Aaron Wolf, music lessons: guitar, music science, & more

Aaron Wolf remains the most brilliant music teacher I've ever took lessons from to. I've gone through several ensembles and worked with other students' instructors on various instruments. None of them are anything like Aaron. The trouble with writing a review is that his teaching methods aren't necessarily easy to describe. There isn't necessarily a singular group of methods to describe. They are intrinsically tailored to your interests and how you view music. I liked one style, so that's what I learned, and Aaron took my skill set and learning style into account when he taught. His appreciation of the science of music is a unique characteristic, which I wish I hadn't taken for granted. Likewise, his willingness to adopt and incorporate technology and applied theory into his teaching is a marvelous breath of fresh air.

If you don't consider yourself to be the most boring and mindlessly formulaic person on earth (and let's hope you don't), you'll enjoy his teaching. You'll learn a lot if you just put in the time. I only wish I had known what an invaluable well of knowledge and creativity I had in Aaron at the time. I know I would have been a better student than I was.

I had guitar lessons with Aaron for several years, and I highly recommend him as a teacher. He's incredibly knowledgeable and very encouraging; he motivates you to do your best and takes a more creative, interesting approach to teaching music (for example, I learned a lot about musical improvisation and composition, in addition to classical and Spanish guitar techniques). He is one of the best teachers I have ever had--if you take lessons with him and are reasonably motivated, he will absolutely help you succeed in your musical goals.

Aaron is an incredibly talented musician, and more importantly a gifted teacher. He works hard to determine a students needs and goals and create a lesson framework specific to those needs. He has taken what little I already knew and helped me build upon it very rapidly. I have made more progress than I thought possible in the short time we have worked together. He has a gift for determining what will keep you motivated and excited about the learning process. If you want to sit around learning scales until your fingers bleed you can probably do that anywhere. If you want a brilliant and intuitive teacher who can truly help you grow as a musician as well as an appreciator of music... call Aaron. I really can't say enough good things about him.

I studied with Aaron while he was in Ann Arbor, before he moved to Oregon. The thing that struck me most about him was his irrepressible enthusiasm for teaching. His love for sharing his knowledge and his music was obvious from the first minute I met him.

He is a patient instructor and one of the most knowledgeable musicians I've met. His lessons were heavy on theory and on the science of sound and music - but only because I found it fascinating. With other students, particularly children, he took an age-appropriate approach that was intended to instill a love for the instrument without being overly "school-ish" or boring.

Ann Arbor's loss is Portlant's gain.

I've taken lessons with Aaron for the last 8 months and would highly recommend his guidance to all players. As a performing songwriter, one of my motivations in taking lessons was to explore chord theory and melodic choice. Aaron has been able to patiently help me down that path and open my eyes to new concepts. Excellent instructor, organized and flexible. -Dave Clark