Testimonials

“Jamie is a great instructor. As a self taught adult player with some playing skills already, it is important to me that my instructor can tailor the lessons to my goals and current starting point. Jamie listens carefully to my goals and priorities, and develops custom lessons that help me the most. I highly recommend Jamie for any level of student.”

—Mike Halliday
Former Guitar Student

“Jamie is an amazing teacher. I was new to the guitar but by the end of the first lesson he had me playing a song. He is so knowledgeable about music and excited to share that knowledge. I highly recommend him.”

—Kandy Christensen
Former Guitar Student

“Jamie is a terrific teacher. He is clearly passionate about music. My kids took lessons from him for years and found him to be patient, easy-going, and knowledgeable. Jamie is also an extremely talented musician. I would highly recommend him as a teacher for kids just starting out in music as well as for more advanced students.”

—Abby Karasick
Parent of Former Guitar Student

“Jamie is an excellent teacher who is very well versed in all types of music be it jazz, blues, rock or country. He has a great knowledge of music theory and challenges me to think deeper about guitar during my lesson. He is also skilled at teaching the basics and knows the best material to practice. He is greatly enthusiastic about guitar and is a very relatable person as well. My guitar and music skills have greatly improved with Jamie, and I look forward to our lesson every week.”

— Owen Hemming
Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist for “Owen and the Ghosts” and Current Guitar & Piano Student

“I feel like our lessons completely shaped the way I think about music. Through my lessons with Jamie Stephens, I learned not only how to be a better guitarist, but how to be a better musician. Our lessons introduced me to a fresh perspective on music, opening my mind to new ideas and sounds. I felt like Jamie always worked outside his job description to provide the optimal personalized student experience. I would recommend him highly for anyone looking to broaden their musical horizons and/or increase their instrumental proficiency.”

— Nolan Kiser
Professional Musician/Singer/Songwriter/Multi-Instrumentalist & USC School of Music Student

“I started studying with Jamie when I was 11 years old, and he played a major role in my development as a musician. Jamie is not only a multi-instrumentalist, but he’s also incredibly versatile musically. He really helped me to appreciate a lot of different styles. I remember always looking forward to our weekly lessons.”

— Will Tilson
Professional Musician/Singer/Songwriter

“Jamie Rocks! Jamie taught our daughter to play guitar, first at the Rock House in person and then remotely during quarantine. He is such an amazing musician and his talent and passion for playing shine through during his lessons. He makes the guitar approachable and fun, never a chore. Our son is a drummer and both kids have played in bands that Jamie helped coach, and even pinched in with lead vocals when the band was short a singer. Jamie is an absolute pleasure to work with and we would recommend him to anyone who aspires to learn the guitar.”

— Steve Karasick
Parent of Former Guitar Student

“Jamie’s teaching style is the perfect combination of motivating and educational. He uses familiar songs to keep the lessons fun while teaching core concepts, which was perfect for me. I just want to say you played a huge part in making me who I am today, so thank you for that!”

— Austin Lyons
Professional Musician/Singer/Songwriter/Multi-Instrumentalist & Belmont University School of Music Student

”I think the combination between strong technical ability and an easy-going demeanor makes Jamie such a great instructor. I never feel stressed out after my lessons with Jamie helping me find ways to make pieces easier to play. Another thing that Jamie accommodates is my music interests. The songs I want to learn are typically all over the place and sometimes cross instrument. Rather than avoid this, he thinks of ways to combine instruments and songs while still progressing my own abilities. Every week I find a place I can explore new techniques with my favorite songs.”

—Kyle Born
Current Guitar & Piano Student

“Jamie is one of the most engaging, energetic, and proficient teachers I've had in my life. Whenever I asked to learn a specific melody or skill, he would map out the curriculum for our lesson within seconds. Jamie's universal mastery of music ranging from theory, chord construction, scales, and styles allowed me to learn all the elements of song through his countless years of experience, rather than learning through a textbook. Every lesson I learned something valuable, and it felt like I was just jamming along with a friend. I couldn't imagine learning guitar with anyone else.”

—Jake Ruben
Former Guitar student