Private Lessons

Right hand tune-up for Guitar World’s Acoustic Nation, pt 1

Right hand tune-up with Guitar World’s Acoustic Nation, pt. 2

I have been playing the guitar since age 7 and began teaching under the guidance of my father, master educator and theoretician Steve Maase, when I was just 15. In my 25+ years as a performer and an educator, I’ve learned a lot about what it means to play, and even more about what it means to teach.

I believe that the instrument is for everyone, that the right attention from a caring teacher can open doors that a student might otherwise think are shut forever. In my experience, any and all music–be it Bach, Led Zeppelin, or BB King–can be a tool for developing a lifelong relationship with the guitar. I have seen this relationship work wonders for people in all walks of life, both as professionals and for those whose goal is simply to learn more about the music they enjoy. My priority is to help you develop the technique and understanding that it takes to make this a lifelong journey, as the instrument has become for me.

I have overseen students from their first notes to their first performances onstage and beyond, have helped budding professionals fill in the gaps in their music theory, and have helped correct technique that has caused students to give up the instrument due to frustration or physical pain. Many of my private students have gone on to study music at reputable universities, and some have even come to join me at CalArts. I have also helped actors and vocalists on Broadway and on the road with big-name acts hone their instrumental, songwriting and performance skills.

I believe that your music is yours and yours alone, and as a result my teaching style is a bit more unorthodox than most. I work with each student to develop a custom-tailored course of study so that you can get where you need to go. All styles and experience levels welcome. No genre is too foreign and no hands are too large or too small. In fact, I specialize in supporting women and nonbinary artists through every phase of development on the instrument, from selecting their first instruments to developing the physicality and awareness necessary to meet the demands of a professional stage career.

I currently teach online worldwide via Zoom and in person out of my studio in central Los Angeles for vaccinated students of all ages, levels and styles. Contact me for availability and rates.

Learn more about me here.


Testimonials

I've been studying under the Maase family method for most of my academic career, and it has served me incredibly well. Lily has also been one of the most coherent sources of academic and career related wisdom that I've known.
-Insun Blemel, student


Student Work

With students at California Institute of the Arts, Valencia CA

Creative Repertory Ensemble performance at CalArts graduation 2023

With private/graduated students in Los Angeles