Steve is a Brooklyn-based guitarist with over ten years of performance, recording and teaching experience. Having completed performance degrees at prestigious institutions such as McGill University (Bachelor’s) and the New England Conservatory of Music (Master’s), Steve has studied with some of the world's greatest jazz musicians including Jason Moran, Billy Hart and Miguel Zenon. His experiences have taught him to embrace the improvisational approach to creating music as well as appreciate all styles of music. As a result, he is able to play and teach students a variety of musical styles, including rock, jazz, blues, funk, pop, and hip hop.
 

Steve frequently tours and performs at prestigious venues and festivals, including most recently at the Kennedy Center and the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. In 2016 he was chosen as one of 10 guitarists from around the world to participate in the International Montreux Jazz Guitar Competition. Steve has released three albums to date including The Sun Through The Rain, which was called "a collective improvisational success" by All About Jazz. It was also highly praised by the Grammy-nominated saxophonist Miguel Zenon as “captur[ing] Steve and his musical companions through explorations that display great nuance, maturity and cohesiveness. Steve’s guitar sound in particular is daringly refreshing and a preview to what promises to be a rewarding musical career. A great album”. In recent years, Steve has also begun developing his abilities as an electronic and hip-hop music producer, releasing beats under the moniker of “Billa Joints”. In May 2018, Billa Joints made his official recording debut with the release of his beat tape Evolve.

 

As an experienced and dedicated educator, Steve believes that guitar lessons should be fun and exciting while simultaneously ensuring that every student has a solid grasp of the fundamental concepts of music. He invests time into getting to know each and every student on a personal level, identifies how they learn best and helps them maximize their learning potential. Most importantly, Steve wants to show his students the joy of music making and teach them that no matter what path they choose, music can always be a beautiful and valuable part of their life.