I feel blessed that Portland has got an expert in bossa nova and Brazilian guitar, which is somewhat of a specific genre that I happen to be almost exclusively interested, as far as guitar goes. Allen can teach one to actually play this genre with artistry and finesse.

I've been studying guitar on and off mostly as an amateur for ~15 years and can say that Allen is a talented teacher because he is able to explain and show concepts that take playing to the next level. In our culture, speed and showmanship is what guitar is often associated with. Yet it is a versatile (but not loud) instrument that demands one to pay attention to lots of little subtleties.

Yes, we go over technique (although I already know what to do in that realm), but it's that je ne sais quoi of bossa that Allen can distill, explain and teach. It is with pleasure that I give this recommendation to him.