I have nothing but high praise for Mark Veldevere. In my associations with him as a friend and as a guitarist he is wonderful. He has a great grasp and interest in the intricacies of guitar styles and pedagogy. He also loves the guitar and plays well. But besides all that he has a great heart! I can highly recommend him to anyone.
Sincerely,
Michael Dowdle
(award winning session guitarist, arranger, composer, and the best guitarist you will ever hear in your life!)
I have been privileged to play with Mark Veldevere and know his expertise and professionalism firsthand. Over the years I have also sent many people to study with him and have seen those people make excellent progress under their tutelage. I recommend him without reservation.
Clive Romney
(Award winning composer, arranger, and session musician)
I want to say thank you to Mark for the education I garnered through out the five years when I was his student. I began as a nervous kid whose hand barely fit around the neck of the guitar and came away a confident musician. Mark made me feel comfortable yet was very professional. His teaching techniques were entertaining, informative and most importantly relevant to his individual students. He challenged me when I needed it, never accepted my excuses, and made me feel as though I could play the impossible. I recently appeared on American Idol and was praised for my guitar skills from Keith Urban, a compliment to which I can thank Mark for. Although I am no longer Mark’s student, I still look up to him & know if I can’t figure out the chords to a song he can & he’s who I call. He is fantastic at what he does. A master at his trade. Thanks Mark for sharing your musical passion & skills with me.
Kenz Hall (Finalist on American Idol)
Mark is an excellent, very experienced guitar teacher who offers a wide variety of styles and techniques for his students. He is a very thorough teacher and truly wants each student to succeed in what they want to learn. He teaches in ways that make learning everything from the basic technique to advanced theory easy to understand. He is a lot of fun to work with and is a friend to everyone. He knows and has worked with many professional guitarists and has many years of playing and teaching experience. One of my favorite qualities about Mark is his willingness to let you decide on what you work on in lessons. I brought pieces I had been working on to him and he walked me through them so I could play them at my best ability. He truly helped me succeed in my guitar playing and I know he can help you too! I would highly recommend Mark to anyone who really wants to learn how to play guitar. You will not regret working with Mark. He will help you be the best you can be!
Brandon Bollschweiller- Former Student
I’ve had many guitar teachers in the four years that I’ve been playing guitar, and none of them compare to the one I have now.
Mark has taught me how to use a pick right. I thought I had it down great before. He taught me the up and down picking motion. He taught me how to play faster. I never even knew how to sweep pick or finger pick before, now I can practice it every day because of my teachings. He has taught me more techniques to be a better guitar player then I ever even knew of. He is very patient and will teach you anything you want to learn. And there’s a pretty big selection to chose from when it comes to playing guitar.
It takes me a little bit to get down everything we’re going over when practicing, but he takes all the time I need to learn how to do it. Very patient with me. I think about all the greatest guitar players in the world, and I think of Mark as one of them. Every time he plays something, showing me how to do it, it just blows my mind how well he does it. Then he teaches me exactly how to do it. He is always recommending things for me to learn, and I end up loving to play all of it.
Soloing is pretty tough for me. I never really tried any solos before I started with Mark about a year and a half ago. They are still pretty tough. When I see him play them for me, it gives me the inspiration to do it.
So if you’re looking for a guitar teacher, choose Mark Veldevere. He’s taught me more then I could have ever imagined. I know I will become and amazing guitar player thanks to all of his teachings.
Ryan Blackbourn
Mark has been teaching my son guitar for almost two years now. He not only teaches the chords, lets his students begin to play songs in the first lesson, but spends time on a monthly basis teaching music theory and introducing his students to multiple kinds of music. Learning to play the guitar I believe has not only helped my son to be more well-rounded in his interests, but has had an impact on how he is able to focus on his work at school as well. I believe the money we spend on lessons is money well spent.
Amy L.
I have taken guitar lessons from Mark for 3 years. He has taught me a variety of techniques including playingrhythm, flat picking, bluegrass, and finger picking. I have worked on both acoustic and electric guitar. Mark is good at encouraging a student to do well.
He is a gifted guitarist and has at his disposal a large library of different genres of music. He has developed a program for a beginner that advances the student at his/her pace.He is qualified to teach all levels from beginner to professional. He is reasonably priced and is an excellent guitar teacher.
Pam
Mark is a nice teacher, he is patient with me as a beginner student and lends me picks when I forget mine. He let’s me throw out suggestions for songs I want to learn and helps me practice.
Rolan G.
I’m 12 and I just recently started taking lessons from Mark and I’m really enjoying it so far. He even met me at the guitar store and helped me pick out the right guitar for me. He is very patient and calm and teaches me in a way that is fun and not stressful. I’m excited to keep learning and getting better.
Ethan
My name is Sheila Randall. I have been taking guitar lessons from Mark for about one year. Four years ago, I sustained a traumatic brain injury. I have participated in a number of activities to facilitate recover from my TBI. I have found that I do better in a structured environment that provides both short and long term exercised and goals.
I realized that learning to play some type of musical instrument would provide a context and a structure that would work well for me. I went to Guitar Center in Taylorsville, explained my situation and asked for a recommendation for a guitar instructor. I was given Mark Veldevere’s name.
Mark has been very patient and understanding of my situation and needs. I feel comfortable learning at a pace that reflects my situation. He is very kind, supportive and encouraging. I find I sometimes become nervous and anxious when I make mistakes. He reassures me in a very professional, understanding, non-patronizing fashion.
I can honestly say, that learning guitar from Mark Veldevere has been about the best, most rewarding, form of neuropsychological rehabilitation that I have had since my injury.
Thanks again.
Sheila Randall
Mark Veldevere is an awesome teacher because he helps you learn the notes and he wants you to work hard to become a better musician.
Mark G, 4th grade
Mark Veldevere is a great instructor because he has exceptional standards and caters his teaching style to accommodate individuals- we have had a wonderful learning experience.
Michelle Glenn, RN Mom
I loved taking lessons from Mark! I was able to bring him anything I wanted to learn, and he would teach me. I learned a lot about music theory, as well as all kinds of techniques specific to the style of playing I liked. He was always really good about making sure I understood concepts before moving on, and answering all the questions I had.
Kali B.