Teacher Profile: Danny Tobin

About Danny Tobin

Danny Tobin is a Washington, D.C. Area Guitar, Piano, and Ukulele instructor who loves working with students in all stages of their musical journeys. Danny grew up in a musical family with siblings and parents who all played an instrument.

Starting in childhood, music has always been a big part of Danny's education and life. When he was 10, he took up the Drums, and then started learning Guitar and Ukulele from his father at age 13 (his father is an accomplished Guitarist as well). During this time, he also started taking Piano Lessons from an instructor in his neighborhood. Between all of his instrumental studies, Danny found a great passion for music and for pushing himself to the next level.

Danny's first foray into teaching was when he was 17, and he has been an active instructor ever since. His first students were middle schoolers who lived in his neighborhood, and he loved the experience of being able to help younger students reach their musical goals and mentor them. Danny also actively played music with friends as a way to continue his own growth. These opportunities to collaborate and learn from his peers during his early years fostered his enthusiasm and expanding scope of knowledge about different genres and ways to approach playing Guitar.

With his students, Danny strives to bring a holistic approach to their study that goes beyond the sheet music. He strives to build a deeper understanding that enables students to create their own arrangements of songs and make the music their own. For Guitar students, Danny is a big believer in teaching specific methodologies by genre and creating a solid foundation in improvisation along the way. For Piano students, he believes fundamentals and music theory are the building-blocks for creativity, so he places a lot of early emphasis on technique and reading music with this goal in mind.

Overall, Danny hopes to be part of developing a lifelong love and appreciation for music with his students. Understanding music opens the mind to new ways of thinking, as well as a creative outlet. In his own journey, Danny has felt a lot of joy in seeing his student grow -- not just in musical ability, but also in their passion for music as a part of their lives.

In addition to teaching Guitar and Piano, Danny has a great love of architecture and art! He also works as an Architectural Designer in D.C.