Guest Expert

Musical U regularly publishes articles by guest experts: musicians, educators, composers, and music industry professionals from around the world. Every guest post is written by a practitioner with real-world experience in their subject: working music teachers, published authors, performing artists, and founders of respected music education platforms.

Our contributors bring expertise across a wide range of instruments and disciplines, including guitar, piano, violin, ukulele, harmonica, voice, bass, flute, and more, as well as music theory, ear training, songwriting, improvisation, music production, and music education pedagogy.

Guest Expert articles are reviewed by the Musical U editorial team to ensure they meet our standards for accuracy, practical usefulness, and alignment with our mission of helping musicians unlock their true musical potential.

Who Writes for Musical U?

Past and current contributors to the Guest Expert byline include:

• Published authors, including writers of books on songwriting, guitar, piano pedagogy, jazz improvisation, and music education, published through major music publishers and independently
• Credentialed music educators with degrees from institutions including Berklee College of Music, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Duquesne University, Brigham Young University, and the Royal Academy of Music
• Classroom and private teachers with decades of teaching experience across all age groups and ability levels, from early childhood music to adult learners
• Performing musicians who have recorded albums, toured, and performed at professional venues
• Founders and creators of established music education websites, apps, YouTube channels, and online courses used by thousands of musicians worldwide
• Music industry professionals with experience in production, recording, music publishing, and artist development

Areas of Expertise

Articles published under the Guest Expert byline cover topics including:

• Ear training and playing by ear
• Music theory for practical musicians
• Instrument-specific technique (guitar, piano, violin, ukulele, voice, harmonica, flute, bass, and more)
• Improvisation (jazz, blues, modal, and beyond)
• Songwriting and composition
• Music production and home recording
• Effective practice habits and learning strategies
• Music education for children and adult learners
• The psychology of music learning
• Building a music career and online presence

Sample Contributors

Below is a selection of the experts who have contributed articles to Musical U under this byline:

• Ed Bell — Author of The Art of Songwriting and creator of The Song Foundry; contributor to Making Music Magazine and Songwriting Magazine.
• Suzan Stroud — Songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and piano teacher with 30 years of full-time teaching experience; holds a songwriting degree from Berklee College of Music; founder of Park Slope Music School; author of the Treblemakers Piano Method.
• Andy Mullen — Middle school music teacher and curriculum coach; certified by the Gordon Institute of Music Learning (GIML); holds Master's degrees in Music Education and School Administration.
• Brian Jump — Music educator and performer with a Bachelor's in guitar performance and a Master's in music technology; teaches Music Technology, Music History, and History of Jazz at the Community College of Allegheny County.
• Donna Schwartz — Band, Jazz Band, and General Music teacher with 14+ years in public schools and 27+ years of private instruction; has performed alongside artists from NBC's The Voice and Billy Joel's band; writes for School Band & Orchestra Magazine and the National Association for Music Education.
• Catherine Schane-Lydon — Music teacher and musician with 30+ years of experience; author of The Total Classical Pianist (Alfred Music); inventor of Toccata Blocks; currently teaching at a Montessori school.
• Dave Isaacs — Nashville-based guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, and educator with nearly 30 years of performance and teaching experience; course designer for JamPlay.com; instructor in the Audio Production program at the Art Institute of Tennessee.
• Marc-Andre Seguin — Professional jazz guitarist and teacher; founder of JazzGuitarLessons.net, one of the leading online resources for jazz guitar.
• Ruth Power — Classically trained pianist; former editor at Music Sales Group (Europe's largest sheet music publisher); developer of the Rocket Piano course (90,000 students worldwide); founder of PianoPicnic.com.
• Kimberley Smith — Melbourne-based vocal coach and author of The Moderately Tortured Artist; founder of Inspired to Sing.
• Steve Giddings — Music educator and author of Rock Coach: A Practical Guide for Teaching Rock Bands in School; leads choir, rock bands, and guitar club at Montague Consolidated School on Prince Edward Island.
• Braedin Lewis — Banjo, guitar, mandolin, and ukulele teacher with 40+ years of bluegrass and folk performance; founder of JamAlong Music; has performed alongside Leftover Salmon and Joe Craven.
• Michael Avery — Boston-based guitar virtuoso, composer, and producer; Berklee College of Music alumnus; educator at Bach to Rock Music School.
• Joanne Cooper — South Africa-based singer-songwriter and home recording specialist; has released 10 albums and placed 8 songs in sync music libraries; creator of online music production courses.
• Jeffrey Agrell — Performer, teacher, and author of seven books on musical improvisation; creator of ImprovInsights.com and HornInsights.com.
• David Hall — Course director of classical piano at Finchcocks Piano School in Kent, UK; studied at the Royal Academy of Music.
• Shelle Soelberg — Music educator trained at Brigham Young University; creator of the Let's Play Music curriculum, integrating solfège, ear training, and classical study for young children.
• Jennifer Rosenfeld — Music career coach and co-author of Awakening Your Business Brain; works with musicians through iCadenza to develop sustainable careers.
• Michael Mingoia — Songwriter and music theory teacher; winner of a national CBS songwriting competition; actor with credits including The Good Wife and Rescue Me.
• Fredrik Hertzberg — Blues harmonica educator from Sweden who has been playing since 1987 and teaching online since 2014, offering private lessons, group lessons, and workshops.

Editorial Standards

Musical U is committed to publishing content that is accurate, practical, and grounded in real musical experience. Guest Expert articles go through an editorial review process to ensure they meet these standards. Contributors are expected to draw on their direct teaching or performing experience and to provide actionable guidance that musicians at various stages can apply.

If you are a music educator, performer, or industry professional interested in contributing a guest article, please get in touch with our editorial team.