Joseph Scott teaches guitar and ukelele to students of all ages at Cape Symphony, and brings unparalleled skill, experience, wisdom, and good humor to each lesson.
His classical guitar students might be surprised to learn that Joe’s career in music began in rock, with forays into folk, blues, and ragtime. He began formal study of classical guitar while playing and singing in rock bands. “I was in several bands… one [Ford’s Theatre] had some notoriety, and we made a couple of records,” he recalls. Already a UMASS graduate with a degree in English, he earned a second Bachelor’s degree from Boston Conservatory in applied classical guitar, with highest honors.
A typical day now has Joe practicing his instrument, then heading out to teaching engagements. Much in demand throughout the region -- Joe teaches at Worcester State University, among other places – he’s on the road quite a bit. What does a guitar teacher listen to in the car? “Steely Dan! I still like the music of the 60s, 70s and 80s,” he says, confessing he’s not much into current pop.
Asked about his favorite genres to play, Joe says “I try to keep up with my students! I like Latin American jazz, and blues… I continue to dabble in that. I love jazz standards, the Great American Songbook, and bossa nova.” Outside work, Joe’s an avid crossword puzzler and reader. “The New Yorkers tend to accumulate,” he chuckles. He especially enjoys reading music biographies such as of Eric Clapton and John Dowland, and Albert Schweitzer’s definitive biography of J.S. Bach.
What can a new student expect in a lesson with Joe? “I meet students where they are,” he says. “I ask, what do they listen to? What makes them want to play the guitar? Are they drawn to playing with a pick, or with their fingers? Acoustic, or electric? And we go from there.” Together, they identify the music and style that speaks to the student most strongly.
As a teacher of the Suzuki method, Joe is regularly impressed by the diligence and quick progress of his youngest students. “Suzuki gives them something they can do,” he says. “They produce a sound, and learn some mechanics. We start with a tune they might know… I teach a lot of ‘Twinkle, Twinkle’!” Simple melody lines deliver a great feeling of accomplishment early on, and those successes build on themselves.
Joe’s excited to be teaching ukelele classes at Cape Symphony this summer. “With the ukelele, you can do most anything,” he says. “It has 4 strings, which makes it more accessible and easier to manage in some ways. But the strumming can be very intricate. It’s great for accompanying singing. All kinds of music are available to it, just like the guitar.”
Whatever your instrument, the benefits of music education are far-reaching. “Learning music is great training for any kind of public performance,” says Joe. “If you really want to convey something to an audience, it takes preparation.”
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Joseph Scott will teach Introduction to Ukelele for Adults and for Youth this summer at Cape Symphony’s Barnstable and Falmouth campuses. He is also accepting new guitar students of all ages for private lessons at both campuses. Email
