My name is Susan Peak and I teach guitar and ukulele here at Studio Blue Guitar.  I've been playing guitar since I was 13 and I was fortunate to attend the acclaimed Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Early guitar playing experience:

I started playing guitar by listening to songs on the radio and trying to figure them out. I also had the good fortune of finding a great teacher who expanded on what I had learned independently.

 I joined the jazz band in high school and found my way into a few bands after school with my musician classmates. One was a bluegrass band, one a jazz band, and we also played rock in the garage like a lot of teenagers do.

While still in high school, I  was fortunate to have the opportunity  to play flamenco guitar in a community theater production of "Man of La Mancha". It was exciting to be in a real orchestra pit night after night and I was glad I could read music, which enabled me to play in this show.  Other shows I played in over the years (sometimes on bass guitar) include "Oliver", "The Roar of the Greasepaint, The Smell of the Crowd", and "Godspell".  

Professional experiences:

 My first professional music job was playing guitar in "Man of La Mancha" at the Burt Reynolds Dinner Theater in Jupiter, Florida, during a break from college.

From there, I went on to play in more musicals (mentioned above), bands, and duos in the Boston/New England area.  I also began teaching guitar privately on my days off from performing.

I currently perform solo in many settings and for different events. I love playing for seniors and also for kids but I also enjoy providing background music for events or music for weddings.

  Having resumed songwriting in the last 15 years, I perform a lot of my own music, which includes songs geared for families and children. I've also written a few silly originals for my senior audiences as well. It's a blast!

An added qualification...

After working in music for several years I decided to take a break and wanted to find a different kind of job working with people. I decided to study Occupational Therapy and became an Occupational Therapy Assistant. I was fortunate to have jobs in well-known hospitals during my 10 years of practice, including Yale-New Haven Hospital and Gaylord Hospital.

 Why am I telling you about this? Because O.T. practice requires an ability to teach and a knowledge of physiology and healthy movement. This extra knowledge has been useful in teaching guitar, since playing position (holding the guitar, position of wrist, fingers, etc.)  has a lot to do with a student's success.

Another benefit of having O.T. experience is that teaching was a part of my job every day, whether it was teaching an exercise program or compensatory strategies for completing daily activities. My skills as a teacher improved greatly, as did my ability to identify problems with positioning and find a solution.

Myth or fact: Beginning guitar players must learn on an acoustic guitar...

Answer:

MYTH! It is fine to learn on an acoustic or  an electric guitar, provided it is the right size for you. For example,  1/2 or 3/4 scale guitars are easier for younger children to play. Also, electric guitars often have lighter gauge strings on them, which makes playing them easier on the fingers.

Who are my favorite guitar players? A partial list...

Mark Knopfler, Jack White, St. Vincent, Mike Campbell, Susanna Hoffs, Nancy Wilson, John Mayer, Peter Mayer, Brian May, George Harrison, Nils Lofgren, Carlos Santana, Pat Metheny, The Edge, Eddie Van Halen, Jimmy Page, Shawn Persinger, Vicki Genfan, Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, Vicki Peterson, Warren Haynes, Joanna Connor, Django Reinhardt, Wes Montgomery, Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, and Willie Nelson.

Other favorite musicians and groups:

Tom Petty, Benmont Tench, Jon Batiste, Green Day, The Bangles, Diana Krall, Sheryl Crow, Alison Krauss, Taylor Swift, Aretha Franklin, Ann Wilson, Al Green, Jimmy Buffett,  Nat King Cole, Angelique Kidjo, Esperanza Spalding, Yo Yo Ma, Maria Callas, Norah Jones, Mary J. Blige, Cheb Mami, Harry Connick Jr., Gloria Estefan, Dan Zanes, and  Laurie Berkner.