About
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I am walking in the footsteps of the great songwriters who came before me, taking lessons from the songs I love.
The music I create is a product of everything I have ever heard and, by applying these lessons to better understand and express the emotional realities of my everyday life, I hope to capture a little of what makes me love music in my own songs.
In a world which feels increasingly detached, divided and artificial, writing these songs is my way of trying to explore and reconnect with myself and the reality in which we live. The intention of this music is simply to be genuine, to learn about myself, and to have fun creating. These are songs that fill a need for me, I hope that perhaps they can have meaning for you to.
Much love,
Steve
Those I am indebted to:
Fiona Apple, Jack Barnett, John Butler, Julian Casablancas, Elvis Costello, Lucio Dalla, Bob Dylan, Fagen/Becker, Johnny Flynn, Rino Gaetano, David Gilmour, Jon Gomm, Michael Hedges, Jimi Hendrix, Ben Howard, Tomas Kalnoky, Kings of Convenience, Lennon/McCartney, Malakian/Tankain, Mannarino, Laura Marling, Nai Palm, Paolo Nutini, Oddissee, Portishead, Rage Against the Machine, Rodriguez, Don Ross, Rachel Sermanni, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Alex Turner, Frank Turner, Townes Van Zandt.
and
Austin Kleon, who wrote the book that I needed to read.
……
Apologies to all those I have forgotten, I’ll add your names I promise.
Interested in lessons? Read on below:
With over 10 years of experience as a music teacher, Steve (MA, BA(hons)) offers online lessons in guitar, bass and songwriting. Lessons are available to students of all levels, whether you are new to music or are an experienced musician looking to take the next step in your playing or writing.
Learning to write or play music should be a rewarding, insightful and (most importantly) fun experience. Steve has a friendly and personable teaching style and believes in inspiring and motivating students to explore their creativity, develop their skills and deepen their love for music.
In 2020, Steve earned a Masters Degree in Songwriting from ICMP (Institute of Contemporary Music Performance) and previously graduated with 1st class Honours from ACM (Academy of Contemporary Music) where he specialised in Guitar Technique and Performance.
Steve first began teaching guitar in 2013 in his hometown in southwest Scotland and has been providing guitar lessons ever since. He spent the last five years living and teaching music in London, during which time he has expanded to also offer lessons in bass guitar and songwriting. Over the years, Steve has taught learners of all ages in one-to-one lessons, small group sessions and large guitar ensembles. He is also experienced arranging music for guitar students and ensembles.
For the last several years Steve has been teaching one-to-one lessons online to students of all ages and has found them to be a great option for many people interested in studying music, allowing them to learn and explore their creativity from the comfort of their own home with a weekly appointment that is easy to fit into a busy schedule.