Below is a short list of student reviews since April 2014:   

    My background in guitar was minimal, and I had originally signed up for the group lessons that he teaches as part of Carrboro Parks and Rec.  Because of a scheduling conflict, I ended up switching to private lessons at his studio.  Maurice created an instructional manual for use in his Carrboro Parks and Rec classes that I found to be extremely helpful as it covered chord formation starting at basic chords and moving to more advanced chords and then introduced strumming methods followed by technical exercises to improve finger strength and reach.  This manual is amazing and I worked on chords, strumming and technical exercises from it extensively for the first few weeks.  Maurice also asked what songs I was interested in playing, and created the sheet music for me.  He also found similar songs that incorporated similar chord changes and rhythms and introduced different positions for playing chords that would enable a convenient finger location for the following chords.  I found Maurice to be generous with his time and encouraging with ideas for maximizing my practice time.   Maurice has a strong theoretical and practical knowledge of guitar and generosity with his time that will nurture growth.  I  strongly recommend him as a guitar teacher  – DR. Lana Watkins – Feb.. 2024

I have been making the weekly pilgrimage to Maurice’s homey and music filled studio in Carrboro for over two years.  I’m an old geezer who previously didn’t know a lick about music. We were introduced in one of his community guitar classes. My goals: learn how music works, make cool sounds ( for me mostly electric blues) and have fun. Maurice has fulfilled these goals and more. He’s guided  me step by step through everything I needed to know—from how to hold a guitar  through equipment choice, navigating tabs, understanding melody, harmony, rhythm, and ever advancing  technique and complexly . Along the way he’s kept it interesting by adding  extremely valuable context on the cultural, historical and theoretical underpinnings of music.

I don’t know where he’s found the patience to tolerate my frequent discordant sounds;. Fortunately I haven’t driven him away yet, and he always approaches our practice with a perfect balance of acceptance and rigor. The learning program is personalized, and focused on my needs,
but guided by a professional educator’s understanding of principles and goals. We are geared to long term outcomes; he is definitely not a ‘“Well, what song do you want learn this week?” guy. As a marathoner, I understand pacing. He does, too.

    My playing now sounds reasonably decent, I’m having fun, and value my newfound appreciation for the awesome depth of music. I plan to continue with him for a long time. He’s good! If you like the guitar, he’ll help you regardless of your current proficiency or genre of choice. There’s no way you’ll exhaust his expertise. Check him out!                             Jack Haggerty – Dec. 2016

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I’ve taken guitar lessons for a few years with a couple of different teachers. Although they were good and I learned a lot, I wanted something more.  I think there’s a tendency when teaching beginner 50ish year olds to present a new song every couple of weeks from the standard canon of rock, bang on it for a while, and then move on.  That can be fun, but I wanted a more fundamental approach with plenty of theory tossed in – I needed some first principles to provide a better foundation.  That’s what I asked Maurice for and that’s what I’m getting.  It’s not easy, but I want to learn and play for the rest of my life and don’t see growth without that firm foundation. – Tom P  Sept.  19, 2015

Maurice has been my daughter’s guitar teacher for about 18 months. When I asked my daughter about Maurice, she told me that she liked how Maurice taught. He makes things easy to understand and will take the time to explain the theory behind the music. In addition, the music that she is learning is right up her alley. Since the music is fun, she enjoys playing and learning.  For a parent, Maurice is very easy to work with. Changes in schedules and times doesn’t fluster Maurice. His easy going manner is infectious.  – Bert Wartski  Dec. 5 ’14

Maurice is the best guitar teacher with whom I have worked, and as a music teacher myself, I have very high standards. Maurice builds knowledge and skills in his students using hand-crafted lessons in music fundamentals and foundational playing techniques. I have seen him work very successfully with early beginners through advanced players. The lessons he creates allow students to enjoy playing the melodies and rhythms of a wide variety of musical styles. He is an exceptional blues rock player, and our jam sessions were always a highlight of my lessons. – Mary Ann Defir  April 16, ’16

I’ve been taking lessons with Maurice for 8 months now as a new beginner. I have 4 years of piano experience from long ago that Maurice has been taking into account as I get going. Having never had formal lessons on the guitar, I can tell that I’m really learning the fundamentals of the instrument in order to truly progress in a meaningful way. With this type of investment as a student, I can definitely recommend Maurice for those who want similar. Its inspiring just to listen to the bits of genius he samples in each lesson. – Mike Carter   Dec. 2015

I was nervous to first start taking lessons because I knew nothing about guitar, but Maurice made me feel very comfortable.  He is really nice and lets me look at the cords whenever I need. He makes the lessons and practice time fun.  He is helping me get good at guitar. – Samuel S..  Age 11,  March 10, ’14

As a beginning student, I appreciate that I am getting a strong foundation from Maurice. Everything from body mechanics, to technique, to theory. I am learning not just how to play the guitar, but also how to think like a musician. Maurice has a huge perspective on music history, theory, and everything guitar. He always knows what is next for me, and has just the right song or exercise for me to practice the next skill. – Lee Laskody, Attorney at Law

Prior to working with Maurice, I had been a primarily self-taught guitarist. I had acquired a lot of knowledge and ability, but also a lot of bad habits. By focusing on correcting these bad habits, Maurice has dramatically expanded my ability as a guitarist. I have been a student of his for over five years, and his dedication to guitar, and guitar instruction, is phenomenal.

Rather than rote, canned lessons that some teachers might use, Maurice has transcribed a repertoire of songs from many different genres, along with lessons on theory and styles of music. He has tailored his instruction for me with a focus on my musical interests, while at the same time challenging my weaknesses and pushing me to explore new genres and styles. Over the years, we’ve explored jazz, blues, rock, funk, R&B, bluegrass, Irish fiddle tunes, and even a little reggae.

I work full time and have a young daughter, so fitting in lessons into my schedule has been difficult at times. Maurice’s patience and flexibility have been helpful in letting me explore a personal passion at my own pace. I will never be rich or famous because I play guitar, but Maurice instruction has turned my frustration around, and allowed me to truly enjoy the few moments in my busy life that I get to play guitar. Instead of being moments of frustration, they are moments of personal growth and satisfaction.
Chris Van Hasselt,    May 4th, ’14

Maurice has been my guitar teacher since I was nine years old. I remember how mad I would get at first when my hands were too little to do much. He always kept me going through my frustration, telling me I would grow into the guitar. I kept going and four years later I am amazed at my improvement. I am grateful to Maurice for helping me get to where I am today. He is not just my guitar teacher. He is an inspiration and a mentor to me.
Megan M. ,  Age 13,  June 6th, ’14

From a parent….

Maurice has been teaching my children guitar for over 10 years. My oldest son is now in college and majoring in music. In addition to his outstanding education and expertise in guitar, Maurice has patience and understanding of children that is an essential ingredient for teaching. He has been a positive influence for my children over the years.

Carolyn Morton,  June 1st, ’14

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