"Pretty" inexpensive? "Dirt Cheap" is more like it! I'd expect to pay at least Greg's hour rate for a half-hour lesson with someone of his calibur.

I do understand the financial difficulties of the times, did the "poor college student" thing myself long ago, but really--musicians should be paid, IMHO, according to their tutelage, skill, and talent. There's little difference from the long time and investment a musician makes to hone his/her craft than say, a medical doctor. A simple COL adjustment of $2/lesson should not dissuade someone from taking lessons altogether.

</soapbox>

All that to say you really must love teaching, Greg, to give of your talent so freely. My hat's off to you!

Stopped takeing lessons,because of a $2.oo hourly adjustment??? IMO,I would rather cut back on a few of the other things draining my wallet,than ask my teacher to lower their rate. It's not like you picked up the instrument 4 months ago,then said "alright I'm teaching now". 25 years +,not to mention your body of work,speaks for itself. Even if the adjustment was 5 times that,they still would be getting an exceptional deal.Hopefully,with more life experience, they will understand. That you lowered your rate back down again,says a lot about you as a human being.

Don't give me too much credit, please;) It might just say I'm a foolish human being...

And please don't get the wrong idea. I understand that times aren't great, and I don't blame anyone for the choices they make, I'm just trying to give people an incentive to continue on (or begin for the first time).

I price the lessons inexpensively to encourage people to give it a try. There were more people signing up when the rate was lower, so that seems like the best way to do more lessons. No one asked me to lower the rate, raising it just made it more than they said they could afford. I understand that, and I appreciate their honesty.

And yes, I really do love teaching. Lessons via videoconference, anyone?

Lessons today with students in Argentina (in Spanish), in Italy (in English) and in Australia. Skype rocks!

Hi Greg
i meant to send you this message as PM but the forum doesn't let me do it, so here it is:
i really like your playing and your commitment to the stick.
yesterday i got my hands on a stick for the first time and I loved it.
i am having trouble contacting via email the shop to see if i can make a model that suite me and possibly order it.
i may have the wrong email (got it from the store web site) but in the last 3 months i sent at least 4 emails with questions in it and got no answers.
i have few question on how to assemble a 12 right for me.
I was also planning to get your books and eventually get some skype lesson when i do have the instrument in my hand
do you have a working Email for ordering the instrument and discuss payments and policies? Email works so much better then phone for me.
thx for you time
Aldo Stanzani
Seven Thousand Miles

email may work better for you ... but calling SE is the way to go. that's just the way of it. so call them. it's always been a pleasant experience for me.

OK THX

the email on this page is the best one to use:

http://www.stick.com/contact/

If you can call them initially to make contact first that might be a good idea so they are on the lookout for your email. Like most small businesses who have been around for many year, they get their share of spam. It's possible that your mail is ending up in a spam filter.

Looking forward to skype lessons. I have several students in Italy (assuming you are in Italy).

Thank Greg i will call in even if last night Yuta wrote me back! yeahhhh!!!

I am italian but I leave in Florida and skype lessons would do it for now

but after i get y own.

looking forward to own and start tapping!!

Many thanks Greg for the Skype lesson - given me some really sound directions to work on-

I'll be back for more!

John