Josy Rosales

I graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston MA with a degree in songwriting. I moved to the midwest, where I performed with groups across a variety of styles, including rock, country, bluegrass and reggae. For years I recorded and toured with Earthmother, a jamband that enjoyed success in the midwest area. Through the years, I’ve learned a variety of stringed instruments including banjo, mandolin and ukulele. I’ve been teaching private lessons since 2018, helping people grow and accomplish their musical goals has become a big passion of mine.

Music is a journey of self-discovery, so I always guide my students in a way that makes their creativity shine. I also believe that the journey should be fun and exciting, although not without a fair amount of challenge. I’ve taught students of all ages and levels, and one thing I’ve learned is that anyone can play music, all it takes is the desire to do so and to get a little bit better every day. My lessons are always tailored to the needs of the student, and everybody learns in a different way. I always find the approach that works best for my students and then we can have a clear path to follow to accomplish their musical goals.

My favorite thing to do in music is experimenting. Improvising is very rewarding but you have to be willing to take risks and fail once in a while. I love choosing a few chords or a song and playing leads over it, and seeing how far I can take it and how many ideas I can develop that work well in that context. It forces me to learn whatever instrument I’m playing better and it helps me see what the musical possibilities are on certain pieces.

Rock - Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers, Pearl Jam
Reggae - Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Sublime, Soja
Folk, Country, Bluegrass - Townes Van Zandt, John Hartford, JD Crowe
Metal - Megadeth, Alter Bridge, Iron Maiden
Funk - The Meters, Bee Gees

“You need music, I don’t know why. It’s probably one of those Joe Campbell questions, why we need ritual. We need magic, and bliss, and power, myth, and celebration and religion in our lives, and music is a good way to encapsulate a lot of it.”
-Jerry Garcia

I grew up in Venezuela and started my musical journey when I was 8 years old. My older brother turned me on to Iron Maiden and I felt an instant connection to the sound of the guitar. I started taking guitar lessons with a local musician called Leopoldo Borrego, he was my teacher for 10 years and made a huge impact on me as a kid. I played in a rock band growing up with two of my brothers. Playing in a band was very rewarding and made me grow a lot as a musician.