Hey there! I'm Brooks and I've been playing and writing music for over 20 years. Electric guitar is my primary instrument but I also love playing acoustic guitar, bass guitar, drums, piano, and trumpet. I started writing electronic music and composing short movements for strings and small band ensembles while in high school as well as playing brass in the orchestra, concert band, marching band and Baltimore's Marching Ravens. During the college years and beyond I performed brass with the Mighty Sound of Maryland, both at the White House and the Orange Bowl, and recorded guitar, bass guitar, vocals, and drums with multiple rock bands and as a solo artist. 

 

As a musician:

I love music theory and expressing musical themes via contrasting elements of consonance and dissonance both harmonic and rhythmic. As an electric guitar player, I can be somewhat unconventional and love to play around with things like controlled feedback, heavy overdrive with plenty of dissonance, volume swells, playing off the fretboard and making noises with a wild pedal chain. I love playing heavy, aggressive music as well as big and sultry blues licks. 

 

As a teacher:

Scales, chords, finger placement, posture, ear training... The HOW is hard work. As a teacher, not only do I want to teach the HOW but I hope to provide a window into the WHY. WHY do those three chords work so well in succession? Where to go (or not go) next? How can I use that as a tool? I hope to teach how to enjoy speaking the language that is music and knowing the WHY is essential to doing so. Knowing the WHY allows all players, regardless of ability level, to further their enjoyment of the art and language of music. 

 

Ethos:

Music is fun, and it should be taught that way! Music is a language and should be taught in a comfortable and inclusive environment where we can all speak music freely, together, to the benefit of all. When done so, music can become therapy. It certainly is for me, and I hope that through teaching, I can inspire others regardless of ability level to seek out and utilize the power of music as a healing art, creative outlet, cathartic craft, or just have some fun!