Sam Macy

Sam has been playing guitar since the age of thirteen, starting out playing rock, but quickly becoming a serious student of jazz-related music. He holds a B.A. in music, with a concentration in jazz, from the University of North Carolina, Asheville. He has studied with Tim Haden, the University of Tennessee's Mark Boling, and the New York guitarist, Ben Sher.

Sam graduated in 2001, and moved to Chicago in 2003 to perform, compose and teach. For the past three years, Sam has enjoyed working with some of the city's finest musicians, and regularly performs in several Chicago clubs and venues. Some of his current musical projects include the Ed Breazeale Group (modern original jazz), the Tomorrow Music Orchestra (a large-ensemble specializing in experimental electro-acoustical music), and the Sam Macy Duo and the Sam Macy Trio (showcases for jazz standards and his own original compositions).

"I personally regard the ability to teach well, as one of a musician's most important attributes. I've had the experience of studying with teachers who were extremely talented but lacked the skills to communicate musical knowledge to the student effectively. I think teaching is all about relating to every student individually, gaining a feel for weaknesses and strengths and building on those things. Some of the subjects that I like to explore with students include sight-reading, learning the fingerboard and the foundations of harmonic progressions and chord shapes, and ear-training, which can enable a student to learn and absorb music at an accelerated level. I enjoy teaching all styles, whether it be rock, jazz, blues or classical. I also think it's important to just play, encouraging the student to explore what might come out naturally and spontaneously." Sam enjoys teaching all styles of rock, jazz, blues and classical.