Joel Souza

Hello! I am Joel Souza, a Brazilian guitarist, arranger, and music educator with more than 20 years of experience in teaching, performing, and directing musical projects.

Over the past two decades, I have taught guitar, Brazilian plucked-string instruments (such as cavaquinho and viola caipira), and music theory to children, teenagers, and adults. My teaching style combines solid technique with creativity and cultural depth.

My lessons are dynamic and personalized, always focused on the student’s goals — whether you want to learn your first chords, improve your improvisation, learn rock, pop or jazz songs, or take a deep dive into the rich rhythms of Brazilian music such as bossa nova, samba, baião, and choro.

Each class includes clear explanations, practical exercises, and musical examples from real Brazilian and jazz repertoire. I also encourage students to develop their own artistic expression through interpretation and improvisation.

For Portuguese lessons, I use a communicative and cultural approach — we’ll work on conversation, pronunciation, and vocabulary through real-life situations, music lyrics, and stories from Brazil. This method makes learning both enjoyable and effective.

I strongly believe that every student has a unique rhythm and learning pace. My role as a teacher is to guide you patiently, motivate you, and help you grow with confidence.

Whether your dream is to play your favorite song, understand Brazilian harmony, or speak Portuguese fluently — I’ll be happy to help you get there.

Feel free to contact me and tell me about your goals. Let’s learn, play, and create music together!