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Call Us at (866) 806-7079 | Jacksonville, North Carolina
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35 Years of Teaching People to Play and Sing
Call for a Free Consultation
Lessons for...
Guitar • Banjo • Violin (Fiddle) • Mandolin • Dobro
Steel Guitar - Bass (Electric & Upright) • Drums • Voice • Piano
Styles Taught...
Country • Bluegrass • Rock
Christian • Blues • Classical • Jazz
All Genres and Techniques
Ages...
Kids • Teens • Adults • Seniors
All Levels...
Beginners • Intermediate • Advanced
When Earl Jones started teaching guitar in 1975, he had four students. Not long after this inauspicious beginning he happened to read an article about a teacher in California who started with six students and quickly increased that number into the hundreds. Very encouraging for the struggling young instructor, but what really caught Earl's attention was the reason for this growth. The California teacher said that the key to his growth was that he learned to love every one of his students.
Earl decided to actively apply this principle; he exerted extra effort to sincerely care for each of those four students. They were no longer just a source of income; they were a mission. Within a month of his decision, he had 20 students. By the end of his second month, he had 40. Now, his weekly roster exceeds 300 with a full staff of teachers for every instrument and voice, instruments for rent and sale, and a waiting list.
Many of Earl's students have become professional musicians and singers. Many others have enriched their lives by playing for their own personal enjoyment or for friends, family, church, or social events. Earl himself has been a performing artist for over 40 years. In fact, many will recognize him as "Cowboy Earl" from his shows at Mike's Farm. Prior to this, he was involved in virtually every aspect of professional music (clubs, concerts, churches, festivals, TV, recording, radio, etc.) as a multi-instrumentalist and singer playing every style of music imaginable. His real passion, however, lies in teaching others to play.
For 30 years, Earl Jones has taught private students, classes, and workshops. Constantly searching for ways to make learning easier, more fun, and effective led to the creation of a unique method called EZ Numbers. After several years of testing and improving this method, his wife and business manager Kathy put these lessons into book form and founded the EZ Pickin' Publishing Company. To date, they have authored seven books that are sold through the Internet and at their studio outlets. This easy-play method is one of the reasons for the success of Earl Jones Music School, but it's not the primary one, says the owner. "The real reason for our success goes much deeper and traces back to those original four students and what I learned from them," Jones said. "I have always tried to create an atmosphere of informality and fun; to emphasize self esteem, confidence, and dignity; to find one's individual learning strategies and strengths; to let them learn at their own pace with no pressure. I want every child, teenager, or adult (seniors included) to remember this as a fun and rewarding experience."
One of Earl's adult students describes her lesson as an escape from daily pressures — "my own special time," she says. One teenager said it's a lot more fun than video games or sports and young children have been known to cry when they couldn't attend their lesson. An older gentleman said, "I told Earl I couldn't even play a radio. He proved me wrong. I played a song on my first lesson and I've been pickin' and grinnin' ever since."
One rewarding aspect for Earl is the family participation. Sometimes entire families will enroll and learn together. For example, several members of the Fucili family from the Pin Hook community (near Wallace) have been taking lessons for several years. "We love it," says Randy Fucili, who plays banjo while his wife, Edna, plays upright bass. "As soon as we get home from work, we grab our instruments and start playing." Lessons have paid off for the Fucilis, as they are now members of a bluegrass group called "Living Strings". Other members of the family play in different groups. Randy's brother Rickey plays guitar and his wife Peggy plays piano. Uncle Allan plays fiddle, bass, and guitar at his church, while another family member Christopher plays electric rock guitar.
When asked about his goals, Earl says, "It's not about numbers; it's about nurturing talent and impacting lives in a positive way." For more information or a free consultation, call 1-866-806-7079 or 910-353-6633.
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Two Locations:
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504 West Main Street
Beulaville NC 28518
1-866-806-7079
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337 Center Street, Suite E
Jacksonville, NC 28546-6700
(910) 353-6633
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TALENT SEARCH
I was a shy, introverted, lonely boy when my Dad gave me a guitar and taught me a few chords. I learned three songs that I sang and played over and over mostly in my bedroom. A few weeks later, a school teacher overheard me softly strumming and singing during break and asked me to perform for the school talent show. At the age of 14, my life was forever changed. I had begun an exciting adventure into the world of performing. I was lifted out of a secluded corner of obscurity onto a stage where people were actually applauding for 'me'! Since that time, I have performed for every venue imaginable (concerts, shows, TV, radio, records) including international audiences. It has been a wonderful life that I wouldn't trade for anything and it was all because someone recognized in me a hidden star. Please understand that I had only been playing guitar and singing for three months and my repertoire consisted of three songs. Nevertheless, something connected with that audience. I have since spent my life identifying that small spark of talent in people of all ages and giving them the same opportunity that I was given.
It has been a great privilege to have done so for many undiscovered and ignored individuals. Since 1975, I have been developing and promoting new talent. One of my earliest students became a guitar player for The Gatlin Brothers; another played on MTV; and yet another became a regular on The Grand Ole Opry. Just recently, a former student stopped by fresh from performing with The Zac Brown Band and prior to that, John Meyer. A couple of years ago a former drum student went on the road with Garth Brooks and the list goes on and on including at least two major songwriters, two American Idol finalists and three actresses. This is not a source of pride but rather of deep fulfillment to know that I was instrumental in launching these careers. With this in mind, I have formed The Hidden Star Foundation to discover and develop new talent.
If you or anyone you know would like to enter the Hiddden Star Talent Search, please call 1-866-806-7079 or email me at cowboye@hughes.net.
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CREATING REAL GUITAR HEROES Earl Jones has spent a lifetime as a real live guitar hero. As a hired gun (professional guitarist) he has played TV, radio, recording sessions, concerts, churches, festivals, clubs, and private parties for movie celebrities. He has also played every style (rock-country-jazz-blues-bluegrass-classical-gospel, etc) and every technique imaginable (fingerstyle-Chet Atkins-Travis-Fast flatpicking-chord solo-octave style-sweep picking-string tapping-counterpoint-Carter style-cross picking-chicken picking, etc). But, his real legacy lies in thestudents he has taught and the careers he has crafted, creating several generations of real guitar heroes, not the ones who sit at home and play but those who actually perform and make money. Chances are, without even knowing it, you have heard and seen his students who have appeared on everything from MTV to the Grand Ole Opry. With an uncanny ability to coach and draw out hidden abilities, Earl can guide a guitar player into secret places of playing with subtle psychological techniques that have his former students saying things like: "He makes me surprise myself everytime." M.S. Lead guitarist for touring rock band "My fingers seem to glide across the strings effortlessly." L.R. Top earning session guitarist "It's like I'm standing aside watching myself play in amazement!" B.B. Lead guitar for country band "Hot licks sparkle from my fingertips under Earl's tutelage." E.V. Sideman to the stars "Earl is fond of saying 'The problem is not in the fingers but in the mind.' When you remove that mental block, it's amazing how freely you can play." B.P. Professional rhythm guitarist "After one lesson, I could play with wild abandon, without missing a note." R.G. Bluegrass guitarist "My playing became more relaxed and natural under his teaching." C.H. Fingerstyle guitarist "The guitar seems to come alive in my hands." A.V. Freelance guitarist "The emotion conveyed through these strings now is unbelievable." D.G. Blues guitarist "The greatest benefit of taking lessons from Earl is that I can perform before any size audience now with confidence, poise, and composure." L.H. Performing artist "Earl taught me more in five minutes than I had learned in five years." S.J. Hotlicks guitarist These are just a few testimonials of guitarists having their playing revolutionized by Earl's methods. You can now be one of Earl's guitar heroes. Call 910-353-6633 to enroll in the Guitar Heroes Master Class. A Special Message to the Military I began teaching guitar in 1975 at a local music store in Jacksonville NC. My first students were Marines or Marine families. There were other instructors at this store, one of which was an older Canadian lady. Being new to teaching, I was concerned about teaching properly so I asked her advice. Her answer both startled and repulsed me. She replied, “It really doesn’t matter whether you teach them the correct way. This is a transient area; they will leave soon and take the mistakes with them.” Not only did I consider this a terrible attitude, I felt personally insulted. I had already spent most of my musical career touring military clubs, USO’s, etc. I had become close with the military community. I felt I was a part of them. This “quick buck, take-advantage-of-the-military” attitude caused me to form my own music school devoted to teaching, really teaching people (military and civilian) to play. I began to instill in all of my instructors the value of giving their very best to every student, even if that student was leaving the area tomorrow. I wanted every person who came into our studios to know that they were not taking lessons from some kid at a music store trying to make a few dollars on his way to becoming a rock star. Instead, a real professional, caring teacher. So, to every Marine and member of the Armed Services and your families, let me conclude by saying I have celebrated your victories and mourned your losses. I have laughed with your friends and cried with your families. I have loved your unique military culture and I consider it a privilege and an honor to serve you. Yours truly, Earl Jones |
MUSIC THERAPY
When I started teaching guitar in 1975, one of my first students was a 10 year-old boy who had been taken out of school because supposedly he could not learn. They labeled it "severe learning disability" back then. As I struggled to boost his self-esteem and I probed to find his individual learning strategies, a visible transformation began to take place. To make a long story short, not only did he learn to play guitar, he returned to school to become a straight "A" student and is now a doctor. Another early experience I had was with a Viet Nam veteran suffering from PTSD. He made a drastic recovery from a serious emotional disorder and became a great source of referrals for other veterans seeking effective therapy. Since that time, my staff and I have helped veterans of every war from Viet Nam to Desert Storm to the present day Iraq and Afghanistan wars to recover a precious part of their lives and their souls. In fact, the field of Music Therapy was born out of wartime traumas.
These are just a couple of the many rewarding experiences we have had with students who have shown remarkable improvement and recovery from problems like anxiety, BiPolar disorders, mental retardation, brain injuries, and others. In 1975, there was not much knowledge about music therapy although it is mentioned in the writings of Aristotle and Plato. Anyone familiar with the Bible knows the story of David playing the harp for King Saul in I Samuel 16:23 "And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him." Why does music have this affect on the mind? The technical explanation is that music creates complex cognitive loops that impact the alpha waves of the brain, realigning the right and left hemispheres. The fact is that there is overwhelming evidence that it works without understanding why.
Through much study and experimentation, we have developed the most efficient and effective form of music therapy available today. Using basic principles of EMDR, biofeedback, pacing and leading, and other trade secrets that we have patented to prevent misuse, we can provide positive results through what we call neurorhythmic therapy. The main difference in our form of therapy is that it is active rather than passive. Most music therapy just involves passive listening which has minor impact on the mind. The active participation of learning to play a musical instrument, we have found, speeds up the process and produces longer-lasting results. If you would like to know more about our NeuroRhythmic Therapy Program, contact us at 1-866-806-7079. The most rewarding and fulfilling thing we do is helping people discover their own hidden resources and solutions to problems. |
EASIER THAN TAB!
One of the main complaints I get from students is that tab (tablature) is difficult to read. They say things like "It's upside down, confusing, slow and tedious." On the other hand, I have students telling me "Your method is so much easier and quicker than tab." This is very rewarding to me since my life has been devoted to finding ways to teach people to play and enjoy this wonderful world of music. I began experimenting and developing this method in 1975. I was frustrated with books, videos, and other conventional methods that made learning music difficult and discouraged more people than they helped. I have always believed that learning to play should be fun and naturalistic. We have used this method almost exclusively for many years not only as an alternative to standard note reading and tab but also as a way to translate note reading and tab and decode the mysteries of music.
I have been advised by legal counsel to keep certain aspects of this method as trade secrets to avoid misuse and I have done accordingly. However, I wish to share with people of all ages a way to learn to play that's fun and easy so I am offering a limited amount of our material to be available to the general public. Just contact us at 1-866-806-7079 or 910-353-6633 and ask for the "Easier Than Tab" Method for Guitar, Banjo, Mandolin, Violin (Fiddle), Dobro, Steele, Bass Guitar, etc. I am so convinced that you will find this method easier than tab or anything else that I am offering a full money back guarantee. My sincere desire is to help you learn music in an easy, fun, and exciting way! |
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