Rich Cozzi
About
[4.95 rating over 157 reviews from another lesson platform]
I have studied, performed and taught music for over 30 years. Accordion was my first instrument at age 7 which was a great introduction to the keyboard, melody and harmony. That was followed by guitar and other stringed instruments (Banjo, Ukulele) as well as drums. I studied privately with great teachers as well as at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. I have also performed at the Cape Cod Jazz Festival, The Bakersfield Jazz Festival and numerous club dates and private functions throughout New York, New England and California.
Reviews from Another Lesson Platform
Great experience, got me immediately more interested in practicing guitar and within minutes taught me exercises that were super helpful!
Richard is awesome! My daughter is very pleased with his way of being, his clear way of communicating, and guiding her at the rate she wants to move forward. All round excellent teaching! Looking forward to more lessons.
Great guy
Very satisfied with my lessons. I just need to put more time in to practice!
I enjoy each lesson and Richard is a very calm teacher, makes the lesson stress free.
Great teacher! First lesson and excited about learning bass!
Rich was so warm and welcoming! He started with the absolute basics of banjo in a way that helped me feel capable and answered every question with the detail I was hoping for, without being overwhelming.
Excellent lesson from a great teacher! Lean more each time we meet. Highly recommend if you are a beginner looking to play the banjo!
Amazing as always! I look forward to my lesson every week!
Rich did a great job explaining the fundamentals of the banjo with patience and grace. He was encouraging throughout the whole process. Looking forward to continuing my musical education with him as my teacher!
Rich is very patient and knows how to explain the basics in a way that is easy to understand! I loved my lesson and can’t wait for next week.
Great lessons!
Rich is great.
Rick is was helpful and a very good teacher
Very patient and helpful!
Rick is very professional and helpful and at the same time very easy going. I feel that he's a very good teacher. Our highly recommend them
Rick was very thorough and patient. I have enjoyed the lessons. And plan to continue.
Mr. Cozzi was very friendly and nice. I understood his instruction well. Would highly recommend. Thank you!
Richard makes every lesson interesting and you leave looking forward to the next one.
Richard is a fun guy to learn from.
Good teacher. Would recommend to anyone.
Excellent teacher. Have additional lessons setup.
Very helpful. Thanks, Rich!! See you next time!!
Very helpful. Looking forward to the next lesson.
Great first lesson with my 13yr old.
Richard’s approach to teaching the bass is great as it is quite insightful and fun. He also teaches musical terminology and techniques in a palpable manner.
Richard is super patient and helpful and he really makes the most of our 30-minute sessions.
Instructor went above and beyond to learn a. Specific piece of music (on another instrument), transpose it to banjo, write it out for me and then teach it.
Richard was a really good instructor, he took his time to make sure I understood the drills that he was teaching me. Would recommend to any beginner.
Richard is a great teacher. He is well prepared and is very kind!
He was so sweet and patient with me when I was playing and the vibe from him was just so safe and comforting. I really hope to take more lessons in the future because he taught me alot already in such a short amount of time!
I've taken banjo lessons with Rich for almost three years and have learned so much from him! Rich makes lessons fun and teaches both theory and technique in bite-sized ways that made them easy to learn. As an adult student doing this for fun, I never felt pressure, just encouragement, and my playing got so much better through our lessons together. Thank you Rich!
I had a really great lesson with Richard! He's very friendly and knowledgeable. Can't wait for my next lesson!
Big big thanks to Rich for reawakening my love for playing music again. He has a gift for breaking down complicated theory into something understandable, memorable, and fun.
Rich is a joy and a delight! I had so much fun. He doesn’t take a cookie cutter approach and actively asked questions to adapt the lesson to what I was interested in learning. I’m excited to continue
Richar is a very great teacher and is very organized. The only problem is that ****** as a company is a scam, I would love to continue taking classes with Richard but ****** sent me a 2 FREE months of unlimited online access to life teacher, and they gave me just 2 classes. False Advertising.
Great location, kind and patient instructor with excellent skills.
Mika enjoyed the lesson
Excellent first lesson!
Very personable and nice. Very very talented, but does not demean the student. For their lack of knowledge that is. Very excepting, and I will be signing up for future lessons with Richard!
Richard is amazing! Incredibly knowledgeable, patient, encouraging and kind. He is great at finding lessons that match your needs and interests. His studio is comfortable and inviting. I feel like I've come a long way in my playing and love of guitar thanks to him. Highly recommend!
Very personable, so always enjoy that and lessons are helpful. Only mild critique is I wish there was a small gap (~5 minutes) between customers.
Richard was very informative and patient with our 5 year old son. He can’t wAit for his next lesson.
Great introduction to the Banjo. Great instruction to get familiar with the instrument. Look forward to the music playing journey. Thank you!
Great first lessson, Looking forward to going down this journey with Richard. I feel the lesson was very well paced and covered everything for getting started.
Rich knows his stuff! He gave me a great foundation and next steps. He has a system of teaching, and is flexible and personable in that system. Makes sense has such high reviews.
Great teacher-- patient and fun! 100% recommend
Richard was fantastic! I was nervous to try playing again, but it was so fun, and great teaching! Thank you Richard! Keep smiling! It’s contagious ☺️☺️☺️
Richard’s class are so fun! I just started learning ukulele this year but never took the time to learn the foundational stuff. Richard really helped me and most importantly, I really enjoy the lessons
Richard is really awesome, lessons are broken down into really nice segments and a blast to be a part of. Learning a lot, homework assignments are challenging in the best way possible! Thank You!
FANTASTIC first lesson!!! I have been playing for quite awhile, but never learned any structure or theory behind playing. Rich has shown me the tools to start building the foundation I need!! Looking forward to many lessons to come.
Richard is a blast to learn from. In addition to learning the banjo, it's just fun to absorb all of his knowledge. His relaxed but engaging approach is awesome.
Great first lesson! Caught on to what I was good at and what I wasn’t as good at really quickly and knew how to help me with what I needed help with instantly. And I had fun!!! Awesome teacher.
Richard is helping me learn music theory for the electric bass in a new, and very useful way! It's so helpful to have him teach me the more intricate ways in which the bass works, and I'm so thankful to have more direction with my practice. Super helpful!
Very knowledgeable. Takes the time to explain things, while keying in on where your specific skill set may be. Enjoyed verymuch!
Very kind a patient. Willing to help and take it step by step. Highly recommend. I need to go get a banjo because I want to go back!
Richard was very knowledgeable, nice and patient. I definitely recommend him!
Super fun class. Patient and personable teacher with lots of fun and helpful tips. Can't wait for our next lesson!
Just had my first drum lesson and not only did I learn A TON but I had so much fun too! Highly recommend
I needed to start at the basics and he did just that! I feel very confident with his instruction and my hard work, my goal of learning and playing the banjo will become a reality!
Richard gave me the full breakdown on the pieces of the banjo and how to properly manage it. The exercises assigned have helped tremendously even in the short time I've been practicing. I can feel my confidence and strength building. Thank you Richard! Ryan
Richard is an AMAZING teacher!! He really knows his stuff and he works at the pace of the student. I HIGHLY recommend him.
Very linear and fun teaching style!
worked on some new stuff
today we practiced some more songs and he was really funny
I love that we start with a warm up because that really helps me also today we did a new warm up which was really fun!!!!
good
Good first lesson
Richard was awesome! This was my first lesson ever and Richard was engaging, fun and patient with me!! The plus was getting comfortable with my instrument! I’m so excited for my next banjo lesson!
Very knowledgeable and very patient. Willing to take his time.
very cheerful and patient looking forward to next meeting
Great teacher and great lesson. He comes prepared with exercises. Book him for lessons and you won’t be disappointed!
Great first online experience. Very patient with a new student!
My first lesson with Richard went really well. We covered quite a bit of material and I left with useful exercises to practice.
2nd lesson with Richard. Love that he breaks music theory down easily and always catches when you mess up. Just what I needed as a beginner!
Patient and helpful
Rich continues to provide very helpful and patient instruction on banjo and other instruments.
One lesson in and I'm glad I chose Richard for my instructor. He's very personable and hit a great balance of making sure I got the basics with a gentle introduction to some musical theory, and he got me started on some exercises so I can jump in and practice over the next week. I had felt a little overwhelmed with where to start learning to play before getting started with lessons, but am now very optimistic that Richard will keep me heading in the right direction.
First lessons are like a first date...I look forward to the second date.
Rich really has a great feel for the needs of the student, And he has a great way of teaching music and music theory to someone who has no background in it. The lessons were a gift from my four boys and I plan on continuing the lessons going forward
The thorough and patient instruction is much appreciated.
It's nice having a pro like Richard customize the lessons because he creates a greater understanding of music theory as a whole and then can bring it back down to a specific application like practicing scales with a clawhammer technique. I can tell he's gradually moving me along to meet my personal goals. You can't get that out of a book or a video.
Very patient, personable, professional, and purposeful. Each lesson is packed full of building blocks for dexterity and familiarity with the instrument.
I had a wonderful first lesson with Richard. It was fun and he taught me exercises that I can actually do and really make music right off the bat. I was scared that I'd be overwhelmed and not be able to do anything right but Richard broke things down into small steps that were easy to follow. I'm really looking forward to my next lesson. Thanks Richard!
Great first lesson. Really helped me get familiar with the instrument and showed me some simple techniques to help train my muscle memory and get comfortable (as I'm left handed playing right handed). Looking forward to next week.
Great first lesson! Very knowledgeable and tailored to my previous (limited) experience.
Richard is a great teacher. He answered all of my questions and made great suggestions. Can’t wait for my next lesson. Thanks, tabatha
Richard is a fantastic instructor that is flexible with may many questions. He answers succinctly, and is willing to go down the rabbit hole with me (I'm a philosophy major). But, he is quick to bring me back to instruction in the playing itself. His patience and persistence are noteworthy. I couldn't have asked for a better instructor to teach me my first instrument.
Clear direction, first session was basic Anxious to see what the next less will cover
Had a great first lesson with Rich, who was funny, precise, and adaptable.
Only one lesson in so far, but loving it. Friendly. Knowledgeable and open to matching my learning style and being flexible. This should be fun!
My son loves his guitar lessons and looks forward to his lessons. He practices daily and can't wait for the day when he can play second nature. Richard takes his time to make sure my son understands the instrument as well as how to play it.
He is very patient with my 6 year old grandson who is temperamental. Richard speaks to my grandson age appropriately and my grandson looks forward to his drum lessons.
Rich knows his stuff and is very personable. My 7 yr old son connected with him in an instant upon his first lesson.
Good first lesson
I've learned more in a few months with Richard than I have with years of trying to learn before I signed up with him. Great instructor! Fun lessons, making great progress.
Richard is a friendly and thoughtful instructor. I enjoy my ukulele lessons with him.
I had a great first lesson with Richard! I had been tinkering around for a while before starting lessons, and right off the bat he was able to answer all my questions and give me some tips to better set up my banjo and get a great sound out of it. He has some fun exercises to practice finger coordination, and was a great balance of bringing a structure to the lesson but also meeting me where I am and keeping it interesting.
I started with Richard in July, and by October I'm not only playing and singing songs on the banjo, I'm also learning musical theory that I never really fathomed learning. It's opened up a side of my brain that's been rather dormant for the last forty seven years.
My first lesson was very good. I am excited to keep learning more. Richard makes it an easy process.
Friendly, knows his stuff, and adjust to my needs.
Rich is top notch! My daughter has taken banjo and guitar (acoustic and electric) with him for about 6 years. She has also had several excellent teachers over the years, in piano, violin, and voice and great theory instruction in general. But when it came time for college auditions, she attributed a large part of her success in the theory portion to Rich's preparation. What's most special about Rich is that, even while he's teaching the theory, he ALWAYS keeps it fun. He's has a great formula - scales/theory, a little music history, songs/technique, fun. We'd give him 10 stars if we could.
Great .... Really making progress and enjoying Richard’s method of teaching.
It is great learning from Richard!
This was my first lesson on the banjo and enjoyed learning from Richard.
Fun first lesson. Nice style of teaching and made me feel very comfortable.
Great first lesson! I know nothing about music and was a bit scared, but Richard made it easy to understand. I am excited to continue playing. Thank you!
Richard patient and good.
Works very well with beginners like myself. Kind, patient, and helpful. Looking forward to further lessons.
I thought I could figure out Banjo like I did the guitar- wing it. That didn't go so well, but after my first lesson with Richard, I now feel confident that I can actually play this banjo and KNOW what I'm doing. Great teacher!!
So fantastic! Every lesson I learn something new and COOL!!
I have taken banjo lessons off and on for years and Richard is the first instructor who quickly figured out where to start with me and wasted no time getting started. He is skilled, pleasant, calm, patient and helpful. Looking forward to next week's lesson!
First lesson, very positive, informative. Patient. Cant wait for next!
Working with Richard has been a blast! He is patient while working with a true beginner and always encouraging. Looking forward to work with him as our lessons continue.
First lesson down...many to go. Richard was great helping me tune and get my first finger placements down to practice with until our next session. Excited for the next one!
Great with the instructor. Rough start as I didn't see an intro email from you guys on how to set up, whether he would call me or I him, and such. Maybe I missed it.
Great lesson, thank you Richard!
Richard is an excellent teacher! He is talented and a great person! I felt he genuinely cared about my goals and helped me achieve them efficiently and had a lot of fun at the same time. I highly recommend Richard!
Richard was great! Looking forward to more lessons for my daughter!
We are 2 beginners taking the class together. We have taken 3 lessons. Rich is teaching us finger strengthening exercises, chords and notes which we can use to play songs, and encouraging us to find melodies using just the strings. The lesson flies by and already we can see our improvement. Last summer I tried to teach myself using YouTube and I have learned so much more in 3 weeks than I learned all summer. He is upbeat and positive. I would recommend him as a ukulele teacher.
The teacher is very professional. It is a great first less for my son.
Great first lesson!! Lots to learn.. Rich is very patient and knowledgeable. Looking forward to our next lesson.
Just two lessons down, with 8 to go. Richard makes learning fun. His approach to teaching makes learning notes and chords easy. I can't wait until the next class.
Excellent first lesson!
very patient and knows his stuff.
Richard was terrific. Patient, knowledgeable and enthusiastic! I look forward to continuing to work with him!
This was the best music lesson I’ve had thanks to Richard. He made it fun and easy. I get nervous of being a slow learner but he wasn’t phased and made it fit my learning ability
Richard has the knowledge and communication skills needed to be a very good teacher, and he is.
My son always look forward to next lesson. Richard is amazing.
Informative, friendly, patient and knowledgeable.
It is fun to learn basics with Richard. Looking forward to the next lesson.
Very talented guy and so experienced!!!
Fun very patient instructor
Richard gives excellent instruction and has a kind and easy going demeanor. He is proficient in the banjo and his teaching style is great. He doesn't waste time during the lesson and gives you a full an honest time of instruction. His studio is clean and inspires learning.
Richard is a great teacher, very friendly and nice and knowledgeable. Highly recommend! Thanks ******.
Very informative, but teaches at a great pace to make sure you understand the material
This was my first lesson. Richard was very patient with me. I'm looking forward to my next lesson.
Very knowledgeable and friendly. I was surprised at how far I got for the first lesson. Inspired me to practice and give it a go.
It was very nice and I had a lot of fun and I learned a lot!! Lexi
Richard is a great teacher
Patient and yet challenging. Always goes the 2nd mile to be helpful and keep things interesting while concentrating on the building blocks of later competence.
5 star EASY!!! Richard was a great teacher. I was a beginner Adult who didn't even know how to tune the thing before having lessons with Richard. Super patient to begin with and he really knows his stuff. Now I'm able to play a couple songs and take what he gave me and build from there. I would highly recommend him for anyone.
Richard is a wonderful teacher. Very patient and knowledgeable
Professional and patient with kids! Mr. Richard, as we call him, has been fantastic with my 7 year old son. His early recommendations maximized my son's guitar interaction and the visible (audible?) progress being made actively encourages practice at home. Mr. Richard is able to give simplified homework that my son can understand. As opposed to "practice for 20 minutes per day", Mr. Richard was able to identify what works with my son's personality and established practice criteria that was much more effective.
Great lessons I learned a lot in just a few lessons. I enjoy taking lessons from Richard. He is professional, knowledgable & on time.
Developing passion for music Richard is doing a wonderful job at developing a passion for musical instruments with my 6 year old son!
Excellent First Day Thank you Richard for a first day's great experience. Hope it will continue with your new Banjo
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Teaching Style
Students will experience an "original" lesson based on how they learn. Some students benefit most from a visual standpoint reading music or tab while others learn best by an auditory or hearing approach. We will explore what works best for you. Whether its blues, rock jazz or other styles, we will find the best avenue to progress toward your goals. At the same time I believe it should always be a fun thing to do!
Depending on student interest, I teach numerous styles (Rock, Blues Jazz improvisation) by reading music or by ear.
Curriculum
I will suggest various texts or send material based on the level of the student.
Credentials & Affiliations
Musician/Teacher
Jan, 1985 - Present
Rich Music
I have taught and performed on a variety of different instruments (guitar, banjo, ukulele, drums) and styles for over thirty years. Performances include the Cape Cod and Bakersfield Jazz Festivals, the Sweet & Hot Festival in Los Angeles and numerous club and private functions throughout California, New York, Florida and New England.
Music Teacher
Jan, 1970 - Present
Concordia University - Tarbut V' Torah - Private Studio - Online
Over 30 years teaching and performing experience. Performed at Music festivals, studio recordings as well as clubs and private functions.




