Guitar

Location: Ellisville
Lesson Days: Tuesday thru Thursday
Youngest Age: 6
Accepting New Students: Yes

     For the last ten years and ending in September 2008, guitar instructor Andrew Elstner had been handling lead guitar and vocals in St. Louis independent rock band, Riddle of Steel (www.myspace.com/riddleofsteelband).  Riddle of Steel, while signed to local record label, Ascetic Records, released an ep and three full lengths - among other odds and ends - distributed throughout the U.S., Canada, Japan and the UK, as well as online through virtually all online retailers.         
    

     Playing close to one thousand shows in total, including multiple CMJ showcases, the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame Festival, touring coast to coast in the U.S., UK and Europe including countless gigs in Chicago, New York, L.A., Austin, Portland, London, Glasgow, Paris, Madrid, etc., the band was well traveled to say the least.  They also earned "Best Rock Band" in the St. Louis RFT year after year and even nabbed a guitar string endorsement from the Everly Guitar Strings - of Everly Brothers fame - company in California.      

     Andrew was lucky to grow up in a highly musical family.  Whether it was his father singing and playing piano, tuba or harmonica or his sister Erin, who is a former instructor at Mozingo's, playing piano and/or various percussion instruments, music has been a lifelong love and defining characteristic for Andrew.  He began taking private guitar lessons at the age of 12 after a brief stint on the piano and violin.  His first gig: playing Jimmy Reed's "Baby What You Want Me To Do" with his Dad at a church talent show.  Andrew continued to take private lessons over the years changing from rock to jazz as well as classical for a brief time.  Though he is now teaching guitar instead of receiving instruction, he feels that it's important to keep your musical mind sharp yet flexible.  To that end, Andrew is expanding his horizons and is now taking private lessons on the bagpipes.  Hey, here's to new beginnings!                

     After graduating from Parkway West High, he studied Art and Photography at St. Louis Community College, moving to Webster University where he majored in Audio Production and the Humanities ending finally at UMSL where Art History and Philosophy were the main courses of study.  Over the last fifteen years or so, Andrew has given private guitar instruction to friends, co-workers and occasionally their brothers and sisters too.     

    Andrew now very much looks forward to patiently instructing any and all beginning, intermediate and advanced students of the guitar, happy to share whatever bit of knowledge he can to help students along their way.  His specialty is of course in the multitude of rock and blues guitar forms, especially of the non-traditional variety, but he's at home playing jazz and finger style acoustic too.  The guitar, electric in particular, is a very special and hugely expressive and adaptive instrument that can be found in virtually all styles of music, in one form or another.  Rock, jazz, country, folk, bluegrass, blues, r&b, soul, electronic, hip-hop, classical, world beat, new age, experimental/avant garde, etc. are all likely to utilize the guitar.  The potential for guitar in music is literally infinite and the only limitations that exist are those you impose yourself.