Richard Dawson Guitar Instructor • Santa Monica Studio #1 • In your home (323) 390-9363, ext. 04 email:  rdawson@lorimoranmusic.com Richard Dawson is a Master Guitarist, performer, composer and teacher who began playing heavy metal at the age of 13 and performed in various bands throughout Hollywood and Los Angeles.  Richard quickly mastered the electric guitar, and at the age of 18 was introduced to classical guitar and began studying with Dr. John Schneider at Pierce College.  Richard progressed rapidly and was one of two applicants accepted (out of a field of 300 applicants) to the world renowned California Institute of the Arts (Cal Arts) where he was awarded a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Musical Arts Performance and a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Guitar Performance.  Richard was one of three to graduate from the Cal Arts guitar department in 2003, and participated in Master Classes with David Starobin, Chrisopher Parkening, and Dusan Bogdanovic. Through intensive study with world class guitarists Stuart Fox and Miroslav Tadic, Richard became a master of the Romero Method.  Stuart Fox learned the Romero Method directly from Angel and Pepe Romero during his studies at USC.  The Romero Method lays a spectacular foundation for playing any style of music on the guitar.  It teaches maximum efficiency for optimum accuracy, speed and fluidity of movement allowing the student to reach their full physical potential.  More audio samples: Classical: "Capricho Arab" by Francisco Tárreg "Leyenda" by Isaac Albeniz Rock: "Crossover" by Richard Dawson "The Unknown Soldier" by R. Dawson "Floydian Modulation" by R. Dawson Richard is an expert in music theory and interpretation and is a true master of the guitar in every respect.  He has tackled some of the most difficult guitar literature and interprets many of the classics with a very unique and beautiful quality that captures the spirit of the music.  In addition to his mastery of classical guitar, Richard is a virtuoso on the electric guitar and has developed a very unique approach to improvisation which allows him to effectively play and teach any style of music. Richard Dawson headed the guitar and bass department for the California Summer School for the Arts (InnerSpark), from 2000 through 2005 and has been teaching privately since 1990. Many of his students have gone on to reputable music schools such as Cal Arts, USC, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He is currently accepting students in both the classical and electric genres. Richard’s diverse background and easy going personality allows him to teach students at any level of study, from beginner to advanced, and at any age.  His simple, but methodical style, teaches the student the importance of appropriate guitar positioning and critical strategic approach to proper use of the right hand and left hand separately so that they work in concert when brought together.  Richard has an approach that lays a foundation for the student to be able to play any genre of music they desire.  Additionally, Richard spends a great deal of time simplifying some of the more complex aspects of music so that even the most timid student can master and enjoy learning and playing the guitar. Richard is an active performer and composer, currently recording his debut album which will be available in 2011.  Richard recently recorded a Television pilot soundtrack with composer Nathan Wang, whose credits include feature films for Disney and Jackie Chan.  Richard is a featured performer for the Ventura Classical Guitar Society, Portals (live art performance at ACME Studios) and numerous events, banquets and venues throughout the greater Los Angeles area.  Read what students are saying about Richard. More at www.classicalguitarguru.com & www.laguitarinstructor.com