good enough" or had "enough of a foundation" in music. I recommend Sean to anyone wanting to grow as a musician, vocalist, or songwriter. Thanks, Sean!
I’ve been taking singing lessons with Sean for about 5 months and have really been enjoying it. Sean is very knowledgeable and is a patient and supportive teacher. I look forward to our sessions.
Sean is an excellent, supportive teacher. I get very nervous singing in front of other people and he made me feel very comfortable working with him while providing excellent coaching. I am excited to continue working with him!
Sean seems to get me and to understand where I want to go. I am a pretty fair player in my own right, I am recovering my skills after a long break. Sean helps with this, offering key insights that I might never have found on my own.
Great 1st lesson. Sean is patient and kind, Thank you!
Great first lesson looking forward to the next.
I've just done my first session w/Sean. I'm signing on for a while as he seems very approachable, knowledgeable, and flexible. He also has a varied background w/singing/songwriting/guitar playing which will work for my new approach. He also works in several complimentary areas of music & likes Rumi & J. Mitchell as much as I do!
Sean has been great for this newbie to singing. He's been flexible around my work schedule, and patient at teaching both practical singing and some music theory.
I always looked forward to Sean's lessons, even if I knew I hadn't practiced nearly enough because he always made the class's environment comfortable and conducive to learning--whether it be about the theory of my instrument, or background about a certain artist/song I'm interested in, or even figuring out how to combine music theory from various parts of the world and relate it to our lessons. He is well versed in a variety of musical topics which facilitated my transition from playing the piano to the ukulele. I thoroughly enjoyed my classes, always learned something new, and am excited to take more in the future :)
always the best part of my week, even if I'm not in the mood when we start!
Taking lessons with Sean has been fantastic. He is very kind and mellow, but also pushes enough to show that he has faith that you can get better! He's a great teacher. I can not believe how serviceable my playing has gotten in just a couple of months! I tried for years to just pick it up on my own and never got past a few basic chords. Over these weeks the guitar has made more sense to me and I am able to have a lot of fun with my voice, playing and singing songs I love. Just great!! Highly recommend.
Sean is a great teacher. Very patient and easy to be with. If you’re like me, wanting to learn new things and fun new techniques every week,but without pressure, Sean is perfect.
I had some technical issues, including no voice, no picture, Echo, sound break up… definitely would not recommend to do on the phone, even with wifi. Good to have second monitor to be able to see instructor on one and online piano keys on the other display. In the end we worked out the glitches and got started. Sean was patient and very helpful. This will be fun.
Great first lesson. Sean was patient and engaging. Really enjoyed the learning experience.
Sean is a great instructor. He is very encouraging and pushes me to do my best!
Loved him so much! Such a great teacher and kind person too!
Definitely excited to learn more from Sean!
Sean was very kind and knowledgeable. Gave me three things right off the bat I can use to improve.
Sean was immediately able to assess where I was at on the guitar and I was surprised at how quickly I began learning new chords and techniques. The lesson was natural and fluid and I left knowing more than I did when the lesson started. I have lots to practice! I would definitely recommend Sean as a great guitar teacher.
Sean is a phenomenal instructor! I have a limited background in guitar, and he did a great job getting quickly acquainted with my skill set and has since done a great job challenging me and nurturing my skills. Incredibly personable and easy to establish rapport with, which makes learning in a comfortable environment a breeze. I especially enjoy when we summarize a lesson and decide some clear goals for the next week, making practicing on my own time easy-breezy. He knows a lot, (like A LOT) about the guitar, and music in general, and communicates theory/concepts clearly. I've learned so much about finger picking and how to navigate the fret board, and the progress I see in myself is incredibly motivating. Lessons are fun and are always a highlight in my week. Schedule a few lessons and see for yourself! Truly the best instructor on here.
I've been getting guitar lessons with Sean for sometime after some singing lessons with him. He's a great teacher, very patient, flexible, always pushing me to experiment more and adapting to my needs as a student. I've also learned so much about music theory and different approaches to song writing thanks to his input.
I Googled "guitar teacher, Roseburg, OR" and low and behold, Sean showed up and boy I'm glad he did!!! Sean and I hit it off instantly and the things I wanted to get better at (finger picking, hammer(s) on and off, picking the notes within chords, etc.) Sean was completely versed in! Long story short... I couldn't be happier with Sean as a teacher and as a person he's totally cool as well! I recommend Sean unequivocally and if you want to start to play guitar or even get better as I do, Sean is your guy, no doubt about it!!!
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Teaching Style
You don’t need to be perfect to start. You just need a safe place to begin.
My teaching style is heart-centered, intuitive, and flexible. I hold a safe space for you to relax, be yourself, and explore your creative voice. Whether you're singing, writing, or playing an instrument, I’ll meet you where you are and help you grow from there at a pace that feels right.
Some students thrive with clear step-by-step lessons. Others need more freedom to explore and discover. Either way, I’ll support your growth with kindness and honesty — celebrating progress, offering thoughtful feedback, and helping you stay connected to what matters most: your own voice.
I bring an adaptive, inclusive approach to my teaching, informed by years of experience with diverse learners. This includes students who are neurodivergent, highly sensitive, or recovering from negative past experiences — whether with school, music, or life in general. My work is grounded in a trauma-aware perspective, and I strive to honor each student’s unique background, identity, and learning style.
We’ll also work with the music that lights you up — whether that’s pop, folk, classic rock, show tunes, devotional music, or something else entirely. Your musical taste matters, and our work together can reflect your culture, your values, and the stories you want to tell.
A Tradition of Deep Listening
Much of my teaching grows out of the kind of music you don’t learn from a book — the kind passed around in garage jam sessions, family sing-alongs, folk ballads, and gospel harmonies. It’s about listening closely, feeling the music, and learning through experience — not just reading notes.
You don’t need to know how to read music in this approach (though we can include it if you want to). More important is a willingness to listen deeply — not just to the music, but to yourself.
This approach helps you:
- Train your ear to hear subtle details in melody, rhythm, and harmony
- Connect with your body, your breath, and your sense of timing — your first and most important instrument
- Develop your creativity and intuition, so you're not just copying others, but composing, improvising, and expressing something of your own
Whether you’re singing, writing songs, or learning an instrument, this method helps you grow as a whole musician — grounded, expressive, and uniquely you.
Curriculum
My approach is always shaped by who you are — not a fixed curriculum. I design each lesson around your goals, your strengths, and the ways you naturally learn best. What you’ll find here is a personalized, intuitive process supported by deep listening, practical tools, and time-tested methods across five main areas of focus:
Singing
- Sing from the heart: We’ll uncover your natural voice—free from strain and full of emotion.
- Build confidence: Together we’ll create a safe space to trust your voice and explore your range.
- Expressive interpretation: Learn to inhabit a song so it feels personal, real, and alive.
- Mind-body awareness: Discover how your breath, posture, and attention affect your sound and ease.
- Creative voicework: Develop your voice as a way to express your musical intuition—whether interpreting covers with emotional nuance, improvising melodies, or adding harmony parts.
Whether you're a total beginner or a lifelong singer reconnecting with your voice, we’ll build your skills in a way that feels joyful and sustainable.
Songwriting
Whether you're starting from scratch or shaping your next album, we’ll tailor your path to fit your creative goals and where you are right now.
For beginners, we’ll focus on:
- Writing from personal experience
- Turning emotions and images into lyrics and melody
- Basic song structure and flow
- Building confidence and creative habits
For intermediate songwriters, we might explore:
- Developing your unique voice and style
- Lyric rhythm, phrasing, and emotional truth
- Expanding melody and harmony
- Overcoming creative blocks with story-based techniques and brainstorming prompts
- Getting inspired through collaboration and cross-pollination with other creatives
For experienced writers, I offer coaching to:
- Break out of creative ruts or reignite your spark
- Deepen your craft and shape a cohesive voice
- Experiment with new forms and perspectives
- Prepare to record, perform, or release your music
No matter your level, my goal is to help you connect with what matters most in your writing—and bring it fully to life.
Guitar & Ukulele
- Work smarter, not harder: I’ll help you practice efficiently with techniques that make sense for your brain and body.
- Tailored learning: Whether you're into fingerstyle, strumming, songwriting, or improv, we’ll follow what lights you up.
- Play by ear: Learn to recognize chords, melodies, and song structures without needing sheet music.
- Build muscle memory: Develop strong foundations and find your flow through mindful repetition.
- Creative fluency: Whether jamming, writing, or arranging, we’ll develop the skills you need to express yourself.
Whether you’re playing for personal joy, accompaniment, or performance, I’ll help you feel confident and connected to your instrument.
Music for Healing & Wellbeing
- Mind-body connection: Explore how music affects your body and emotions.
- Creativity for healing: Use music as a tool for self-reflection, emotional expression, and personal growth.
- Guided improvisation: Release perfectionism and explore the freedom of spontaneous sound-making.
This is not a clinical music therapy approach—but many students have found it meaningful, especially when working with grief, anxiety, or creative blocks. I hold a gentle, nonjudgmental space for your own process.
Drumming & Rhythm
- Say it, then play it: Use vocal rhythm syllables to internalize patterns before playing—an intuitive method rooted in ancient traditions.
- Embodied rhythm: Learn to feel the beat in your body, not just count it in your head.
- Global grooves: Explore West African, Indian, and other world rhythms to expand your musical language.
- Creative percussion: Build your own patterns, improvise, and find your groove on hand drums or everyday objects.
This approach is especially useful for singers and songwriters who want to develop a deeper rhythmic foundation—no prior drumming experience needed.
Credentials & Affiliations
This is the part where I’m expected to list awards I’ve won, competitions I’ve conquered, and achievements meant to prove I belong in the high-pressure world of judged performance and musical comparison.
But I’m not going to do that—because that’s not the path I chose.
That competitive model is the one I saw offered over and over as the dominant paradigm for learning music. And I saw how often it led to stress, self-doubt, and a disconnect from joy. So I chose another way—one that’s not about proving yourself to someone else, but about connecting more deeply with yourself. If you're tired of being pushed into perfectionism and pressure, I can help you find a more nourishing, authentic approach.
I’ve spent over 40 years immersed in music — performing, composing, and teaching across genres and cultures. My background blends formal education with hands-on experience in oral traditions, community-based learning, and one-on-one coaching.
Here are a few of the more official steps I’ve taken on that path:
- B.A. in Human Development from Pacific Oaks College
- Studied Music at Dartmouth College
- Trained in Traditional African Drumming at Wesleyan University
- Studied Indian Classical Music with teachers in India and North America
- Taught General Music in public schools for many years before shifting focus to private coaching
- Led hundreds of workshops and private lessons across styles and levels
I’m also connected with several professional organizations that support music education and creative artists:
- National Education Association
- Portland Orff-Schulwerk Association
- Oregon Old Time Fiddlers Association
- American Composers Forum
D’Addario Education Collective - SoundExchange Creative Rights Management
These credentials represent only part of the picture. They reflect steps on a path that has always been about something deeper: creating space for people to come alive through music—not through pressure or perfectionism, but through listening, expression, and the joy of discovering your own voice.