Kevin Holland – Guitar, Theory, Improv

k <at> jandkmusicstudio.com
415-849-8448

Kevin has been playing guitar since 1989 and teaching since 1996. He received his B.A. in Music from the Ohio State University in 1999. During his time there, Kevin studied composition, music theory, and sound synthesis with Dr. Thomas Wells, and also studied classical guitar privately.

Kevin offers a wide range of instruction on various guitar styles including classical, folk, fingerstyle, rock, metal, punk, funk, slap/percussive, and experimental. Both standard music notation and tablature are taught, depending on the student’s needs, and a strong focus on improvisation is highly encouraged. His philosophy of teaching stresses thorough knowledge of traditional technique while fostering the innovations of modern music. In this way, students learn to know their roots, but are encouraged to make their own unique mark in the sonic world.

Kevin also teaches music theory, composition, sound synthesis, and engineering. For advanced students, lessons involving Logic Pro, GarageBand, and Max/MSP are available. Many students studying with Kevin have completed full-length albums of their original music, which they then used in portfolios for college, booking gigs, or just sharing with friends.

Outside of teaching, Kevin has written over 800 pieces of music to date; scored for television, orchestra, film, web, and video games; coded seven music applications with Max/MSP; gigged for over 20 years; shipped two successful Kickstarter projects worldwide; co-authored six iPhone/iPad apps in the App Store, and still finds time to play a video game now and then.

Kevin plays guitar and writes music for two bands with his wife, Jennifer.  October Ember is their dreamy lounge, Euro-cafe, quirky pop project, and Sineqube is their ambient and experimental music project.  Additionally, Kevin sits in with various improvisors, and is the lead guitarist for Nick Weckman’s worm-themed rock opera, Worms Rise Up!.

He recently rode a 250cc motorcycle solo from San Francisco to Columbus, OH.