Dr. Steven K.
Guitar Instructor
Dr. Steve is a positive, motivating, and patient teacher that works well with all ages. He can easily customize lessons to meet students’ goals and provide music they would like to play. Steve’s education as a guitarist includes studies with Jim Hall, George Benson, Ike Isaacs, and Harry Leahy. His formal education took place at the Manhattan school of Music where he earned his Bachelor degree, and Columbia University (upon recommendation by renowned composer Milton Babbitt) where he received his Master of Arts and his Doctorate. Among his composition teachers were Ursula Mamlok, David Rakowski, Mario Davidovsky, Giampaolo Bracali, and George Edwards.
While living in New York and going to school there, he earned his living performing as a substitute guitarist in the orchestras of several Broadway shows (“Grease”, “They’re Playing our Song”, “Shenandoah” etc.), as a studio guitarist for recordings and commercials, and teaching guitar privately.
In 2009, he began writing for Just Jazz Guitar magazine. This job led Steve to meet his life-long guitar idol, Mundell Lowe. Mundy and Steve formed a deep friendship and strong personal/musical bond. (Steve was chosen to write and deliver the eulogy at Mundy’s memorial in San Diego, in 2018). Mundy, himself, chose Steve to produce what was to be the final recording of his long and legendary career. This CD, “Poor Butterfly”, with Mundy headlining alongside his close friend guitarist Lloyd Wells and bassist Jim Ferguson, rose to #58 on the national jazz “Top 100” chart, and is still getting air-play in the USA and abroad.
Steve began teaching for the Los Angeles Unified School District in 1998 after a successful battle with cancer that nonetheless sidelined him for two years. While with LAUSD he was a band and orchestra director and served as chairman of instrumental music. He also created and designed the guitar course for the district. During that period of time (and for some years afterwards) Steve was a clinician on a national level, giving seminars that were designed to improve the effectiveness of guitar teachers who were working in the secondary level classroom. For these presentations, Steve received Citations of Excellence.
February of 2020 saw Steve and his wife, Valmere, move to Mesa, Arizona so that they could take part in the life of their (then) two-year-old granddaughter. The restrictions that accompanied Covid-19 put a damper on live performance; but did not hinder composition in the least: Steve is working on a double concerto for Classical Guitar, Jazz Guitar, and Chamber Orchestra. He also is Mundell Lowe’s official biographer. This book, now finished, is in the process of being placed with publishers. Even with his heavy schedule, Steve manages to do Karate (at which he has been training since the 1980’s) three to four times a week. Moreover, Karate, like music, requires daily at-home practice. He practices both EVERY DAY.
Steve loves teaching students at all levels, from rank beginner to highly advanced. He feels it is an enormously stimulating and creatively rewarding experience at any stage or age.
To learn more about Dr. Steve, Listen to his Podcast Episode