Sean's Teaching Style
Sean specializes in not only teaching guitar students the fundamentals of their instrument, but helping them cultivate a deeper appreciation for improvisation, theory, composition, and song craft.  He believes these elements are essential in becoming a complete musician (rather than just a guitar player…there is a clear distinction).  Helping students learn to compose their own songs, understand music theory, perfect their popular repertoire, access their creativity, unleash the artist within, and put all of the musical "pieces" together into a coherent base for performance are what Sean enjoys most about teaching.

About Sean

Sean has over 12 years of experience teaching private guitar lessons in both Honolulu and California.  Since moving to Hawaii in 2009, he has taught over 100 students (young to old, beginner to advanced, and across multiple styles).

SEAN CLELAND IS A NA HOKU AWARD-WINNING SONGWRITER, GUITARIST, AND VOCALIST BASED OUT OF HONOLULU, HAWAI'I.  DESCRIBED AS AN "INNOVATIVE SINGER-SONGWRITER AND PROLIFIC PERFORMER WHO PLAYS POP, ROCK, AND SOUL" BY THE HONOLULU STAR-ADVERTISER, HIS MUSIC STRADDLES THE LINE BETWEEN THE SOUNDS OF TODAY AND YESTERDAY.  AT TIMES INTROSPECTIVE AND REFINED - AT OTHERS FIERY AND EMOTIONAL, THE SONGS PULSE TO A BEAT THAT IS UNDENIABLE.

HIS SOLO ACT AND BAND SEAMLESSLY BLEND TOGETHER SINGER-SONGWRITER, ROCK, POP, BLUES, R&B AND SOUL GENRES.  ARTISTS AS DIVERSE AS JOHN MAYER, GARY CLARK JR., RYAN ADAMS, HOZIER, THE WEEKND, AND JAMES BAY MAY COME TO MIND WHEN LISTENING TO SEAN.  HIS SINGING IS INSPIRED BY SOUL ARTISTS LIKE STEVIE WONDER AND AMY WINEHOUSE, WHILE HIS SONGWRITING TAKES A CUE FROM ACTS LIKE THE BEATLES, OASIS, AND ELLIOTT SMITH.  SEAN'S GUITAR PLAYING SITS ON TOP OF HIS COMPOSITIONS AS A DAZZLING ELECTRIC BLEND OF SRV, HENDRIX, AND MATEUS ASATO.

SEAN'S LATEST ALBUM, “THE PROCESS OF”, WON THE STATE-WIDE 2019 NA HOKU HANOHANO AWARD FOR 'ALTERNATIVE ALBUM OF THE YEAR' (AWARDED BY THE HAWAII ACADEMY OF RECORDING ARTS) (PRODUCED BY MULTIPLE NA HOKU AWARD-WINNING AND GRAMMY-NOMINATED PRODUCER IMUA GARZA).  HE ACCOMPANIED THE ALBUM WITH TWO ACCLAIMED MUSIC VIDEOS FOR THE SONGS "SALARY MAN" AND "CURL".  SEAN HAS ALSO SELF-PRODUCED THREE ALBUMS, "WANDERLUST", "SILENCE SPEAKS LOUDER", AND "THE WINTER ROOM", PRIOR TO HIS LATEST SOLO RELEASE.  HE IS A RELENTLESS PERFORMER, AND HAS PLAYED AT THE 2020 NAMM SHOW, OPENED FOR ACTS LIKE IRON & WINE AND HOUNDMOUTH, AND PERFORMED AT WORLD-CLASS VENUES LIKE BLUE NOTE HAWAII.  HE HAS ALSO HAD MUSIC PLACED ON NBC AND FREEFORM.  CURRENTLY SEAN PERFORMS LIVE IN TWO BASIC CONFIGURATIONS: 1) A SOLO ACT FEATURING A COMPLETELY LIVE LOOPING PERFORMANCE OF VOCALS, GUITAR, KEYBOARDS, BASS, AND SAMPLED DRUMS OR 2) A FULL BAND FORMAT (TRIO, QUARTET, OR QUINTET).

• About Sean
• Sean's History
• Calendar Of Shows  (updated for the current month only)

The Benefits Of Private Lessons Over Group Lessons
There is nothing that can match the personal attention that a student receives in private guitar lessons.  Unlike in large classes, one-on-one music lessons offer the student a unique plan of study geared toward their personal tastes and goals.  Students benefit from learning songs that they want to learn!  Further, the lessons are matched to the students learning speed, which is impossible in a group setting.  With a convenient location, flexible times, and personalized courses of study based on students' interests, Sean Cleland Music provides a fun and exciting way to learn guitar!
 

What Are The Lessons Like?
In addition to repertoire, private students benefit from a steady study of technique, listening skills, and theory.  Many students want to learn their favorite songs without the accompanying technique practice, and that is possible if that is your intent.  With that in mind, Sean does stress learning the fundamentals of guitar technique because a solid foundation in musicianship will make future learning that much more enjoyable.

Remember though, the techniques that the student will practice are only the jumping off point!  They are merely the "tools" with which the student should be able to craft their own songs, interpret the works of their musical heroes, improvise alongside the greats, access their inner creativity, and unleash the artist within.

The goal is to become a well-rounded and flexible musician that is able to:

- Utilize a pool of various techniques to play in a variety of musical styles.
- Play written music in a variety of formats (chord charts, lead sheets, standard notation, TAB).
- Play music by ear (i.e. non-written) through knowledge of the fretboard and a healthy dose of ear training.
- Write (and be able to dictate to other musicians) your own original music that is unique to your artistic taste.
- Develop a life-long love and passion for the guitar, and more importantly, music in general!
 

Payment, Cancellation, and Sick Policies

- Full tuition payment for the month is due on the first lesson of the month (for the entire month of scheduled lessons).  Lesson cost is $70 per one-hour private lesson.
- Students will be charged the full lesson price for any lesson canceled with less than 24 hours notice and will be unable to reschedule that particular lesson.
- For students that cancel 24 hours in advance the student must schedule a makeup lesson (remote lessons via FaceTime are available for makeups) within the current month or forfeit the lesson cost.

- If you are sick, I would ask you to kindly please let me know so that we can attempt to reschedule your lesson to when you are noticeably better (remote lessons via FaceTime are available for makeups).  I will do the same for all of you.  This will help us from inadvertently passing bugs back and forth.  None of us like to get sick, but for me it is especially difficult due to the fact that two-thirds of my income relies on performing in public.  If I get sick, then I can't perform, and therefore I don’t make income.  It is of utmost importance for me to maintain my health regularly, or else my career and my art suffers.  I hope you all can understand.  I will likewise do the same for you all, as I know that similarly missing work and school is never a good thing.

Mahalo for your understanding!

* Accept cash, checks, credit cards (4% processing fee), and PayPal (3% processing fee)

* State of Hawaii General Excise Tax (4.712%) is fully included in above prices

* Prices are current as of November 2018.  Prices are subject to change.

Testimonials From Sean's Students
 

- "I have been taking lessons with Sean for a few months now and he is an excellent teacher.  He is always enthusiastic and makes the lessons enjoyable.  He also takes the time to figure out the music you like to play and then helps you learn that style.  If you are looking for lessons in Honolulu I would highly recommend Sean."   (Mike M.)

- "Aloha Sean.  Thank you for the lesson.  Your professional skill and ability to explain the instrument greatly exceeded my expectation.  Mahalo."   (Bruce L.)

- "Had lessons for over 3 months. Very educated and passionate teacher. His love for music really shows through when he is sharing his knowledge. He has a way of going into great detail and technique with still keeping it fun and interesting. If I still lived in town I would still be going. Thanks Sean for the many hours of work and patience."   (Josh W.)

- "King.... Clapton.... Cleland. Some of the names that come to mind when I think GUITAR.  I have had the pleasure of studying under Sean and he has been instrumental in my development as a guitar player. He is very a fluid guitarist and has great feel, but he is also technically knowledgeable and can easily explain the theory behind the music. He will be able to share those skills he has amassed with you and help you to grow, whatever your skill level is.  His studio space is very comfortable and bright, which always put me in a cheery mood. If you have a question and he doesn't know the answer (rare), he can readily pull it up on the computer, which is perfect if you want to analyze a specific guitar riff on some obscure song in the middle of the lesson. Thanks Sean!"   (Phil S.)

- "Sean's teaching style is riddled with patience and humor. His keen observation skills and background in philosophy give him the advantage of tailoring and customizing his teaching methods to best suit his students. He always has encouraging words to share and is always humble which, in my book, are very important qualities in a teacher.  Learning something new is a process and even if I am still learning about everything from music theory to a crash course in Christmas songs for last minute "gigs" at senior living residences, I know I'm in the best care with Sean."   (Diedre C.)

- "Went with two friends tonight to see my guitar teacher Sean Cleland perform the launch of his solo CD ‘The Process Of’.  Sean is a talented singer/songwriter, great voice and mesmerizing singing in the style of blues rock / guitar-based pop and rock, with a bit of soul.  I adore Sean not only because of his talents but also his super nice and refreshing personality."   (Tennessee G.)

- "I enjoyed my month of lessons with Sean, he is a great guy and he knows music.  I would recommend Sean if you are looking for a music teacher.  I also enjoy seeing Sean and the bands he plays with live around Oahu."   (Aaron J.)

- "Sean is great!  He has been teaching my son for over 5 years now and my son's ability and improvement is directly connected to Sean's skills as a guitar teacher.  He has been fantastic  and my son is grateful to have him as his teacher.  We highly recommend him!" (Gregg R.)

- "My son and I have taken guitar and voice lessons from Sean for the past few years. We were very nervous at the start but Sean put us at ease. He was fun and taught us songs that we wanted to learn. A very likeable person who loves what he does. We would highly recommend him to anyone who is thinking of taking lessons."   (Alvin K.)

- "Sean has been teaching my son for a number of years and during this time my son's skills and love of music have grown tremendously.  Sean is able to effectively mix fundamentals with ensuring that his students are also enjoying learning how to play.  My son has gone from pop to rock to R&B to jazz and all along the way Sean has been able to teach him the skills he needed to play what he wanted. Sean always encourages him to continue to grow as a musician.  I would highly recommend Sean to anyone considering guitar lessons." (Dan W.)

-"I have played guitar for over ten years and wanted to bridge the gap from recreational to professional musician. After only three lessons, my playing has dramatically improved along with my knowledge of musical theory. Sean loves what he is doing and it is apparent when he teaches."   (Paul G.)

- "Sean makes sure you come to each class enthusiastic and leave feeling jolly and satisfied. Filled with lots of fun and laughter, which makes learning the guitar much more enjoyable and knowing you are getting your moneys worth. More importantly, Sean has a true sense of a variety of guitar techniques, adjusting his way of teaching according to each student's level and learning ability, making learning always challenging yet easy.  I have only been learning the guitar for 2 months and I feel I have already progressed a lot!! I am so happy... I have always thought learning the guitar was going to be difficult, especially at the age of 28, but it is not and Sean makes me look forward to my guitar lessons every time!!  As a full time professional, Sean is flexible and is always willing to work around my crazy work schedule.  And private lessons do make a difference...as I mentioned every student is different and Sean customizes his teaching according to your needs, which is always a plus!  Overall, I was looking to learn the guitar as a casual hobby (I have always wanted to learn) and I am so glad I found Sean as my tutor. He is wonderful!"  (Jessica F.)

- "What I like most about Sean is his passion for music.  As a dedicated musician, Sean has developed the ability to share his love for playing the guitar with students of various ages and skill levels.  Years ago Sean taught my son to play the guitar, today he is a well rounded musician.  Seeing the rapid progression in my son's skills has inspired me to take lessons from Sean."  (Craig S.)

- "Sean is both an excellent teacher and mentor. Our son [Noa] has learned so much in a short perod of time. We're so glad we found him!"  (Jon & Traci H.)

- "Sean is a great teacher and I was able to learn really fast."  (Dylan W.)

- "Sean teaches two of our children [Dylan & Emma], ages 11 and 15, and their progress has been excellent since he has been teaching them. Sean is very flexible in his approach and makes sure the kids are learning songs that are at their skill level and that they also know and enjoy. I am amazed how quickly the kids have picked up the skills and how keen they are to continue playing and learning. Sean is a reliable and skilled teacher and I would not hesitate to recommend him."  (Dan W.)

- "When the lesson is over, you really want to go back and learn more because he makes all the learning really fun and very understandable."  (John M.)

- "Very patient, very kind, very well groomed communication skills."  (Steve O.)