Steve Brew
Concert Guitarist
Teaching Experience
I believe that teaching is an extremely gratifying experience, and I consider myself very lucky to be in the field of education. I love to teach and I am constantly trying to improve as an instructor. My personal teaching philosophy emphasizes practicality, goal setting, entreprenuerial thinking, and independent musicianship.
Testimonial
"Steve is a thoughtful, self-motivated, reliable, patient, and kind individual who connected well with the participating students and their families...The Say Yes Zaira Meneses Classical Guitar Program could not have succeeded during its years of operation without Steve's commitment to the program and its students."
Kristi Eck - former Education Program Director with Say Yes to Education, Syracuse Chapter; current Chief of Staff at the State University of New York at Oswego
Martinsville Guitar Club
In February of 2014 I launched the Martinsville Guitar Program in Martinsville, Indiana. The Guitar Program is an after school club open to high school students of any grade, age, or ability. Our goal is to learn the fundamentals of guitar playing in a group setting, where we practice, rehearse, and perform together. Since our inception, we have had over twenty students participate in the club!
I am happy to report that the guitar club has received support from several prominent local and national organizations, including the Community Foundation of Morgan County, the D'Addario Foundation, and Artesian Allied Arts.
To hear our talented students perform, check out Our Youtube Channel. To learn more about the club, read our 2014-2015 Year in Review
Associate Instructor at IU
I have served as an Associate Instructor of Guitar at Indiana University since the Fall of 2013. My position entails teaching beginning group classes to non-music majors as well as one-on-one private lessons. The Associate Instructors at IU use a curriculum developed by Petar Jankovic, which emphasizes a variety of styles and techniques, including classical, pop, folk, rock, fingerpicking, and strumming.
I strive to provide a fun and exciting atmosphere for all my students, and I'm happy to report that many of my pupils continue their studies by taking intermediate and advanced classes. To learn more about guitar instruction at IU, visit the Official Guitar Department Webpage.
Past Experience
Prior to my assistantship at Indiana University, I taught guitar and piano lessons through Say Yes to Education and the YMCA in Syracuse, New York. I helped expand the Zaira Meneses guitar program into two schools, and began a group guitar ensemble at the Fayetteville YMCA.
My work with these organizations provided me the opportunity to publish several original arrangements, many of which are available through Seconda Prattica. One arrangement is featured in the country's most widely-used instructional resource for guitarists, the Austin Classical Guitar Society's online curriculum.
In 2012, I was asked to assist with the youth guitar workshop at the Boston International Guitar Festival, where I helped prepare students for a public performance.