Vreny Van Elslande

Welcome to my biography,

I started playing guitar in 1988, at age 17, and I have not stopped playing, performing and practicing ever since.

Since then I have performed on national television and radio in European countries as well as on CBS TV in the US. My music and recordings I have played on, have been played on radio in both Europe and the US.
Songs of mine have been performed on radio in Europe.

I finished 15 years of really intense music education in less than 10 years time, graduating with 3 degrees (classical guitar performance/composition, jazz guitar performance/composition and audio engineering), all Summa Cum Laude, from the best music schools in the world.

The techniques that I developed and used to learn much more and faster than my peers during my own education (resulting in me progressing at least 1/3rd faster than my fellow students: 15years of study in only 10years)), are exactly the same techniques and system that I use for my own students to develop much faster and stronger than all students of most any other guitar/music instructor out there.

I have been teaching since 14 years now, and have developed a very unique, strong teaching plan on guitar.
Many of my students went on to study in the best music schools of the world (Musician's Institute in Hollywood, Berklee College of Music in Boston, Conservatory of Antwerp, Europe, etc...), where they graduated, usually Summa Cum Laude, finishing the 4-5 year college programs in much shorter time.

Here's a summary of my education, awards I received, projects I have worked on, albums I have out, recordings I played on, performances on TV and radio, clubs I played, etc... etc...


EDUCATION

• 1990-1998 Municipal Academy of Music & Word Ypers, Ypers, Belgium.

• Diploma, Performance Classical guitar, Classical Composition
• Recipient of Special Award Jan Decadt for outstanding achievement as a classical performer.
• Graduated Summa Cum Laude

• 1998-2002 Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA.

• B.M., Performance,
• B.M., Music Production and Engineering
• Member of the Dean’s Club and The President’s Club in Berklee.
• Recipient of Belgian Governmental Scholarship
• Recipient of Berklee College of Music “B.E.S.T Award”.
• Graduated Summa Cum Laude for both degrees.

• 2003 Musician’s Institute Hollywood, CA

• 10-week Encore Program
• Awarded a full scholarship for this special non-certificate program.


EXPERIENCE

• 1992–1998 Private guitar-instructor, Ypers, Belgium.
Free-lance guitar-instruction and music-teacher.
Gave private-instruction in my teaching-studio, specialized in rock-styles, jazz and classical. Some of my former students now are top-students in the best Conservatories in Belgium and Holland (references available upon request).

• 2000–2001 Wellspring Studio, Actun, MA.
Free-lance Producer/ Arranger.
Produced Boston-based band “Quest” and demos for different artists.

• 2001 OceanMysth Studios, Ypers, Belgium
Artist / Producer
Release of my self-produced EP “Millennium”.

2002 Performed with female artist “Kimberlee”, Los Angeles, CA
Back-up musician in Kimberlee’s band.
Performed on numerous important shows, including Beverly Hills HardRock Café and live on CBS television (show “Eye Of The Desert”) in Palm Springs.

• Dec., 2002 Renowned Belgian metal band “Edgecrusher", Gent, Belgium
Free-lance mix engineer/session guitarist/ production advisor.
Was hired as a mix-engineer and session guitarist for European metalband Edgecrusher’s upcoming 2nd album “Impressions of Mankind”, recorded in renowned Belgian “Studio 13”.

• 2003 Bryan Farrish Radio Promotion, Sherman Oaks, CA,
Hands-on experience in radio-promotion: handling phone-calls with radio-stations, record-labels and artists, database entry, handling of all mailings, client prospecting, promoting artists.

• 2003 Private Guitar Instructor. Los Angeles, CA
Offering full-time private guitar instruction in any style or performance technique, in my teaching studio.

• 2003 Music Teacher’s Network Los Angeles, CA
Became special instructor with this New York based company, which is specialized in offering top-quality private music/instrument instruction to exceptionally gifted music-students, at their houses (references available upon request).

• 2003 Happy All Day, Inc. Los Angeles, CA
Provided my services as a live-sound engineer in rehearsals and all live performances of musical productions “The Sound of Music”, “Grease” and “The Music Man”, musical projects of “Creative Kids Youth Theater”.

• 2003 Free-lance Session Guitarist Los Angeles, CA
Provided my services as a session guitarist on numerous sessions, including the recording of the EP “TOBY” of artist Toby Madigan, which got airplay on numerous college radio stations nation wide.

• Featured performing with the Ezina Moore Band, niece of Bobby Womack. Ezina Moore’s music is played a lot on MTV world wide.

• 2004 Sound Engineer/ Sound Director, Los Angeles, CA
Creative Kid’s Youth Theater: worked as the sound director/engineer for all the 2004 shows/performances of this youth theater.

• 2005 Performer and session guitarist
Played guitar on 1 song released on an obscure album for upcoming talent in SoCal. Leah Hanna King’s song “Man I Never Knew” was released on that album. I play acoustic guitar on that track.

• Played guitar on the new Matt Konfirst release “War of Righteousness”, released Oct. 2006.

• Played numerous sold-out shows in Belgium and Holland with a highly acclaimed Jimi Hendrix Tribute project.

• My song “Shred Demo” received radio airplay in Belgium and Holland on “On The Rocks”, and received major push from famed rock DJ John Bobo Bollenberg.

• 2006 Performer and session guitarist, Los Angeles, CA
Played all major clubs in Hollywood, Los Angeles and SoCal with Cory Phillips Superlove, including: the Whisky A GoGo, BB Kings, The Mint, The Good Hurt, Highland Grounds, Room 5, Genghiz Cohen, The Derby, 14Below, The Loop, The Cat Club, Rainbow Room, the Roxy, etc…

• Played guitar on Cory Phillips’ new album to be released Spring 2007. Cory Phillips is a rising star in SoCal, receiving lots of press for his unique blend of soul with rock, and his superb 9-piece band.

• Played guitar on 2 tracks on the new Amel Larrieux release “Morning”, available in all music stores nationwide and internationally, and currently receiving heavy rotation on radio stations and on MTV internationally.

• Produced, engineered and played guitar on the Derek Taylor Kent album “Why is the Lights On?”. Album will be released 2007, and is entirely being recorded in my home-studio.

• Played guitar in the History Channel documentary “Declassified”: in the episode on bounty hunting that was aired on TV Summer 2006


SKILLS

• Languages: Flemish, Dutch, French, English, some German.
• Fluid in ALL musical performance styles (rock, blues, metal, fusion, progressive, funk, jazz, and classical) and guitar-techniques.
• Proficient in: Protools, Digital Performer, Peak , Finale.
• Well-developed leadership and communication skills.
• Strong music transcription skills.


INTERESTS (besides everything music)

• Chess, computers, soccer, reading, psychology, the mind, travelling, hiking.

Top-notch, versatile pro guitarist with 3 Degrees, Summa Cum Laude:

Recording & Mix Engineer/Producer: Berklee College of Music
Jazz Guitar Performance: Berklee College of Music
Classical Guitar Performance: European Conservatory),

with 14 years experience as an instructor and performer, and a strongly developed, unique teaching plan …

Teaches:
all levels: from total beginners to highly advanced.
all musical styles: from classical to punk, to funk, to reggae, to jazz to any other musical genre.
all performance techniques

Instruction method is customized and personalized to each individual student's level, needs, taste and musical goals. Because of my unique teaching approach and my vast experience as an instructor; my students do typcially progress faster than most students of most other guitar teachers.

You will get a very thorough guitar and music training in a relaxed and air-conditioned environment, from a very patient, easy-going, friendly and fun instructor who knows what he is doing and who is very passionate about his art and about sharing his knowledge with his students.

Here's a list of just some of the things you can study with me on guitar:

* from just strumming chords at the camp fire with friends,
* or learning all your favorite tunes, to
* impressive speed-picking, sweep picking and legato techniques
* finger picking styles and techniques.
* all about rhythm: from swing, to texas blues rhtyhm technique, to funk techniques, to advanced polyrhythms.
* 7-finger tapping,
* classical guitar playing and technique
* altered tunings and open tunings.
* slide guitar
* walking bass lines accompaniment on guitar,
* squealing harmonics, tap harmonics, and all that fun stuff
* crazy whammy bar techniques
* ear training,
* sight-reading
* music theory (all scales, modes, triads, 7th chords, chord tensions, quartal harmony, melodic development and curves, dynamics, rhythmic and melodic notation, etc...)
* bass slapping techniques applied on guitar.
* how to write music, put the sounds you hear in your head onto paper
* improvisation in jazz, blues and rock idioms
* instruction on how to write songs & help in improving your songs and song-writing skills
* Advanced harmony and harmonic substitutions
* Electronics and equipment (how to use it, signal flow study, how to get great sounds, ... )
* How to apply four-part choral writing and the study of classical composition (traditional harmony) through voice-leading concepts on guitar.
* How to develop stage presence, charisma, how to get rid of stage-fright, study of performance psychology, how to establish communication/interaction with audiences.
* and so on... etc... etc... The list goes on forever; there is no limit to the things you can learn about music and guitar under my teachings.

It's all about you and what YOU want. Anything is possible under my instruction. I am just the guide, showing you around in the mysterious, wonderful world of music and guitar... where it is my pleasure (and responsibility) to share with you, the sheer excitement and joy of discovering how to express yourself through sound, help you getting better at it, and thus over time... unlock your capacity to unleash maximum creativity within you.

I can help you become the best you can be, and I have the expertise to make you a guitar-hero or an amazing performer. If however your musical goals and ambitions are just to have fun playing songs you like, which is just as admirable; then you still do benefit a lot from studying with an experienced instructor. You achieve the results you wish and hope for in your guitar goals, in much shorter time studying with a trained professional.

Talk to you soon,
Vreny.

Lessons are $50 an hour, which is the going rate of top guitar instructors in LA.

I also offer advantage plans: purchase a 10-week plan, and save yourself $70.
This knocks lesson cost down from 50 to only $43 a lesson, or in other words;
you only pay for 9 lessons (get the 10th lesson free) + a $20 bonus discount.

All students (except for students who purchase a 10-week plan), pay for a full month upfront starting their 2nd lesson. This is standard procedure with any of the top guitar instructors in LA.

Students need to call or email at least 24 hours in advance if they want to cancel a scheduled appointment, or they loose their option and opportunity to reschedule that lesson time for a later date.

"I wanted to tell you what an incredible person you are. Your patience and enthusiasm shine through in everything you touch and have made you the guitar/music god that you are. I'm certain that all of your other students feel the same. Thanks so much for putting up with my stubborn self and for your gentle guiding and nudging, it means a lot to me."
Stuart Allen.