Levin Schwartz lives in Northampton, MA where he spends his days playing music with his band 'The Amity Front' and teaching private guitar and mandolin lessons at The Fretted Instrument Workshop in Amherst MA. As a private music instructor he has four primary goals: first, lessons will be empowering. He attempts to conduct lessons so that every lesson moves his students through the material with a feeling of empowerment. He believes that everyone has the ability to make music. In fact, there is an abundance of research out there concerning the universality of music. Many features of music are universal, as well as, apparently, innate. All societies have music: all sing lullaby-like songs to their infants, and most produce tonal music. However, even though music is universal, its source is unique in each of us. Therefore, as a teacher Levin approaches each student's needs differently.