"Studying guitar with Ben has helped me break through a
ceiling I'd been bumping my head on for years. Learning to
use my ears to hear and play chord tones and melodies
(instead of going straight to tablature or sheet music) has
really made me develop as a guitarist, and the material Ben
has given me to play has stretched me as a musician. I'm
enjoying guitar now more than ever!"
"Ben Proctor's teaching
approach is first and foremost about helping you become a
musician in the truest sense of the word. While he
relies on the traditional musical lexicon to form the basis
of musical conversation, his style demands that you first
garner an awareness of tone, pitch, and emotion so that you
may know what you're saying; he's helped turn me from
a self-taught hobbyist with a bag of chords and scales
to a player that is exponentially more conscious of
the musical dialogue happening around him."
"Studying the mandolin with Ben has been a great experience
that I look forward to continuing. I started out
playing the mandolin on a whim, and had no idea what I was
doing nor really what the instrument could do. Books
didn't help and neither did incessant scale-playing so
after a few weeks of frustration I emailed Ben. He
was quick to answer, and reassured me that he could teach
me to play, that I already had an inherent musical ability,
and that all I needed to do was learn how to make it work
for me.
We started out learning
simple songs that taught me basic executive skills - good
finger placement, how to pick and strum, and how to relax
while playing. These beginning songs built my confidence
and my comfort level with the mandolin. Ben never
rushed, and never made me feel dumb or untalented.
His patience was appreciated - especially the 17th
time through "Go Tell Aunt Rhody!" As I developed
good basic technique, he very subtly started teaching me
harder songs - developing my musicality while building my
repertoire.
Ben's teaching style is
fun, relaxed, and it's always a pleasure to go to lessons.
When I'm stuck on a song or even a series of notes, he's
ready with advice and willing to repeat things until I get
them sounding good. His emphasis on audiation and
learning a song from the basics up helps me in other
musical studies, too. I've noticed that I sing
better, and I'm able to understand in a basic way how music
works. If you're looking for a teacher that will help
you go beyond scales and drills, you've found him."
"For as long as I can remember, I dreamed of learning to
play an instrument (particularly the banjo, for whatever
reason) and now that dream has come true. Honestly, I was a
little worried that it would be a disappointment, however,
I am having a blast learning and growing. When we met, as
you like to remind me, I couldn't even sing the most basic
children's song... and now after only 4 months, I have
already had to upgrade my banjo and I'm learning to
improvise!
Your teaching style is
perfect for me. The hands on instruction and focus on
listening is extremely helpful and more organic than
reading a book. I look forward to going to my lessons each
week because you make me laugh, yet keep me challenged and
focused! You are also quick to call me out on the things I
do to hold myself back, which I appreciate. You are a very
supportive, encouraging and PATIENT instructor.
I never dreamed that
playing the banjo could be this much fun, and they say that
guitar is the gateway instrument, but for me it's all about
the banjo! I am already thinking about the next string
instrument I want to learn to play."