About Charles
Charles is a seasoned music teacher proficient in classical guitar, piano, and composition, offering lessons in your home. His teaching blends empathy and patience, tailored to enhance each student's musical journey. Charles boasts a rich musical education including jazz studies and classical guitar with a grade 8 classical designation, specializing in diverse genres from folk to Brazilian styles. Fluent in English and French, he welcomes students seeking a deep, comprehensive understanding of music. His accolades include extensive performance experience and a noteworthy pedagogical background from years of dedicated teaching. Book an interview with Charles for in-home music lessons that inspire and challenge.
BOOK AN INTERVIEW WITH CHARLES NOW
My background includes years of being a residential camp counselor which includes working with various special needs populations, as well as Camp Chief Hector Kananaskins and Pioneer campers. I am both fun and funny, however, as we are in the philosophy section, please permit me, and I thank you for allowing me to do so: to be serious for a few moments. My teaching philosophy centers on prioritizing my student's musical expression: bringing their inner-life to their music. I have been teaching professionally since January 2007, as my sole source of income. I find that students improve the most when I concentrate my efforts, not just on their music, but also on their personal character development: patience, perseverance, self-confidence, etc. My musical interests lie primarily in teaching, followed secondly, by composing and improvisation, with performing being a tertiary priority - though I play before audiences regularly at open-mikes. I believe that being an excellent player doesn't necessarily translate to being an effective teacher, as teaching is influenced by personality type and focus of attention. For example, Wayne Gretzky, the great hockey player, was not a great coach. Alignment of goals between student and teacher is paramount; mismatches often lead to difficulty. Understanding the student's feelings, thought-processes and personality-preferences is essential, to effective teaching. There are more than the three commonly recognized traditional learning styles: visual, auditory and kinesthetic learning types. According to Myers-Briggs' personality-preferences sorter, there are 16 specific learning styles, coming out of four general types, which were first recorded by the ancient Greek Plato: Guardians, who live in the past and seek security, Artisans, who live in the present and seek excitement, Idealists, who live in the future and seek harmony, and finally, Rationals, who live in an event/epoch of time, and who seek knowledge. It is worth noting that Carl Jung, who continued this preferences-theory of human nature, constantly reminded his readers: "each person is their own theory of human nature". How about these ideas: There are four types of learners: fire learners, who burn through lots of material but then, may forget and therefore wonder what their homework is supposed to be; they need patience. Water learners, aways want to take the easiest route with the most shortcuts. Some shortcuts are helpful and some, as the legendary guitar pedagogue Ted Greene notes in his books, are not; these students need to learn, by diligent accomplishment, that persistence pays! Air learners are generally feeling-oriented people, who can't learn best (some not at all) unless they feel the teacher likes them personally; they grow personally and skills-wise from learning delineation. Earthen learners are those who take a long time for something to sink-in, yet when it does, it sticks and the knowledge/skills acquired stay with them. I embrace various teaching styles to accommodate diverse learners, so that my students can get the most out of their experiences. My legendary patience is a cornerstone of my teaching, aiding those striving to reach the 'next level' as efficiently and effectively as possible. Proper technique is fundamental to prevent bad habits from taking hold. I prioritize achieving the best possible performance in each lesson, even if a student's practice time has been limited that week. My aim is for every class to yield new knowledge and tangible improvements in playing technique and skills tailored to the student's interests. I have worked with people from ages 5 - 75, and I have extensive, specialized experience, teaching those with PTSD and juvenile delinquents/youth-at-risk. Music, it is true, salves the savage and the sorrowful. Ultimately, having said all that, I always utilize a teaching style which invokes a humble approach which allows my students to enthusiastically declare: "I did this myself." Dear Reader, I thank-you for your time and effort, regarding reading my time-honoured adopted philosophy. Even if you don't take lessons from me, I urge youconsider it an investment in your own knowledge and personal growth. Thanking you, I remain, obediently yours, Charles Nelson
Name: Charles (Full name will be provided upon registration)
Age: 60's
Gender: male
- French horn player since junior high school. - Studied jazz guitar at the Calgary Conservatory of Music. - Joined the University of Calgary big- band, stage-band (as a guitarist, under Warren Rowley's direction). - Studied classical and flamenco guitar with Brad Mahone and Holly Blazina at Mount Royal University. - I hold a grade 8 classical guitar designation with advanced rudiments. - Professional guitar teacher since 2007. (Sole source of income). - Varied musical journey spanning folk, rock, jazz, new age, classical, and Brazilian and latin rhythms and stylings. - Influenced by artists like Gordon Lightfoot, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Michael Hedges, and Joe Pass and John Coltrane. - Extensive pedagogical education through teaching with and for: Yamaha teaching students and seminars spanning 9 years.
I hold no awards or degrees. I have played in stage bands and as a singer-songwriter soloist. In my relationship with the guitar, I would rank my talents in this order: First, I am best as a teacher; Second, I am best as a composer, and Thridly, I am best as performer. My patience is legendary.
- Empathy, patience, and understanding. - Solid technique and extensive chord knowledge. - Character growth focus, fostering perseverance, efficiency, flexibility, and creativity. - Experience with special needs students, including youth at risk and dementia patients. - Proficiency in group lessons. - Ability to inspire enthusiasm and creativity in students.
English
French
Rates and Studio Policies
Registration Fee: $25.00 (One-time lifetime registration fee may be used by all family members)
Rates for instruction:
30 minute private lesson: $39.00
45 minute private lesson: $49.00
60 minute private lesson: $59.00
Travel charge: additional $15.00 per visit (for lessons in a client's home as opposed to my studio)
1. Cancellation Policy
Lessons not cancelled or rescheduled with at least 24 hours notice are billable to the client and payable to the teacher. This does not of course apply to travel fees unless the notice is effectively given at the door and the teacher has travelled to the location.
2. Cessation (quitting) Policy
A client must provide a 2 lesson notice period to stop lessons. So a weekly student needs to give 2 weeks of notice, a biweekly student works out to 3 weeks notice and a twice weekly student works out to a week of notice.
3. Illness Policy
Lessons cancelled due to illness or extraordinary circumstances with less than 24 hours notice remain billable to the client and payable to the teacher.
BAH teachers are encouraged to offer a make-up lesson at a future date in the interest of client relations and general goodwill. This only makes sense as teaching a student with the flu for example, will ruin the rest of your week's employment.
No more than 2 lessons may be made up due to illness within a 60 day period.
4. Rescheduling Policy
Any lesson can be cancelled or rescheduled with at least 24 hours notice.
Summer Vacation and Extended Absence Policy
Clients may schedule longer absences for trips etc. 24 hours notice is required.
It is normal and typical for students and about 20% of our teachers to schedule a break in the summer. We do not enforce a notice period (see cessation of lessons) at the end of a long summer break.
5. Evaluation Period
There are no free trial lessons with Beethoven at Home but we do offer a 2 lesson evaluation period where it is easy to try out a teacher. There are no free lessons during the evaluation period and clients may choose to discontinue the lessons at any time by providing the required 24 hours notice. After the student's 3rd lesson the required 2 lesson notice period will apply (see cessation of lessons above).
Lessons in your home
Charles is available to teach in your home if you are located in the following areas
Online lessons
Charles can provide online instruction. While other platforms are possible BAH strongly recommends the use of the Zoom video conferencing platform as it is optimized for music lessons and audio quality.