About Samuel Ojalvo
Samuel Ojalvo is a guitar, voice, and music production instructor based in NW D.C. He is as passionate about teaching as he is about music itself, and strives to help his students gain confidence and joy throughout the learning process.
Through his first music lessons on the cornet at a young age, Samuel created a strong musical foundation by learning to sight read and acquiring a basic knowledge of music theory. His soul, however, yearned for an instrument that allowed more fluidity in the music he wished to play. At his sister's suggestion, he picked up his first guitar and it was love at first strum. Under the tutelage of Alan Young, Samuel progressed rapidly through the basics of chords and progressions and began writing his own music. His skills continued to evolve through performances at local restaurants, open mic nights, and jam sessions with fellow musician friends.
Samuel is currently an upperclassman at American University where he is pursuing his bachelor's degree in Music. He performs regularly with several groups at popular music venues in the D.C. area, drawing influence from the raw musicality of Jimi Hendrix and Mateus Asato's flowing fingerstyle technique. His musical palate is varied, and he quotes R&B, jazz, lo-fi, reggae, soft rock, hip hop and melodic trap as his favorite performance genres.
Samuel approaches teaching with enthusiasm and vigor. He believes music, like nature, is composed of vibrations and frequencies and aims to help students understand the relationship between the two. His goal is to make learning guitar fun and teach from the idea of "simplicity that develops" with his students. He teaches both tablature and note-reading in guitar lessons with his students and believes that strong technique and theory fundamentals contribute directly to a student's success. Teaching through interesting and compelling songs and repertoire is a vital part of his pedagogical approach as well. Through these teaching techniques, Samuel enjoys every step of a student's musical journey and shares in their joy when they grasp new concepts.
Samuel understands that learning something new can be intimidating, but through passion and consistency, music can become a tool for self-expression and joy. By creating a fun and fulfilling learning environment for his students, he hopes to ignite that passion so they may learn to play without limitation.
