Guitar Faculty

Meet our guitar teachers! Collectively they have an astounding variety of skills; you can get guitar lessons in almost any style you can imagine at C4A.

Our teachers can also give lessons in mandolin, pedal steel, and ukulele.

JeanRene square headshot

Jean-René Balekita: guitar

Jean-René specializes in Congolese Rumba and Gospel styles on acoustic guitar.

Dyke Corson 120 faculty

Dyke Corson: guitar, pedal steel

Dyke specializes in country music on acoustic or electric guitar.  He is always willing to help someone figure out how to play a favorite song and works well with adults and older children.  Dyke also teaches pedal steel guitar.

Tom with acoustic

Tom Faux: guitar, music theory for guitar players, clawhammer banjo

Tom has played in most popular styles and has decades of experience teaching.  Equally at home teaching beginners or advanced guitar students, he specializes in working with adults. He can teach you melodic playing and chords using standard notation, tab, or playing by ear. Tom also teaches clawhammer banjo and music theory specifically for guitar players.

Young Kim: guitar

Young specializes in jazz and improvisation. He enjoys working with students who are ready to expand their skills, as well as older beginners. He incorporates music theory, diverse music styles, and ear training to help his students find their musical voice.

 Steve Meadows 120 faculty

 Steve Meadows: guitar, ukulele

Steve plays jazz and folk styles, and works well with all ages. He incorporates melodic playing, chords, and accompanying into his students’ repertoire.  Steve also teaches ukulele.

Paul Mock: guitar

Paul specializes in jazz guitar, and can work with students at any level on basics of guitar. He is gigging guitarist in Central Illinois and Chicago since 2015, performing jazz, funk, soul, R&B, hip-hop, gospel, blues, rock, and metal. 

Sam Payne 120 faculty

 Sam Payne: guitar, mandolin

Sam is our resident mandolin and bluegrass guitar specialist. He has played several popular styles and is comfortable teaching beginning to advanced students of all ages, He works well with children, giving them a well-rounded approach to playing music through melody and chords. Sam also teaches mandolin.