Meet Our Team

Rod Swanson is a seasoned music educator and performer with over 40 years of experience teaching across the Fraser Valley, Manitoba, and Ottawa. Rod studied classical guitar and has attended various master classes with well-known global artists. He has extensive performance experience in recitals, ensembles, church services, weddings, television appearances, hotels, and fine dining restaurants across Canada, and is always available to perform.

Rod also plays electric guitar and bass guitar, and has many years of experience playing in pop bands too. Over the years, with all the various situations in playing, Rod has acquired a vast repertoire to accommodate any new situation, which means students are very happy with songs personally tailored to their needs and interests—whether Rock or Classical guitar, or ethnic music. Rod also teaches ukulele, mandolin, and banjo.

In addition to this vast experience, Rod has a unique ability called "perfect pitch," which allows him to listen to any new song and arrange the music for performance situations with other musicians and students' needs. Each student has special needs and unique ambitions—whether from age 5 to 85! Some students relate well with standard music notation, some relate well with Rock guitar "tab," and others relate better to a personalized way they are comfortable with. Also, some students desire to pursue Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) and enter local music festivals. His students have achieved high standards in RCM results, and a number of students have performed in the Provincial Music Festival.