Ricks Guitar Lessons

At Rick's Guitar Lessons, we understand the importance of music education and the role it plays in enhancing creativity and self-expression. Our mission is to provide top-quality guitar lessons that cater to the needs of students of all ages and skill levels. We believe that everyone has the potential to become a great guitarist, and we're dedicated to helping you reach your full potential.

Our team of professional guitarists and music educators have decades of playing and teaching experience. They are passionate about sharing their knowledge and skills with students, helping them grow as musicians and individuals. Our teachers are not just instructors; they are mentors who will guide you through your musical journey.

Our approach to teaching is personalized and flexible. We offer one-on-one instruction that allows us to tailor our lessons to meet your specific needs and goals. Whether you're an absolute beginner looking to learn the basics or an advanced player seeking to master a new style, we've got you covered. We also offer a variety of rate plans that are very reasonable, ensuring that our services are accessible to everyone.

Our founder, Rick Russo, is a highly experienced musician and educator who has been teaching guitar for over a decade. His passion for music and dedication to his students have made him one of the top guitarists and music educators in the area. With his guidance and support, you'll be able to learn at your own pace in a relaxed and comfortable setting.

At Rick's Guitar Lessons, we're committed to helping you become the guitarist you've always wanted to be. Whether you're looking to learn a new skill, improve your playing, or simply enjoy the joy of making music, we're here to help. Contact us today to learn more about our services and to schedule your first lesson.

Our Teachers

Rick Russo

Music is dear to me. As a teacher of music, I define my goal as that of imparting the basic principles of my chosen art to uninitiated individuals, in the hopes that they will take what they learn, internalize it, and through the application of musical creativity, use it as a means of personal expression. The accomplishment of this goal necessitates a careful interweaving of my personal passion for music, with dedication, and sensitivity to the individual interests and needs of my students.

Although I had first discovered music in elementary school, I pursued the study of guitar and jazz composition as a student at Berklee College of Music in Boston. During my years as a student, I had the distinct pleasure of performing with a variety of jazz and funk ensembles throughout the greater Boston area, Manhattan, and Alabama. In addition to guitar performances, I often returned to my first musical love, the flute, playing with wind ensembles and recording performances for use in film production. These experiences afforded me the opportunity to put into practice what I was learning in the Berklee classroom. Furthermore, they not only deepened my love of musical expression, but inspired me to share my passion with others.

Today, I am both a classroom teacher and a private guitar instructor. Although I enjoy teaching groups of students to work as an ensemble, it is in private guitar lessons that I forge the kinds of personal relationships I most enjoy. It is through private guitar lessons that my students are able to achieve the unique goals they set out for themselves. My success as a teacher of music rests on my ability to form meaningful relationships with my students, based on reciprocal respect and appreciation.

I believe the experience of music to be a highly personal, and therefore, sensitive matter. What I share with all of my students is not just my technical knowledge and experience, but my love for music itself. As a result, it is my goal to enable my students to express themselves musically in whichever genre they choose. My teaching merely forms the hub of my students' musical knowledge, around which they can organize the spokes of their individual interests. In the end, I aim not only to teach, but to inspire.

John Pondel

GRP/Verve recording artist John Pondel (Kombo) launched his professional music career auspiciously at the age of 21, when he became a member of the Grammy-award winning Gerald Wilson Orchestra. Playing alongside such notables as Harold Land, Snooky Young, and Marshal Royal for over two years led to further work in nightclubs, touring, motion picture soundtrack work, and recording sessions, as well as his own career as an artist.

As a studio musician and live jazz performer, he has worked with most of the West Coast luminaries, including Tom Scott, Art Pepper, Al Jarreau, Steve Ferrone, Buddy Collette, Dean Parks, Bissonette Brothers, Joe Williams, Don Menza, Pete Jolly, the Condole brothers, Warne Marsh, and many New York stalwarts (including Jim Pugh, Randy Brecker, George Young, Uptown Horns, Will Lee). In addition to being a clinician and private instructor for over 25 years, he was the guitar and jazz ensemble instructor at Concordia College in Bronxville, New York, from 1999-2003. He has also been a clinician for Yamaha Music Corporation and has been an endorsee for Ibanez guitars and strings. In 2004, he played rhythm guitar on the Grammy-nominated album "In the Moment" for the legendary pianist/composer Bob Florence.

John's extensive experience and expertise make him an invaluable asset to our team. He is dedicated to helping students of all ages and skill levels achieve their musical goals, and his passion for jazz and rock music is contagious. With his guidance, you'll be able to learn and grow as a musician, while also having fun and enjoying the process.