American Guitar Institute™

Lesson Info

First, and foremost, we are a family oriented business with the utmost ethical and moral standards, and will deny instruction to anyone who may hinder a safe, clean and friendly environment. Our clients are respectable adults and families, including children between the ages of 11 and 17, and we will do everything in our power to keep a safe and healthy environment for everyone who learns from us, young and old. This includes turning away students or instructors whom we feel may be in any way crude, malicious, without morals or low in standards. In short, we keep the interest of our youngest and most impressionable students at heart in every decision we make. If you are not capable of handling your life in a respectable and decent manner, please find instruction elsewhere.

About the American Guitar Institute™

The American Guitar Institute™ is a guitar school located in Memphis Tennessee. We wanted to create an environment where anyone could study the guitar no matter what level they are on. We only teach those who are serious about learning the guitar. The Co-founders of the school saw a need for proper guitar training. An observation that we have made about the majority of the guitar teachers is that they never actually teach the guitar. They have the student bring in a CD or list of songs so the teacher can figure out the song for the student. We disagree with this method completely. We feel that it is better for the student to learn how to figure the song out for themselves through learning how to read Tablature, Notation and developing an Ear for Transcription. This not only makes the student proud of themselves but it also saves them a lott of money. We also help the student build a solid foundation with technique so they can play anything they want to play and never have their fingers as a limitation. This also makes it so they never develop bad habits when it comes to technique. See if you have bad habits you get use to playing that way and your fingers limit how you play. It is much harder for someone who has played for a while and wants to get better to re learn the guitar the right way. So we teach our beginners proper technique starting on the first day, It really does become instinct. We also specialize in taking more experienced players and showing them proper technique. Most guitar teachers don't have a clue about technique themselves so how could they possibly show your or your child. After we get technique out of the way we work on developing the student as a musician. We give them the tools they need through Theory, Technique, Examples, and various other sources so they can improvise with other musicians and compose their own music. We only have the highest quality of teachers who have to pass a series of tests in order to even be considered. Our teachers are College educated and highly experienced working proffesionals in the music industry and they are trained to get you where you want to be as quickly as possible. We teach private lessons all lasting a half hour . We are in a professional East Memphis facility with a family friendly lobby where you can wait for your lesson. Some teachers teach out of their house. We disagree with that entirely as it is not professional. If those people where qualified to teach they would be doing it in an established business, plus in todays society do you really know who's house you are either going into or sending your children in? We are a family friendly environment. As teachers we not only lead by words, we lead by examples. We look forward to helping you obtain your musical goals for the future no matter how far you want to go.

Our Instructors

Jimmy Hudson - Guitar

Jimmy was educated at the Atlanta Institute of Music. He has learned from Shawn Lane (Black Oak Arkansas, Warner Bros recording artist, Jonas Helborg Trio), Barry Richman (solo recording artist, sessions guitarist, Col Bruce Hampton), Jimmy Herring (Allman Bros, Gratefull Dead, Aquarium rescue Unit), Sid Woolfolk, Carl Cullpepper, Nite Driskoll, Shane Theriot, Bill Hart, Randy Hoexter, Joe Gamble, Chuck Hughes (Chucky and the Pscyclones), Dr. Gene Mason and many others. He spends most of his time studying music and recording. He has been teaching for ten years now and playing for well over sixteen. Jimmy started performing at the age of eleven, and started gigging on guitar at age fourteen. Jimmy has sat in with numerous bands, including Ben Cauly, and has also had several solo projects over the years. Jimmy has taught guitar on every level. He has taught private lessons previously in music stores and private schools. He also has many columns on the web. Jimmy has also worked as a technician, and an engineer both live and in the studio. Jimmy was Shawn Lane's tech for many performances between 1996 and 2002. He also teched for the Barry Richman Band in Atlanta in 1996, and for Jeff Sipe in 1996.

Krystel Becker - Guitar and Bass

Krystel has been a student of music her entire life. She started working and performing with choirs at age 5, which she continued for eleven years. Krystel has been a bass player for over thirteen years, a guitarist for eleven years and a pianist for 3 years. She is currently attempting to learn drums. Her vocal training was very extensive, including two years of training from a retired opera singer and a few intense months with her friend from Broadway, who taught both vocal performance and stage presense. Krystel has been sightreading both treble and bass clef since the age of six. She has also worked in studios as an engineer, and worked with Shawn Lane in a live setting and in the studio. Her main teacher was Tony Johnson, her bass teacher for almost three years, who had attended Berklee, among other places. She has learned from several other people including Joe Gamble, Dr. Gene Mason, Shawn Lane, Brandon McDuffie and many others. Krystel has been teaching both privately and on the web for the last six years. Krystel specializes in seven string guitars and five string basses. Krystel spends most of her time studying music, composing, and privately studying quantum physics and psychology. She is currently working on a progressive metal solo cd.

Brandon McDuffie - Drums

Bio coming soon

Britt Burch - Guitar

Britt was educated at the Berklee College of Music. Britt started out self taught on guitar, but started taking formal lessons around the age of twelve. He played in some bands, and took some courses in high school, he also took some theory lessons at a community college before heading off to Berklee. Britt graduated from Berklee's two year program (1998 thru 2000), taking courses such as harmony (music theory), arranging, ear training, dictation, writing skills (learned to write music properly), music technology, music business, stage performance with Livingston Taylor (James Taylors brother) and the Berklee Chamber Ensemble (a classical guitar ensemble). He also attended the following guitar labs: Hard Rock lab (Joe Stump), Advanced Rock Guitar Techinques (Jon Finn), Rock Lab (Mike Ihde), Jazz lab, Blues Rock lab (Tomo Fujita), Ensemble 1 (everything from blues rock to Eric Johnson material).

Tommy Arnold - Bass

Tommy attended Memphis State on a fully paid scholarship. He has been playing bass for nine years. Tommy studied under Tim Goodwin and Neil Bowen. He was a member of Soundfuzion for 2 years, and has been a member of Infusion for six years, with whom he is currently gigging. Tommy is currently the Assistant Manager at Guitar Center Memphis.

Anthony Baird - Piano and Keyboard

Anthony is currently a senior Music Education major at the University of Memphis. He has been playing piano for eight years and has performed in jazz big bands and combos, classical chamber groups and has done solo performances. He has been a member of the band Infusion for two years. His other main instruments are tuba and saxophone, and has played all three instruments in various wind ensembles, chamber groups, jazz groups and solo as well. He has been playing tuba for seven years and saxophone for eight years. Anthony has taught private piano lessons and has given lessons at the St. Jude Target House, a facility for children's health research and treatment. He has been on staff at high schools in Tennessee and Alabama as the low brass/marching instructor. The bulk of his training has been in classical music but he has also had jazz piano training.

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Student Policy

Thank you for choosing the American Guitar Institute™ as your source for musical development. We look forward to helping you for many years to come. As always your referrals are appreciated as they are what keeps this business going. Of course, there are a few guidelines that must be followed to make this productive for both the student and the teacher. Please read through this Student Policy carefully so you fully understand what is expected.

Absentee and Tardiness:

You must give a 24 hour notice before canceling any lesson. Please understand that teaching is the way your teacher makes a living. Just like any other profession if there is not a 24 hour notice you must still pay for the lesson. If you call 24 hours in advance you will need to reschedule at a later time depending on your teacher’s schedule. If you miss two consecutive lessons without giving a 24 hour notice you will be required to pay for the missed lessons and change your payment plan to payment one month in advance to continue your lessons. After two lessons missed in a row we can not guaranty your time slot. You will have to get with your teacher upon return for your new time, your old time might be available still but if somebody needs that slot while you are gone they will have priority of that slot, as time is our most valuable resource. If you are tardy your lesson will still end at the scheduled time so the students after you can start their lesson on time. If you know you are going out of town please let your teacher know in as far advance as possible. Again depending on time slot availability you can make up your lesson(s) missed upon return or even before you leave. A big school project, essay, exam, etc., does not exclude you from the 24 hour policy. You should know about those things way in advance of your lesson. If you are sick and contagious please do not come to your lesson, again you should know when you are that sick the day before.

Rates and Payment methods:

Our rates are $20.00 per half hour. If you need to leave early that is fine, but you must still pay the full amount. Due to problems that have arisen in the past, checks are no longer accepted. Please have cash with you before the lesson starts for the full amount, or there will be no lesson. You do have the option of paying weekly or monthly. If there are excessive cancellations, you will be asked to pay monthly to continue with your lessons. Please try to have correct change if at all possible when you come in for your lesson.

Conduct:

First and foremost this is a family environment, rude and offensive language and/or behavior will not be tolerated at all. The lobby is for waiting. Do not play with the pianos or anything else that is not your personal property. You are free to use the couches, chairs, magazines, table etc. Please keep your volume down while in the lobby as to not disturb other teachers and students. Any small children must be accompanied by an adult at all times as we are not babysitters. Make sure you keep track of all of your personal property as we are not responsible for lost or stolen items. If you make a mess clean it up. No food or gum is allowed in the lesson room, when you are in the lesson you are in there to learn, therefore turn all cell phones off before coming into the studio. Eating, chewing gum, and or talking on a cell phone during the lesson is very disrespectful and will not be tolerated. Obviously if your profession requires you to be on call (doctors, lawyers, programers, etc) cell phones are permitted. Friends are not allowed in the lesson room, lessons are private lessons only unless you are signed up for classes. You are responsible for any actions of people that may come with you to your lesson. If you bring a friend and that friend breaks something you are obligated to pay for it. Alcohol and drugs are not allowed on the property, smokers please do not smoke directly in front of the building. We also enforce a strict dress code. Clothing that contains vulgar or disrespectful language or images, is revealing or inappropriate or may be found offensive to anyone for any reason is not allowed. If you attend your lesson with inappropriate clothing you will be sent home, required to pay for the lesson and your lessons may be permanently terminated.

Thank you for your understanding of the student policy, remember you should practice every day. If you have any further questions please ask your teacher.

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Directions

We are located at 7990 Highway 64 Suite 107 in Bartlett. We are just off Interstate 40, at the corner of Highway 64 and Germantown Parkway, caddycorner from Wolfchase Mall. We are located in Wolf Run Plaza, in the same building as Guitar Center, behind TCBY, facing Hobby Lobby.

Contact Information

If you are interested in lessons our number is:

(901) 685-0545.

Don't forget to ask for a free half hour introductory lesson when you call!
Free lesson available only to new students, and only one half hour will be given for any single household. Offer only valid if mentioned when scheduling the lesson.

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