Guitar Lessons
Get Into Guitar!
Irene has been a guitar and songwriting teacher in Victoria since 1989... teaching private students, classes and workshops to "kids" of all ages.
Private Lessons *** Group Lessons*** Kids Guitar Class***
Gift Certificates
**Testimonials** Store** The Song List
*Sign up for Beginner Guitar Classes!*
Or check out Irene's new GUITAR BLOG
PRIVATE LESSONS
Irene offers private lessons, beginners to intermediate, in the Victoria, BC (Fernwood/Hillside) area to people of all ages. The emphasis is on learning for fun, and although she occasionally provides some basic theory, learning to play the songs you love is most important! Songs can be chosen from a database of hundreds, or Irene can work out your favourite song requests. Lessons are given in Irene's basement studio on Fernwood Road.
The lessons are relaxed, positive and ALWAYS fun. The cost is $18 per half hour for private lessons, $14 per person for two or more people. There are always plenty of daytime slots available, and some afternoon and evening slots. Email Irene to book your time. For up-to-date days and times available, please check the calendar.
For a list of some of the songs Irene teaches, click on the Song List.
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Email for info or call 250-888-3973. If you have any trouble with the regular email address, please try the alternate email address: ijackson57@hotmail.com Thank you!
GUITAR CLASSES/GROUP LESSONS
New classes starting up in January!
***Guitar Classes for March 2012***
If you are interested in joining, please email Irene at either irene@irenejackson.com or ijackson57@hotmail.com
Adults Level 1 Guitar - new class starting in
March 2011 - 8 weeks for $112
(***to be on the list for this class, please email Irene***)
Each class is an hour in length, and sure to be a lot of fun! All you need is a guitar. If you don't have one, consider renting at any of our local music stores including Long & McQuade. To reserve a space in this class (maximum 6 students), please email Irene or call 250-888-3973
Kids Beginner Guitar Class (Ages 9-12)
New class starting in March 2011
8 weeks for $112
(***to be on the list for this class, please email Irene***)
For Kids Only! Each Class is an hour in length, with a maximum of 6 students. All you need is a guitar. If you don't have one, consider renting at any of our local music stores including Long & McQuade. If you have any questions or would like to reserve a space in this class (maximum 6 students), please email Irene or call 250-888-3973
Email Irene to be added to the list!
Here is a quick description of each class level:
Level 1 Guitar - For absolute beginner students, learn some basic chords and strums, play some songs and have a hoot! No previous musical experience necessary. Just bring a guitar and a desire to learn! Classes are always relaxed, positive and fun.
Kids Level 1 Guitar - A beginner guitar class for kids ages 9-12. Learn some simple strums and songs with other kids the same age. Classes are always upbeat and fun. Maybe you're the next YouTube sensation, or maybe you just want to play the songs that you love. Either way, you'll have a great time!
Level 1 Guitar, Ladies - A beginner guitar class for ladies only. For absolute beginner students, learn some basic chords and strums, play some songs and have a hoot! No previous musical experience necessary. Just bring a guitar and a desire to learn! Classes are always relaxed, positive and fun.
Level 2 Guitar - For those who have either taken a Level 1 class or who can play some basic chords and strums. Email Irene if you are interested in a class that's just a little beyond beginners.
Level 3 Guitar - For more advanced students, focusing more on guitar tricks and techniques using popular songs. Level 3 students have normally had a series of classes with Irene before or equivalent experience.
If you are not sure which level you belong in, Email Irene for more info
For a list of some of the songs Irene teaches, click on the Song List.
PAYMENT
New class students: pay $112 by cash or cheque, by Interac E-Transfer, or pay by Paypal (below) ON THE FIRST NIGHT OF THE CLASS
New private students: payment by cash or cheque or by Interac e-transfer, due at the FIRST LESSON OF EACH MONTH There are normally 4 lessons per month totalling $72
You may also pay online by credit card below through Paypal (you do not require a Paypal account):
Store
Now you can buy some cool merchandise from Irene's ReverbNation Store!
Testimonials
"I have been playing the same lick for 30 years (self taught), my daughter has been taking lessons with Irene for 2 years. People throw beer bottles at me when I play, people throw money at my daughter when she plays. I have watched my shy daughter transform into a confident performer who can captivate anyone. She loves going to Irene who is a perfect fit for anyone. The lessons with Irene have had a extremely positive affect on her in so many aspects. The gauntlet has been thrown I'm tired of being 4 beats off and in the wrong chord so I'm signing up for lessons. My goal is to offered a beer instead of a thrown bottle. ~ Asia's Dad
"I started taking guitar lessons with Irene about three years ago.
I had taken group lessons twice in years past, but nothing can compare to the individual lessons I have taken with Irene.
I have learned things much quicker as a result, and song playing comes much easier.
Irene has a very easy going nature and I feel very relaxed during my
lessons with her. My guitar lessons are the highlight of each week." ~ Larry H.
"Irene is an amazing teacher. I was looking for someone that could teach my daughter to play guitar using a fun, casual approach to modern music that my daughter could relate to. That is exactly how she teaches and why Madi never wants to miss a lesson! Madi is 15 and has learned so much in the last two years." ~ Lynn E.
"After many years of frustrated fumbling with the guitar, I found playing guitar creative and enjoyable after a few group lessons with Irene! Great attitude, great space and a great guitar teacher! Thanks Irene!" ~ David R.
"I would be pleased to recommend Irene as a guitar teacher to anyone. She is knowledgeable, kind and relaxed. I look forward to my lesson each week." ~ Eric M.
"Guitar lessons with Irene were my favorite part of the week. So much fun and I learned a lot!" ~ Brian K.
"Well, starting to learn the guitar a little later in life, can be a bit daunting....until I found Irene. I am learning in a very positive environment. Even the days when you arrive, feeling like you are never going to "get it". Then you sit with Irene, always cheerful, with loads of patience, understanding and humour. I walk away ready to tackle those difficult chords. And I am playing, and loving it!! All in all I would say she is a brilliant guitar teacher, and I am so glad that I found her, and look forward to my lessons with her every week." ~ Karen V.
"Learning guitar with Irene is so enjoyable. She can take whatever song you are interested in and come up with an interesting way to play it. You leave feeling refreshed, energized and accomplished each night!" ~ Catherine C.
"My daughter has been taking guitar lessons from Irene for a few short
months. I'm amazed by how much she has learned in that short time (how
do they remember all those chords?), but I'm even more impressed by how
happy and motivated she is about her guitar lessons. With Irene's bubbly
personality, and her fun and encouraging teaching style, my girl's
lessons are a joy to her." ~ Corinne S.
"I have been taking lessons from Irene for almost a year, I have enjoyed every class and her teaching methods." ~ Jim L.
"Irene is a great guitar teacher, I'm really enjoyed my lessons because I learn songs that I know, and are new and fun! I've gone to different places for lessons but I didn't have fun there because I'd have to learn songs that I've never heard before because my teacher picked them. Irene also has a great singing voice so when we play together and she sings it sounds amazing!" ~ Lindsay M.
"Irene made learning easy and fun. Because I didn't need to get into the theoretical part of guitar playing, she taught us how to play, which encouraged me to want to play as I felt accomplishment. I looked forward to her class every week." ~ Berte M.
"Irene is a great teacher – patient, knowledgeable and always with a sense of humour. I’ve been taking weekly lessons for about a year and a half and every lesson is both fun and productive. Learning new chords, strums – always going just a little further than I thought I could. I strongly recommend her." ~ Ken M.
"I started taking weekly guitar lessons with Irene over 2 years ago, and I find my Wednesday night lesson a really great part of my week. I look forward to meeting up with Irene to practise the latest song I am learning. Irene is willing to work out chords and strum pattern for songs that you like, so you are able to learn your favourite songs. I have learned songs by Jack Johnson, Pearl Jam, Tragically Hip, Snow Patrol, Radiohead, and Stone Temple Pilots, and many others. Irene is a patient and friendly teacher, and she doesn’t pressure you. She understands when you’re busy and don’t have time to practise, and she never makes you feel guilty about it. She has a great wealth of knowledge about the guitar, having played for the majority of her life, and she’s happy to share her own experiences and answer questions. I highly recommend Irene as a guitar instructor, especially if you’re a beginner like I was when I first started taking lessons. Irene is a great person to help you build your confidence and your ability!" ~ Kate W.
GIFT CERTIFICATES
You can purchase any combination of lessons, either private or group and download a gift certificate. A series of eight group classes costs $112. For private lessons, it is recommended that you purchase a package of 4 x 1/2 hour lessons, roughly a month's worth, at a cost of $72. Click on the gift certificate below to download Word .doc and print it out...or email Irene for other options:
...then email or call Irene at 250-888-3973 to arrange a time.
on teaching:
"My philosophy is to have fun playing an instrument, regardless of whether or not you've had any musical experience. Most of my students simply want to learn to play for their own pleasure, so I try to provide the right balance of learning and fun. Playing an instrument can become a life-long love!" - IJ
**ij's new guitar blog!**
A new blog just for guitar students...more articles soon to come!
ALSO, my new blog I Like Songs is all about (guess what?) songs I like!
Heart of gold:
a basic strum :
More of IJ's videos HERE
An IJ Performance:
guitar-related articles:
Chord Keys- which chords relate to each other
guitar-related news:
Is Your New Guitar Environmentally Friendly? - "Western musicians delight in the world's best and most exotic guitars, but it is claimed Chinese-made instruments are fuelling an illegal trade in rare timber." Read more...
You can actually PLAY this t-shirt guitar! "Now that ‘s a real bit of funny stuff around the corner. There was a fight between the actual electric guitar and its digital counterpart and guess what? The virtual guitar had to find a new sanctuary and it took solace on the face of a Tee. It wasn’t all easy at first but it made things pretty interesting." Check it out.
Can This Guitar Change Music Games? - Seems closer to the real thing to me!
Guitar Hero Sales Continue to Decline - bad economy or just burnout?
About Irene
Irene Jackson has been a songwriter and guitar player for more than 40 years...her accomplishments include many live performances, composing music for several nationally and internationally syndicated television shows, and releasing four of her own recordings in her Moonstone Productions studio. She is a member of SOCAN, and has been a member of the Pacific Music Industry Assoc. (PMIA) and the Songwriters Association of Canada (SAC). She has taught hundreds of guitar students of all ages since 1989. E-mail or call Irene at (250)888-3973 for more info or to set up a free consultation.
Music can improve learning, boost language skills: study
Scientists believe learning musical sounds could enhance the brain’s ability to adapt
NEW YORK — Learning to play a musical instrument can change your brain, with a U.S. review finding music training can lead to improved speech and foreign language skills.
Although it has been suggested in the past that listening to Mozart or other classical music could make you smarter, there has been little evidence to show that music boosts brain power.
But a data-driven review by Northwestern University has pulled together research that links musical training to learning that spills over into skills including language, speech, memory, attention and even vocal emotion.
Researcher Nina Kraus said the data strongly suggested that the neural connections made during musical training also primed the brain for other aspects of human communication.
“The effect of music training suggests that, akin to physical exercise and its impact on body fitness, music is a resource that tones the brain for auditory fitness and thus requires society to re-examine the role of music in shaping individual development,” the researchers said in their study.
Kraus said learning musical sounds could enhance the brain’s ability to adapt and change and also enable the nervous system to provide a scaffolding of patterns that are important to learning. The study, published in Nature Reviews Neuroscience, looked at the explosion of research in recent years focused on the effects of music training on the nervous system, which could have strong implications for education.
The study found that playing an instrument primes the brain to choose what is relevant in a complex process that may involve reading or remembering a score, timing issues and co-ordination with other musicians.
“A musician’s brain selectively enhances information-bearing elements in sound,” Kraus said in a statement. “In a beautiful interrelationship between sensory and cognitive processes, the nervous system makes associations between complex sounds and what they mean.”
The study reviewed literature showing, for example, that musicians are more successful than non-musicians in learning to incorporate sound patterns for a new language into words.
Children who are musically trained are better at observing pitch changes in speech and have a better vocabulary and reading ability than children who did not receive music training.
Musicians trained to hear sounds embedded in networks of melodies and harmonies are primed to understand speech in a noisy background.
But Kraus said currently what is known about the benefits of music training on sensory processing beyond that involved in musical performance is largely derived from studying those who are fortunate enough to afford such training.
The researchers concluded that there needed to be a serious investment of resources into music training in schools accompanied with rigorous examinations of the effects of such instruction on listening, learning, memory, attention and literacy skills.