Daniel van Leeuwen
About
Howdy ! I'm a guitar player and singer-songwriter originally from Upstate NY. I currently offer in person lessons at a Expressions Music Academy in Southeast Detroit as well as at my home and students' homes in the Metro Detroit Area.
I have spent the past 4 years in Rabat, Morocco where I worked under Laila Lebbar at Crescendo Baby Music, a business that employs a unique and immersive, Montessori-style method of music instruction. In that same time I've lead a healthy dozen or so students of varying ages and backgrounds in private guitar instruction and also performed at various venues around Rabat such as La Villa Mandarine, Le Pietri Urban Hotel and Le 17 Océan.
Teaching Style
I take a laid back and flexible approach to teaching. My goal as your guitar tutor is to gain any amount of skill each lesson, whether it be an inch or a mile's worth. I believe a well rounded approach should cover the basics required in most styles guitar playing but I also encourage my students to study what they're interested in and to bring me the songs they wish to learn to play and I will happily follow them along in that journey. For those unsure where to start, I have a simple outline that will guide them through the initial stepping stones on through great milestones. I have taught absolute beginners from ages 3-60.
Curriculum
My teaching method is centered around learning to functionally play songs as quick as possible. We cover the basics and gradually improve more technical aspects of playing. The goal is to play musically first and understand the finer points as we progress. I use primarily guitar tablature which has a much less steep learning curve as opposed to standard notation. Basic music theory concepts are covered as needed.
My motto is this: Music is fun.
Zero shame, zero guilt, zero pressure.