Guitar Teachers

We make an effort to match each of our students with the best possible teacher for their musical, personal, and logistical needs. However, if someone stands out to you from the list below, let us know and we'll see what we can do. Contact us to move forward with private guitar lessons.

Laura Benjamin, who is originally from Westchester County, New York, is a versatile musician and veteran teacher who has a real gift for working with aspiring singer/guitarists up to an intermediate level, preparing them for performance and helping them to build a repertoire. Laura can incorporate vocal coaching and even piano into the lessons she teaches. She is patient, authentic, and highly effective. Laura is a performer herself, having released two albums of original music. While Laura is comfortable with many different types of students, she is particularly well-suited to working with young women who are interested in pop and country.

Eliot Bronson of Baltimore is a professional singer/songwriter and a 2011 Kerrville New Folk finalist. As an Eclectic Music teacher since 2009, Eliot has inspired many students to write and perform their own music. Eliot is extremely personable and likeable, drawing kids out and treating them with respect. In addition to helping beginners to learn basic skills, he also guides teens and adults toward more professional and refined live performances and sharpens their songwriting chops. Students who are interested in acoustic folk styles, such as finger-picking and alternate tunings, will do especially well with Eliot.

Tara Chiusano is perhaps best known at Eclectic Music for leading our Sing-Alongs and musical theater workshops, having become a beloved children's perfomer since she moved to Atlanta in late 2008 from the Washington, D.C. area (where she already had a dedicated following). There's something about Tara that makes everyone feel like she is their best friend - she is compassionate, lovable, and fun. Tara's commitment to finding out what makes each of her students tick, combined with her ability to break things down into understandable, bite-size pieces while providing authentic, encouraging feedback, have made her a success at working with beginning guitarists of all ages.

Jaimie Choi, a Candler Park resident and mother of two, is a guitarist, drummer, writer, crafter, and artist dedicated to a creative life. She is mature and grounded but also cool and fun - a personality combination that makes her an inspiring role model and teacher. Jaimie is patient, encouraging, and dedicated to growth as a teacher and a person. She would be a great choice for a student of any age who wants to learn to play guitar (or lead guitar!) but who might be intimidated by the process.

Jade Lemons looks (and plays) like the rock star he is, but don't be intimidated - as one longtime client put it, she and her son "both noticed how crazy nice he is." A founding member of the band Injected, Jade is now co-owner of Underrated Records and The Factory recording studio, where he produces and develops artists. An Atlanta native brimming with joie de vivre and positive energy, Jade instantly connected with students and staff when he came on board during the summer of 2011 to help out with music camp at Eclectic Music. In addition to his role as a guitar teacher in a variety of rock styles, Jade can share with his students the art of engineering and production and how to market and promote one's self as a professional musician.

Casey McCann, founder and director of Eclectic Music, has over a decade of experience teaching piano, guitar, voice, drums, and songwriting. As a guitar teacher, she especially enjoys working with students in transition. Whether the student is changing teachers, changing styles, struggling with special needs, hitting a plateau, or showing unusual ability in a certain area, Casey will help to determine the best course and begin getting the student on track. She teaches students to practice using a well-defined, repeatable protocol, but also provides room for getting "off the book" by encouraging students to play by ear, discover their own musical tastes, and trust their musical intuition.

Michael McGill, born and raised here in Atlanta, is a self-taught rock guitarist and visual artist. The father of two daughters and two stepsons, all teenagers, he is great at building a quick rapport with kids of all ages as well as adults. A musical omnivore with an encyclopedic knowledge of rock songs and a quick ear, he is great at helping aspiring singer/guitarists build the skills to pursue their goals, and also at building rhythm players into lead guitarists with a strong underpinning of theory. An articulate, witty, and genial person with a boyish energy and enthusiasm, he is a great choice for the student who learns best "off the book" or for one who encounters attention issues in an academic settting.

Libby Nation is a Georgia native who is at home on bass, guitar, and piano, in addition to being an accomplished singer/songwriter who has toured internationally and shared the stage with many nationally-known perfomers. Libby brings many creative ideas to her teaching, including beautiful illustrations of animals and other characters that make musical concepts come alive for small children. In person, Libby is low-key, relaxed, and elegant, possessed of a sustained, mature energy that allows her to connect authentically with all kinds of different students, from preschoolers to adults. She is a treasure.

Alonso Padron has been with us since we hired our first group of teachers in 2007. He has been a reliable and dedicated member of our team ever since. A consummate educator, Alonso really delivers. His gentle, good-natured demeanor and sense of humor wins students over, while his masterful sense of pacing, structured environment, and passion for music keeps students progressing as guitarists in styles such as classical, flamenco, folk, pop, jazz, rock and metal. Alonso is a great role model, too: He lives a simple life that allows him to pursue the things he cares most about, including music, nature, and winter sports, while always being a loyal friend and colleague who can be counted on to follow through with his word.

Karen Wyatte is a singer, pianist, guitarist, and songwriter. She is working toward a music degree at Georgia State, having already completed a B.S. in Chemistry from Emory. Karen brings a mature, high-minded perspective to teaching, aiming to achieve the perfect balance between awakening each student's creative spirit and providing the technical foundation for the student to express themselves through music in a variety of styles. Karen's personality is energetic and engaging, with a great sense of humor; she is also very peaceful and grounded, which helps her to channel the energy and attention of young students into music-making.