Mike, that's the kind of music story I love to hear. Sure beats singing in a rowdy bar with chicken wire to protect you from the audience, eh?

Mooh, I've wondered if I should explore offering guitar or singing lessons. I get approached for such by folks who hear me play and sing, but I've never followed up. I'm no virtuoso on guitar and, as for voice, I'd like to have a regular coach, myself. I am, however, quite capable of teaching beginning folk guitarists. (I've been playing for about 40 years and use a variety of styles.) They'd just need to switch to another teacher if they wanted lesson on a style I don't do (e.g., blues or classical).

The way I'd be OK with charging for lessons would be to undercut the market. (If you can afford the high-priced, virtuoso teachers, why would you pay the same for someone with less experience and ability?) I usually suggest, to folks who ask, that if they want to learn really basic guitar stuff they should get an interactive CD ROM or an instructional video; if they get through what they can learn that way and want to progress, they should consider one of the teachers whose business card is at the local music store. But not all lawyers, hairdressers, etc. are equal in skill or fee, so sometimes I think maybe I should take on a pupil or two to see if I'm any good at teaching what I know. Every teacher's gotta have a first student sometime. Whaddya think?