Call or email now to learn more about guitar instruction. 919-967-2305 (no text messages) or mauricetbalk@gmail.com

maurice-2

My Background

I attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston and graduated with a degree in Music Education. I also hold a Fine Arts degree from Alfred University. I have been teaching guitar privately in Carrboro, North Carolina for the last 23 years. Among my accomplishments in music education, I have been the guitar teacher for both the Carrboro Recreation and Parks Department and Chapel Hill Recreation and Parks Department for 22 years, designing the curriculum for both programs. I am licensed to teach in the public school system in North Carolina and work in the Chapel Hill /Carrboro School District on occasion.

I perform locally with vocalist Mary Anne Defir-Patterson. My guitar playing blends the range of styles that I have passionately studied; Rock and Roll, Blues, Funk/Soul, Bluegrass, Country, and Jazz. Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, and Carlos Santana are the guitarists whom I credit as my primary influences.

As a musician and music teacher, I have come to understand that creativity and personal expression are best realized and communicated when they are built upon a solidly structured technical mastery of one’s instrument. I place an emphasis on proper mechanics, both for promoting good physical health and for ease of execution on the guitar. In this way, I can ensure that my students will not develop bad habits that will be tough to break, or physical ailments resulting from the repetitive actions that a practicing musician experiences, as they advance toward the goal of mastering the guitar.

I also prioritize mastery of general music fundamentals and how they intersect with the unique layout of the guitar. I use a mix of exercises, études, isolated riffs, licks, jamming over grooves, and playing songs as vehicles for imparting a series of interrelated and mutually supportive systems into what I call a meta-system. It involves picking direction, rhythmic counting, fingerings, and a theoretical understanding of the function of harmonic and melodic structures. This meta-system organizes the information required to unlock the inherently complex nature of the guitar deeply into the student’s mind. The student can then store, and retrieve it quickly. This ability is a necessity for playing music that values and incorporates improvisation.

The system of systems is based on the layout of the fretboard as it intersects with the fundamental nature of music itself. The skills and strategies derived from this meta-system are consistent and can be applied, deconstructed, and recontextualized from one scenario

to the next.

Imbuing solid technique in tandem with theoretical knowledge to my student is the key component of my teaching style. My goal is to give my students a deep well of foundational knowledge and experiences to draw from while performing in an improvisational setting. Having the confidence to experiment and take the risks and chances necessary to thrive and to fully express one’s deepest musical thoughts and emotions.