Barry Hyman

Imagine if I told you I could increase your lifespan, improve your physical and mental health, make you more popular with everybody (including members of your preferred persuasion), get you more affection and respect, give you a powerful consolation during difficult times, and provide you with a delightful part-time job you could enjoy until you're 80!  That's what I mean by "Holistic Music Instruction."  You give me $40 an hour; I give you magical powers.  Not a bad deal, right?

I teach private music lessons on several different instruments. For guitar and pedal steel guitar, I offer beginning to advanced instruction. With bass, keyboard, banjo, slide guitar, lap steel, percussion, harmonica, and mandolin, I provide lessons for beginning and intermediate students only. I also teach recording, songwriting, arranging, performance skills, and music therapy techniques.

The emphasis is on creative and improvisational music. I teach music theory, so that the student really understands how music works, and I teach proper technique so that the student can execute his or her musical ideas with professional ability. Students do not have to be good at memorization, notation, or tablature -- a mastery of theory and technique allows one to construct something new that is appropriate for every musical situation.

But more than anything else, I emphasize the joy of making music, and the therapeutic value of having a creative outlet. Music is supposed to be a pleasure! So there is only one rule: You must be comfortable and having fun.

Besides providing private lessons in my studio, I am currently teaching guitar part time at three Vermont schools:  the Community College of Vermont in Bennington, Green Mountain College in Poultney, and the Community College of Vermont in Rutland.

I also offer recording services.  I will play on your recording, or I can help you make your own recording.  I do studio work on guitar (electric, acoustic, nylon string, 12-string), pedal steel guitar, bass, and other instruments.  Sweet and Happy Studio is equipped to make professional recordings of soloists, duos, and small ensembles -- I can arrange, produce, engineer, and mix your demo or cd.

Contact me at kinghappyartmusic@msn.com or at 518-677-5641.  I charge $40 an hour for lessons or recordings at my studio, plus $12 an hour for travel time if I come to your location.