It's meant to encourage guitar players to better their education and musical knowledge. To take that first step and not avoid the issue. We know as a generally accepted truth that knowledge is power. The very same is true of music. Don't put it off. Get started. "Get to the music" means students become far more aware of music and the music business. In a single year they learn more than they would in ten or more years on the outside.

It's all very friendly and supportive, and a great educational experience. Class size is small enough that we get to know everybody by name and their playing. It's very personal, and a family atmosphere. Musical collaborations can happen which last a lifetime. It's fun but at the same time we have the students work hard to achieve an understanding of harmony and music, we try to fill in the gaps.

We did 4 nights in Moscow, and then went to Birmingham, England, and spent a week at Ronnie Scott's in London. We sold out everywhere in Istanbul, Italy, Zurich, Vienna, Holland and Spain. Then we went to San Francisco and did 2 nights at Yoshi's. Touring and playing clubs keeps me current. There's much more on the horizon.

I played with Chick for 6 years from 1986 to 1992, and it was like a dream come true. We won a Grammy Award and 2 nominations. In November 2002 we did a quick reunion tour and played a few festivals after a Hollywood Bowl show in celebration of Chick's 60th Birthday just to see how it felt and it felt amazing. So Chick was inspired to book a few more months in Europe this summer. We're headlining the North Sea Jazz Festival, which is one of the biggest on the planet, and the Umbria festival in Italy and we'll record a new Elektric Band album in September.

Professionalism and organization apply to all areas of life. You have to be self-disciplined. Punctuality is one. I lock the door to my class fifteen minutes after the hour. If students are late they can't come into the class and they miss whatever interesting piece of knowledge they might have gained that day. We try and teach a positive attitude, and getting along with each other in class. Being supportive is a huge part of it.

It's also necessary to have a guitar that sounds good. We show students how to work an amplifier and get a decent tone out of the instrument. As well as sounding excellent, you have to care for personal appearance. Taking regular showers is a good idea. (Laughs) Showing up on time means being there a half hour early or an hour early, so you need a solid car that's going to get you there. Professionalism is not just being able to play guitar… it's a number of other things like people-skills and reliability. That's the way you get called back. If you do a great job and network with other musicians, you can survive quite well even though it's competitive. I tell students to look on MTV or VH1 or watch the local hero-band and often they say, "You know what? I can play as well as that guy." A lot of people say that but what is the missing ingredient? Why is that guy doing the job when it seems like they have lesser musical skills than the person looking at them? The answer is because there's more required. It's more than just playing ability. It's who that person is. They could be hilarious, for example, or fun to be around, as well as dependable. You get a job based on a number of things, not just playing ability.

I've written books and educational material, and always wanted to be involved with founding a private school but I didn't want to do all the legwork and administration. I was approached before the school existed and offered this position. I had to think long and hard because it's a big job putting a one-year curriculum together. It was the largest, single, informational piece of work I've ever done, and probably the largest I'll ever do. I've always preferred private institutions because nobody's telling us what to do. If I was involved with a university, I don't know how much autonomy I would have. I'd probably be stuck in a lot of bureaucracy I wouldn't enjoy. As a jazz musician I love freedom of expression and I guess that follows through to my role in the guitar department.

My motivation is to elevate the level of musicianship out there. When I look around, I estimate that hitting the top of the pop charts is like winning the lottery. It's equal parts fashion, trend, image, and trying desperately to be different. It often doesn't require a high level of musicianship but by all means buy a ticket. I don't discourage my students to go purely for the money, if that's their aim. I try to impress on them that it's really rare to achieve that level of success in the music business.

There are a lot of musicians making a tremendous living who are not even on the radar when it comes to big popularity and success. That's a reality I try to get across. My idea of success is just playing my guitar for a living, whether it's at the top of the pop charts or writing jingles for car commercials or playing 5 nights a week in a restaurant. Making a living with a guitar in my hand that's success, and that's what this department aims to pass on to each and every student, the ability to handle every musical situation.