Guitar, Bass, Ukulele, Drums

Experience:

Chad has been performing music professionally for over 30 years and has been a private instructor at Howren Music since 1998. Chad teaches all styles of popular electric and acoustic music.

Methods:

Chad’s style of teaching works well with students of all ages and includes an individually catered approach to learning music theory, sight reading, rudiments, musicianship, improvisation, and tablature.

Guitar and Saxophone

Experience:

Nat has 40+ years in the Charlotte area as a musician, teacher, arranger/producer, and recording engineer. He perused music studies at UNC Chapel Hill and UNC Charlotte. He started a local band, The Rivieras, in the eighth grade. The Rivieras are still performing, now under the leadership of Smitty Flynn. Nat played bass, guitar, tenor and bari sax with Chuck Berry, bluesmen Jimmy Reed and Johnny Taylor, The Platters, Drifters, Clovers, Temptations, Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and others. After college his studies included jazz piano with Ziggy Hurwitz, arranging and orchestration with Allan Kaufman, and saxophone technique with Phil Thompson at Winthrop College. He has been teaching guitar and sax in Charlotte and Monroe since the 70’s. Nat has been with Howren Music for 13 years.

Method:

Nat believes strongly in helping the guitar student understand concepts such as “key,” “scale,” and “chord progression.” He almost exclusively uses the student’s favorite artists and groups for examples. Nat endeavors to show his guitar students how notation/tabulature is valuable in advancing and achieving their goals. With his Saxophone students , Nat tried to reinforce and clarify what the student does at school and offers special help should they want to move into jazz and beginning improvisation.

Guitar, Electric Bass, Ukelele

Experience:

Rob attended Wake Forest University, North Carolina State University and holds a Bachelor of Music Degree from Boston's Berklee College of Music. He has been playing guitar for over 45 years, performing professionally for over 35. He has been teaching all ages, from beginner to advanced, for over 15 years. He has played a wide variety of gigs including being in the backing band for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame members Bo Diddley and The Coasters as well as other vocal groups such as The Marvelettes and The Showmen. Rob has experience playing most types of music from blues, soul, funk, jazz, country to all types of rock & roll and enjoys teaching any style. He has been with Howren Music since 1999.

Method:

The lessons are tailored to the individual student's tastes and abilities and can include any modern electric and acoustic styles. Beginners can be playing easy tunes quickly and advanced students can delve into more challenging subjects. Topics can include chords and chord theory, improvisation, composition, music theory, rhythm, sight reading, electronic processing and techniques, music history, music production and live performance or just learning some simple songs. His emphasis is on having fun with the music at any skill level.

Guitar, Bass

Experience:

Willie has been teaching with Howren Music for over 13 years.