B.Mus (Humber)
Simon is a recent graduate of Humber College, being very passionate about both bass and guitar for over 15 years. He is also a prominent member of the Toronto rock scene, having booked venues, and played shows throughout the city. Simon has had the pleasure to study with the likes of Ted Quinlan, Mike Downes and Justin Gray. With 2 years of teaching experience at Long and McQuade, Simon creates a personalized learning experience for each student in a friendly and non-judgemental learning environment.
Simon is mostly focused on his original music in his free time, with a strong love for composition and theory.
Get to know TEACHER…Beyond the Bio!
Hobbies: Writing, Movies, Photography
Musical Influences: Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Courtney Barnett, Daniel Romano
Favourite Food: Tacos
Favourite Music: Rock, Hip Hop
Favourite Song: Bold as Love by Jimi Hendrix
Favourite Movie: Bladerunner 2049
Favourite movie music: Submarine
Favourite musical theatre: Singing in the Rain
Best Quote From a Teacher: “Don’t get frustrated when you fail. Use that energy to try it again.”
Favourite Book: Just Kids by Patti Smith
Best thing about teaching at ABC: To have a student feel proud of themselves for how far they have come.
Latest Homework from Simon
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Jan 17 – Jayden, Joshua, Marshall
Jayden
Great work on Sweater Song and Island In The Sun! Try to play along to the songs this week! Keep working on the exercises we went over also: both chord switching and string crossing. Nice work with memorizing the fretboard. Keep practicing and familiarizing yourself with the dots on your fretboard. They are great milestones to help us get around quickly. Great work on Blitzkrieg Bop today! Work on getting those power chords nice and clean. Great work!
Joshua
Nice work on Don’t Go Slow! Keep working on it! Remember when playing and singing, the two parts move independently. Keep working on this by making sure your chords stick to a steady rhythm when adding the singing. The best tool for getting familiar with how these two parts interact is the song. Make sure to listen to this song before, and during practice. If you get confused or lost, refer back to the tune! Good job!
Marshall
Nice work on Let It Be! The bar chords are really coming along. This is a huge step! Congratulations! Keep working on getting your transitions faster and smoother. Move back and forth between each chord transition to work on this. Take careful notice of how each of your fingers need to move as they transition between chords. This process will help you greatly! Nice work on In My Life today! Focus on that new chord shape we learned (minor shape from the A string for the D minor chord). Great work!
Dec 22 – Mike, Kaylee, Van, Simon, Layla
Mike In My Life is sounding awesome. Keep practicing along [...]
Preferred Books for Simon’s Students
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Hal Leonard Guitar Method COMPLETE
The Hal Leonard Guitar Method is designed for anyone just learning to play acoustic or electric guitar. It is based on years of teaching guitar students of all ages, and reflects some of the best teaching ideas from around the world. This super-convenient Complete Edition features the new and improved method books 1, 2 and 3 spiral-bound together.
Alfred's Basic Guitar Method
Recognized for over 50 years as the best-paced and most comprehensive guitar method available, Alfred’s Basic Guitar Method has introduced over 3 million beginners to the joy of playing guitar. This updated and expanded edition features a new layout, making it easier to read and learn. Now included are blues, country, folk, jazz, and rock styles, plus more pop songs! New DVDs with iPod-compatible video are now available for the visual learner, and correlating theory, chord, and pop books ensure that you’ll get everything you need from one complete method. Learning to play has never been easier or more fun than with Alfred’s Basic Guitar Method—the first and best choice for today’s beginning guitar students.
Guitar Grimoire
Every chord of every key and mode is presented with thousands of diagrams and charts. Includes polychords, chord substitutions, inversions and movable voicings.
This indespensable volume belongs in every guitarist’s library.
This book is a “where to” book, showing you exactly where to find any chord in any key on your fretboard. It is a professional reference tool to enhance your music library and playing that you will use for many years to come.
