【Teaching Philosophy】
 
As a teacher, my number one priority is to inspire students to cultivate a love of music. I want to guide students in their exploration of music and help them find what they love about music and what moves them to study an instrument.
 
Music is fundamentally a human thing. It is meant to be enjoyed by everyone. I firmly believe that anyone can learn to play an instrument with a good plan, a supportive environment, and a little focused practice. Regardless of age or skill level, we can all grow with music and develop our skills and abilities. 
 
After 15 years as a professional musician, I still practice my instrument daily, finding new inspiration, and working on new ways to grow and learn. I lead by example and encourage my students to find their own motivation and carve their own paths in music.
 
Being able to play an instrument is a gift both to yourself and to those around you. Through the study of music, we enrich our lives in so many ways. We learn to be diligent, determined, focused, solve problems, and work with others. 
 
But more than that, music is a social activity. We play music with people and for people. In my lessons, we are constantly playing together and learning the language of music both verbally and musically through our instruments. We learn to work together, communicate, collaborate, and build connections with other people. The greatest reward for any musician, from the beginner to the seasoned professional, is the social bonds created through shared musical experience with fellow musicians and the audience. 

【Bio】

Benjamin Holt is a Canadian guitarist who, after earning his Masters Degree in Jazz Studies (Guitar Performance) from the University of North Texas, worked in many capacities within the DFW music scene. He was the music director at Cross Church Denton, adjunct professor of guitar at Tarrant County college. He was also a busy freelance guitarist, seamlessly moving between jazz, pop, blues, rock, smooth jazz, and country genres. In 2020 his band Song Dynasty was nominated for best jazz group by the Dallas Observer. He currently lives in Taipei, Taiwan, where he is an active member of the Taiwanese music community where he works with some of the top acts including 壞特 and TPO big band. This fall he did a tour with his band Dallas Quartet. The group of international musicians played all the Taipei Jazz Festival, Taichung Jazz Festival, and Dadaocheng arts festival among many other venues around Taiwan.  He teaches guitar and bass at BlastUp Arts Music School.