Student Testimonials

Anthony S.

Pittsford, NY

I started playing guitar at 14, played in garage bands throughout high school, and then performed semi-professionally into my late-20s. As much as I loved playing the guitar, I was entirely self-taught and always felt limited by how far I could go with the instrument.

Then one day I looked up and realized—after grad school, two cross-country moves, and several jobs—that I hadn’t even touched my guitar nearly 8 years. That’s where GMI comes in.

At first, the 90 day program was intimidating, to say the least. Would I be able to keep up with such an intense practice schedule? Would I even have fun? What was I getting myself into?! As daunting as it all seemed, the challenge was also quite exciting. At the very least, I knew I would learn a few things, and it would get me playing regularly again. So, I dove in.

Within the first week, I started noticing big changes.

My playing was getting faster and more fluid, and patterns that I initially found to be confusing began flowing with ease. I found a link between my mind and my hands. If my mind was unsettled and my thoughts were scattered and noisy, so was my playing. Training my hands became an exercise for my mind as well, and the two found harmony together. My nightly practice sessions became a welcome meditative respite from the day.

The next big shift came about a month into the program. When I would sit down for some unstructured freeform playing time, the spontaneous ideas that would come up were so much more intricate–and interesting–than what I would have come up with before. My ability to improvise and invent had been leveled-up dramatically.

It’s like I went from finger painting in black and white, to having a full, rich color palette and new brushes.

Looking back now, I’m so happy I decided to dive in! This feels like a whole new instrument to me now. I can’t believe how much I learned, how much I’ve retained, and how much I’ve grown as a musician.

When I joined Guitar Mastery Intensive, I knew I wanted to pursue learning guitar beyond basic chords and strumming patterns.

Here are some of the main things I’ve gotten out of the program:

- Dexterity and technique: The sheer volume of content and variety of exercises in the program have put my hands through an accelerated training.

- Music theory: One of my favorite aspects of the program was that the lessons are rooted in music theory. Beyond just playing the exercise, each lesson contained a deeper learning into why it matters and how to use it.

- Practicing mastery: Being introduced to what’s possible on guitar and what’s necessary for mastery has helped me develop a longer vision of my practice and playing. GMI has helped develop a healthier relationship with my practice. The Intensive duration of GMI is only a small fraction compared to the lifelong journey of learning that GMI has set me up for.

Lastly I want to acknowledge and thank Ila. Her knowledge and skill blows me away. Everything I’ve learned she has used to open up even more possibility and wonder. So much respect and gratitude. Thank you Spencer for helping structure her genius into this program.

Nate F.

San Francisco, CA

Ila was able to give me all of the tools that I needed to improve my guitar playing both physically, with all of the exercises and scales, as well as mentally in terms of how to think about music, and music theory.  I really connected with her approach coming from a hard core jazz perspective but also with a very personal feel. My guitar playing really flourished and I was able to enjoy the instrument in large part due to my collaboration with Ila. I can’t recommend her highly enough.

Dr. Teresa M.

San Francisco, CA

Ila is an incredibly talented and a brilliant teacher. I cannot over emphasize how engaging lessons are, how supportive the environment she creates is, and how easy it is to progress under her direction.  Far from the staid music lessons we've all experienced at one point or another, Ila presents a whole different paradigm for learning music using a student's intuition and curiosity as a guide to master complex and challenging aspects of technique, theory, and play. Under her direction I learned so much more than I ever thought possible - and had such fun doing so.  If you are considering this program, look no further, you have found the best and your future self will thank you.

Ila’s system has been totally transformative for not only my guitar playing, but also my ear and my understanding of music in general. I’ve played guitar for 15+ years, worked with dozens of teachers and studied music at university.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that this system did as much if not more for my playing than the entire 15 years prior.

The acceleration of skill that’s possible with this approach is astounding. I only wish I had this earlier.

The past few months studying with Ila Cantor and the Guitar Mastery Intensive have been such a joy! The dedication to the work truly comes from the individual but your mentor is there to support you and guide you on a path, bringing you where you want to go. I'm grateful for the program and am looking forward to continuing my personal journey with guitar. 

David S.

Katoomba,Australia

This course is a game changer for me. There are so many guitar lovers like me, noodling aimlessly for years, full of passion for the instrument, but lacking direction and any musical education. This is like personal training for guitar, just turn up and do the work the results will come!

Just 1 month in, I can't believe the improvement .

I used to struggle to practice with a metronome, but I love it now and am using it all the time. Scales and patterns that I’ve tried and failed to learn many times are all finally coming together. The best thing this course has done for me is offer me a structured, effective practice. Hopefully this will carry into all other aspects of my music.

The best thing to me about this program was that I knew what to practice every single day. It was easy to sit down to practice, I just opened the email and did it.

The way the content of the course is presented, I felt like I was learning the grammar to a new language. I was memorizing and learning to see all kinds of patterns. At the end I had learned the rules and the theory and had acquired a bit of muscle memory.

A few months after the course, I joined a band and since I am the second guitarist, all skills I had learned came in very handy. I have recently felt like the things I learned in the course are showing up in my playing without having to calculate every single note in my head or look things up.

In short, the beauty of this program lies in the clear path, daily reminders and having a mentor to cheer you on.

If you begin a woodwind, brass, string, or percussion instrument in Middle School... Where do you start? Long tones, interval work, rudiments and etudes from the greatest composers of all time. Where did most of us start on guitar? Probably…. Hendrix, Clapton, or the Beatles... whatever artist inspired you to pick up this instrument. Have you ever stopped to think about how the classical and pop masters reached this legendary status? There is only one way: a true mastery and understanding of their instrument. The Guitar Mastery Intensive takes you from rudimental knowledge, fundamental understanding, and then applicable skills, in 3 months. Who wouldn’t want that? Start the journey today if you want to truly free yourself from licks, riffs, and tricks.”

Spencer is a goal-oriented and empathetic teacher who has significantly improved my guitar abilities. I’ve dabbled with guitar for years, and I’ve found that Spencer brings two extremely valuable things to the table: First, he pushes me to understand the theoretical underpinnings of the music I’m playing. I’ve learned not just which notes to play, but why to play them. Not only do I finally have a handle on improvisation, but I’ve developed a toolkit to pick songs apart and split them into manageable sections to learn. Second, Spencer emphasizes consistent, methodical repetition and practice. Following his practice schedule I find that even complex patterns and scales are programmed into my fingers many months after I first learn them. Can’t recommend him highly enough.

Rodney Low

Marin County, CA

As you grasp the lessons, you listen to music in a more fulfilling way because you’re learning the language of music the way professional musicians understand it.