GUITAR TUTORS (in alphabetical order)
STUART LOVELL
ELECTRIC GUITAR - Beginner, Rock, Metal, Soloing and Techniques
TEACHING DAYS: MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY
Stuart began playing guitar in high school in 1988 and commenced lessons with local guitar icon Kevin Ballard the next year. For the next four years Stuart attended weekly lessons and guitar consumed his life - Stuart's voracious appetite for new skills, attention to detail and love of practicing meant he quickly became very good at playing.
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During this time Stuart started playing in bands with his friends. His first group was a metal covers band named Maximum Overdrive with great friends Christian Strybis and Mick Radburn. This band continued for many years, and featured a roster of singers including Dean Snook, who also teaches at EMG.
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Stuart either formed or joined many more bands in the years to come, the common thread being heavy rock and metal as influences. Stuart has been a member of such groups as Infiltration, Thuggery and Corrotted. these bands refined Stuart's metal sensibilities, and also allowed him to start writing original music. Stuart's first foray into original material was through writing metal riffs, recording them crudely on tape players and then soloing over them endlessly.
This desire to write, play and record original music prompted Stuart to enter into the world of sophisticated recording. Having struck up a friendship with Tanya and Trevor Brown at Bass 'n' Blues Music, Stuart started purchasing equipment to start his own studio, whilst at the same time learning engineering from Kevin Ballard, who also owned one of the first professional studios in the area - Sureshot Studios.
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With his engineering skills improving and his list of equipment adequate enough to start recording seriously, Stuart opened Rotten Crypt Studios - The Mid North Coast's premier recording establishment focussed on heavier music and all styles of metal. Of course - that wasn't all that was being recorded there, Stuart had many clients and artists utilise his great facilities, but metal remained his first love. This is evidenced with his band Corrotted's blistering death metal masterpiece "This Isn't A F#@$%g Joke', which was completely recorded and released from Rotten Crypt Studios.
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By 2010, Stuart started tutoring students out of Bass 'n' Blues' music studio, which was situated next door to the shop in Albert St. By 2015, Stuart had expanded his teaching into local Private School MVAC as well as working part-time with the Australian Children's Music Foundation, augmenting music lessons in schools like Chatham High.
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At this point Stuart happened to record some demo songs for a local band named Cranky Duck. It just so happened that they would soon need a new lead guitarist, and Stuey was the only guy for this gig. He fit like a round peg in a round hole, and he still plays with them to this day. He has great fun playing with this amazing group of musicians and human beings.
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After 20 years of association with Bass 'n' Blues Music Studio, teaching new guitarists from 5-80 years of age, Stuey came across to EMG Music Hub in May 2023 when Bass 'n' Blues decided to pass coordination of lessons across to Scotty and Michael. This was a perfect fit for Stuey, having known Scott and Michael for decades, and teaching in the studio next door to fellow tutor and great mate Michael for more than 10 years.
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As at December 2023, Stuart has played guitar for 35 years, played in bands for 33, and taught hundreds of students over 20 years. He finds great joy in teaching beginners and experienced guitarists alike. His system of teaching has stood the test of time, with countless students gaining great marks in the HSC, joining and playing in bands, and even just enjoying a strum around the fire with friends.
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Music and guitar is Stuart's life. He still runs Rotten Crypt Studios, releasing professional level recordings for clients on a regular basis. He still plays with Cranky Duck, and can be seen most weekends in a local venue smashing out the big guitar solos too. He also loves meeting new people and sharing his incredible talent with them. And he knows that you will enjoy lessons with him!
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Call or text him on 0414 502 113
DEAN SNOOK
ELECTRIC GUITAR, Beginner, Rock, Technique and Soloing
TEACHING DAYS: TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY
Dean Snook is a fully qualified teacher in the UK, Victoria and NSW. He worked as the Musical and Choral Director for St Johns Regional College (Melbourne) and also as a full time Music, Media and Drama teacher. His qualifications include a Bachelor of Media (Newcastle), Grad. Dip. Ed. (Honour Roll, Monash) and Master’s Degree (RMIT).
Dean studied acting with veteran Australian actor Bob Hornery. He taught and performed in London, Sydney and Melbourne, where he also worked professionally as a Stage and Musical Director. He is an opera trained vocalist who performed as a Principal in La Belle Helene (Opera Hunter) before relocating to Melbourne in 2002.
As an actor, his performance accolades include Best Actor nominations for The Pirate King (Pirates of Penzance), George Dillingham (Aspects of Love) and Dean also received the Music Theatre Guild Judges Award for his portrayal of Jean Valjean in Les Misérables. His theatre performances over the past thirty years are too numerous to include in this biography.
Dean plays bass guitar with City Hall (who are recording their new album) and previously with The Same Boat, a Melbourne based originals band. Prior to Melbourne, Dean played and sang with Midian, Gosh Batman, 1000 Gods and XLR8.
He most recently Directed and played the role of Judas in the 2023 TAC production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Dean (with Kev Ballard) was a principal guitar teacher at Taree Music Centre for ten years and his former students have gone on to perform, tour and teach professionally around Australia.
