Experienced in teaching and performing across a wide array of styles—including jazz, indie, rock, pop, punk, Americana, and musical theater—while offering instruction on guitar, ukulele, bass, banjo, and piano.

Dedicated to making music theory accessible for modern popular genres. I help students apply concepts directly to improvisation, songwriting, and creative expression so that theory speeds up creativity rather than feeling intimidating.

Transcription work for Handshake MOVE and Soundslice, recording my own original music, production and helping students learn recording

Sam Shinnick is a versatile Los Angeles–based guitarist, composer, and educator, performing and teaching across multiple genres including jazz, indie, rock, pop, punk, Americana, and musical theater.

Guitar, composing, jazz, rock, Americana, film scoring, music education

Beginner to Advanced

San Jose Jazz Festival at the Hammer Theater with Dee Dee Bridgewater and the SJSU Jazz Orchestra

Björk

Pat Metheny

Improvisation and how to apply music theory practically to modern popular music genres (so that it's useful and speeds up your creativity, rather than being intimidating)

Started guitar lessons at 9 years old, playing alternative rock and classic rock. Later went on to study jazz guitar in high school and college.

An assortment of guitars and instruments such as 1981 Ibanez Semi-hollow AS200 (ala John Scofield), Fender Stratocaster, Fender Telecaster, Sire Marcus Miller Bass, Kala Ukulele, Deering Goodtime banjo.

Fascination with all aspects of music, including all the small details that add up to a great performance and curiosity about many different styles of music.

Unlike other chordal instruments such as piano, guitar has many different places on the instrument to play the same notes, which while initially challenging adds a world of phrasing and tonal possibilities.

I am experienced in teaching children, with over a decade of teaching students of all ages, and find ways to connect with students and make learning exciting for them so that they look forward to lessons rather than feel forced to be there.

Playing for private parties, such as New Years Eve in Palm Springs, has been awesome as the audiences usually a much more attentive and love the music.

My family and girlfriend, meditation, reading, and creative writing.

Jazz, Indie, Alternative Rock, Folk, Funk, Fusion

Currently recording and performing with: Nadia Younes, Brayden Curry, the Gig Economy (jazz trio)