Ricardo St Hilaire

Welcome

I am a 34 year old music graduate who is spreading his love for music and musical expression through teaching to the next generation. I am deeply passionate about music due to the immense joy and solace it has brought to my life and I wish to inspire more people to engage with real music and how it's shaped western cultures. I want my pupils to engage with music as a joy and as a life affirmation to help them find fulfilment in their worlds.

I have 20 years playing experience. I have dedicated myself to technical and musical mastery of the electric guitar and complementary acoustic playing that is full of expressiveness and musicality. I have performed live since the age of 18 and have formed two bands in that time and have played in many others.

I have taught upwards of 200 students since 2014 - lots of those have chosen to complete graded exams (RSL, LCM, Trinity R&P) and many have played for fun, for the joy of learning and the pride of accomplishment.

I aim to teach the fundamentals of acoustic and electric guitar to build solid foundations that can be taken in all directions, developing across styles through inspirations. I teach the importance of the guitar as a solo and ensemble instrument and the importance of music vocabulary and theory. I aim to give my students the independence to take their playing in whichever direction they choose and empower them to deconstruct the instrument and apply it to their own goals.

I want to take experienced players to the next level by exploring harmonic arrangements in ensemble settings, improving aural skills, and designing effective practice scheduling. I help them develop their musical personalities further through suggested listening and analysis of the styles of notable guitarists and songwriters.