Our son has taken Classical Guitar lessons from Rick for a couple of years now. He has no previous guitar experience but has always had a very strong passion for music. Rick saw something in this and has developed a way of teaching to our son that has kept him captivated and reaching new heights with his abilities over the years. Our son is not only able to read and play music; he writes his own songs and is willing to perform them willingly when asked. Granted this is over time, we couldn’t be happier with the results we have seen in our son(unless he practiced more). Rick provides the much needed encouragement, passion and dedication in each lesson and we like to hear the progress when our son actually practices. Our son is no professional and still has a long way to go, but we couldn’t imagine him being anywhere other than with Rick at Washington Academy of Music.