I am accepting new students for lessons over Skype, WhatsApp and Facebook video call. I am also open to teaching in-person lessons for those who are willing and able to travel to my current location. I teach Hindustani classical music on the Indian slide guitar and I can also teach and guide you on the instrument of your choice, assuming that you are proficient to begin with. My knowledge comes from studying Indian classical music through the oral tradition of Guru-Shishya Parampara since 2007. First from Mohan Veena player Dr. Ranjan Kumar (a disciple of Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt) and, since 2018, from sarod maestro Pt. Alok Lahiri. In addition to this, I hold a minor in Electronic Music from the University of California at Santa Cruz. There I learned basic piano, composition, music theory and notation along with the techniques of running a recording studio and producing recorded music. 

I currently teach students from all over the world, including the USA, India and Europe. I believe strongly in an individualized approach and I create materials that are specifically tailored for each student. 

My diverse background means that I am especially equipped to teach you this beautiful music from a distance and help you to connect to this tradition from wherever you may be coming from. Lessons are between 1 and 1.5 hours. I provide notation in the Bhatkhande style along with audio recordings from our lessons. 

My fees are on a sliding scale. If you are interested in learning ragas on your own instrument or the Indian slide guitar, please get in touch by email and we can discuss your individual journey in Indian music. 

Write to: 

joel@joelveena.com