I like to play music. It makes me grin like an idiot.

Hi. I’m Alex. I spend a lot of time thinking about music. I teach guitar (and lap steel, mandolin, banjo, ukulele, and pretty much anything else with strings) for a living. I also perform regularly in a number of bands. A long time ago I got a degree in Jazz Studies from Bowling Green State University. More recently I received my Master’s Degree in improvisation from The University of Michigan. I consider myself an American musician. That doesn’t mean I don’t like British Invasion bands. It means that I know a thing or two about how music that developed in the U.S. works. Jazz, country, rock, folk, punk, pop, and other American musical forms and genres have a lot in common and I’m comfortable discussing, teaching, and playing them (with varying degrees of expertise, of course). I particularly love music that involves improvisation and intergroup dialog (we all play together, interacting with each other to create some really amazing music).

This website is here to promote what I do, and also hopefully as a resource for other musicians. I plan to write on the topics that interest me as often as possible.

You should contact me if you are interested in lessons or booking one of my bands.