Today we’d like to introduce you to Shane Allessio.
Shane, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started playing guitar and bass guitar, and later double bass as well, when I was a teenager. I always had a love for music, playing trombone and violin early on, but when I started digging into my favorite rock songs and started my first band with my friends, that’s when I knew I would be a professional musician, no questions asked. In my first semester at Berklee I came across Jim Stinnett, the first teacher that really kicked my butt and taught me how to practice the right stuff. I’ve always wished I had that from day one, which is something I try to provide to beginning students now. After years of playing the scene in Boston, I moved to London, England for six years. London has an amazing music scene, and it was a great experience. It was there that I joined the G4 Guitar Network, and I opened my first music school. Since having kids, my wife and I wanted to be back in New England, close to family, so we moved back and I opened G4 Brookline! We’ve been open since October and have been able to serve many people from Brookline, JP, Allston and Brighton, and hope to serve many more in the future.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Learning any instrument is a great physical and mental challenge that takes years of patient and deliberate practice. Every musician, whether it’s a complete beginner, casual novice or elite session player, has to continually practice, strive to improve, and overcome the inevitable obstacles that stand in the way. This involves not only practicing daily, but practicing the right stuff as well.
The road to my current level of musicianship was not a smooth one. My biggest challenge as a beginner wasn’t finding the time to practice, but rather figuring out what to practice. I had been playing for years, only to be sent back to square one when I arrived at Berklee because I had developed some very poor techniques and concepts. Now that I have a family, a business and a music career, the biggest challenge is actually finding the time to practice. So I’ve had to get creative with my practice schedule and time management.
Those are the two main challenges I help people with; how to manage your practice schedule, and the best things to practice to get the most bang for your buck.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with G4 Guitar School – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
What’s really impressive about the G4 GUITAR METHOD (and the B4 Bass Method for bassists) and makes it stand out from the crowd is the structure. The G4 GUITAR METHOD is based on the 80/20 principle. The 80/20 basically says that 80% of results come from 20% of efforts. In other words G4 focuses on the 20% that matters most and will get students playing their favorite songs sooner. G4 students literally progress faster by focusing on what we call the seven essential skills. I know there are some great methods out there but I haven’t seen anything like G4. On top of the method there is the training and support G4 teachers receive. It is practically unheard of in this business and it makes a world of difference. David Hart has been developing the method and teaching guitar for over thirty years and he makes himself available not just to answer questions but will watch video footage of lessons and give feedback. And to add to that there are around fifty G4 teachers in the network who all support each other. It is truly unique and like nothing I have seen anywhere. I always tell my students, I wish there had been a G4 Guitar School when I was first starting out! It would have made things much more clear and simple for me as a beginner.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
The plan for G4 Brookline is to help as many people as possible to learn guitar or bass. Teaching is fun for me because I get to help people achieve their goals and it keeps me honest and focused in my own practice, and I’ve always had a handful of students here and there throughout my career. However, when you’re just teaching out of your apartment between gigs, there’s a limit on how many people you can actually help. The way that G4 Guitar School is growing I can see us being able to help hundreds of people realize their musical potential.
Pricing:
- We’re doing a $99 5-week intro special, which includes five one-on-one lessons, learning materials and online support.
Contact Info:
- Address: 50 Boylston St
Brookline, MA
02445 - Website: http://guitarlessonsbrookline.com/
- Phone: 617-943-3485
- Email: brookline@g4guitarschools.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/guitarlessonsbrookline/
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
