For over 15 years I have taught students of all ages and from beginner to advanced playing levels. I am comfortable and familiar working with any genre of music. My students are generally about 1/3 adults and 2/3 children & teens. Most students are either beginners learning the fundamentals, or lifelong players looking to improve their improvisation, songwriting, or music theory skills.
There are some limits to my knowledge and experience, mostly relating to advanced jazz theory. If you are an advanced player and curious if I can help you, please reach out and I will be happy to discuss your needs.
A few of the things we can work on in your lessons include:
Good attendance is expected of every student.
Missed lessons can be rescheduled as long as they are cancelled in the app with two hours notice.
Missed lessons do not reduce monthly fees - fees are the same regardless of attendance.
New students can begin in the middle of the month at a prorated fee based on the number of remaining weeks in the month.
My home studio is both a fun and professional environment for kids and adults alike to learn. When you arrive, you'll enter into the waiting room where you can access the wifi and use the restroom while you wait. Parents are welcome to sit in on lessons, wait in the waiting room, or drop their kiddos off, so long as they are sure to return before the end of the lesson.
Studio (daytime)
Studio (daytime)
Studio (daytime)
Studio (daytime)
Studio (nighttime)
Studio (nighttime)
Studio (nighttime)
Studio (nighttime)
Studio (nighttime)
Studio (nighttime)
Studio (nighttime)
Waiting Room
Waiting Room
Waiting Room
Waiting Room
My name is Tim and I teach guitar under the name of The La Mesa String School. I'm a La Mesa native. I picked up the guitar early in grade school and I've been playing ever since. In the 20 some years since then, I've learned from many of San Diego's best guitar instructors. I spent several years after high school in a band gaining experience as both a musician and a businessman. We were signed to a record label, released one album and then promptly broke up!
I began working for the La Mesa/Spring Valley School District in 2006 in the after school program with children grades K-8th. For several years I taught my very own RockStar Guitar Troupe, traveling to various schools throughout the district to teach guitar and culminating in a student concert. In 2009 I began offering private guitar lessons while attending San Diego State University. As I continued to teach, I began to develop a deep interest in music pedagogy and in finding ways to help my students learn quickly and more effectively. In the years since then, I've prided myself in offering innovative and effective ideas to improve my lessons and help students learn quickly and more effectively.
Around 2021 I returned to school myself to study software development. In 2024 I left the LMSV school district to pursue a career in software development. I now work as a web developer for a media company in San Francisco and continue to teach in the evenings. In my spare time I'm continuing to develop Stringsmith, my very own guitar learning and practice platform, which I hope to launch in early 2025.
As 2024 begins to conclude, I'm still working closely with the LMSV school district to construct a very exciting and elaborate stage set and lighting system for future String School concerts and school events. The set I've designed and am constructing alongside the Parkway Academy engineering class will outshine almost any real concert venue in San Diego, and I'm beyond excited to unveil this at the next concert in March 2025!
Home Studio, 2022
Soma San Diego, circa 2005
Soma San Diego, circa 2005
Soma San Diego, circa 2005
Soma San Diego, circa 2005
Starlight Theater, Los Angeles 2013
