Giacomo M.

What is your teaching philosophy?

The first thing I always do is ask my students what expectations they have — what they want to learn and how much work they are prepared to invest into music training. Then I adapt my teaching to their needs.

In your opinion, what is the right way to teach and what do you do in your lessons that makes you a good teacher?

I listen to my students and consider their wishes — the kind of music and /or instrument they want to master. I don’t impose a set technique or a curriculum on them; rather, I customize my teaching to each individual. This approach has worked very well!

How many years have you been teaching music lessons?

I started teaching lessons to schoolmates in high school when I was 16. For Hey Joe Guitar, I’ve been teaching for three years. I have a Bachelor’s degree from Berklee College of Music and Masters from the New England Conservatory, I have also presented masterclasses at colleges and institutions in the US, Europe, and Asia.

What are you most proud of in your musical career?

My music has been aired on radios in more than a dozen countries and has won critical awards in the US, Canada, France, and Italy. I enjoy traveling, performing, and seeing my CDs in the specialized stores around the world.

What’s the best compliment you have ever gotten as a music teacher?

When my students pass auditions, get scholarships or gigs in the music arena, and then they thank me for helping them along. That’s the kind of compliments I like.

What country have you travelled to that you like the most and why?

I have traveled to many countries and in each one I found something that I really liked, usually local music or instrument. For example, the didjeridu, a wooden tube played by the aboriginal people in Australia.

What languages do you speak?

Italian, English, basic French, basic Spanish, rudiments of Chinese.

If you could perform with any musician (alive or dead), who would it be and why?

Carlo Gesualdo. This composer, who lived in the 16th and 17th centuries, may not be widely known, but his compositions, both secular and sacred, are awe-inspiring.

Do you have any interesting or unusual hobbies? If so, tell us about it.

I collect whiskeys. The key word here is “collect,” not “drink!”

What are you currently listening to on the radio, iPod, iTunes, Spotify, etc.?

I buy CDs. Lots of Kurtag lately.