From Sound Analyst to Guitar Artist

Originally from France, I moved to New Zealand in the early 2000s, cultivating an academic career in languages and linguistics. After specializing in the science of vocal perception, I went on to channel the music of language into the language of music—returning completely to my lifelong passion for the guitar.

By uniting the science of auditory perception with the art of melody, I help you transform technical foundations into expressive storytelling that goes far beyond the reach of words.

My background encompasses university lecturing, music schools, itinerant school contracting, and private practice. Today, I direct an independent online studio, helping students across Auckland and all NZ discover their own lyrical voice on the instrument. Whether you are drawn to the structured polyphony of classical guitar or the expressive freedom of fingerstyle and acoustic music, we will build the precise technical mastery and deep musicianship needed to make your guitar truly speak.

A keen globetrotter, I also enjoy soaking up new musical places, often finding myself drawn back to the vibrant heritage of Spain—the true heart of the classical guitar. Leveraging my Moov travel guitar (read my review here) and a seamless digital setup, I provide uninterrupted lessons for my students, while my prized Alhambra Luthier concert guitar stays safely at home.

PERFORMANCE QUALIFICATIONS

• LTCL (Licentiate)

  Graduate Perf. Dip. Classical Guitar—Trinity College London

• ATCL (Associate)

  Undergraduate Perf. Dip., Classical Guitar—Trinity College London

TEACHING CREDENTIALS

• RGT@LCM (International)

  Registry of Guitar Tutors—London College of Music

• AIRMT (New Zealand)

  Associate Member—Institute of Registered Music Teachers

• SUZUKI (New Zealand)

  Guitar School Vols. 1–9 & Philosophy Certificate—Suzuki Institute

• NZMSM (New Zealand)

  Teaching Exam, Music Theory—Modern School of Music

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS

• PhD (Sorbonne)

  Doctoral Degree, Linguistics—Sorbonne University, Paris

• MA (Sorbonne)

  Master’s Degree, Linguistics—Sorbonne University, Paris

As described by my students:

adaptive – amazing – approachable – astute – brilliant – caring – constructive – dedicated – effective – efficient – encouraging – engaging – enthusiastic – excellent – exceptional – experienced – fantastic – flexible – friendly – fun – gentle – gifted – great – impressive – incredible – inspiring – interesting – kind – knowledgeable – motivating – natural – optimistic – organized – outstanding – passionate – patient – perfect – positive – prepared – professional – progressive – relaxed – skilled – structured – supportive – talented – thoughtful – top notch – transformative

Alan (Hastings) The online classical guitar lessons that I’ve done with Kevin via Zoom have helped me improve my technique and musicianship much more than I expected. His balance between structural and flexible teaching has been perfect for someone like me who has a messy knowledge of guitar. With a professional yet friendly approach, Kevin is top notch!

Anneliese (Glenfield) For something as difficult as classical music, he makes it seem effortless to learn. With an incredibly large bank of musical knowledge and a kind heart, over the course of a few weeks, Kevin was able to turn someone who didn’t know the names of the strings into someone who can easily name and play every note on a music sheet. He is an absolutely motivating and patient teacher who has managed to elevate me to a musical level I never thought I’d get to. I cannot recommend him enough!

Ben (Auckland CBD)  Kevin is an excellent guitar teacher and is skilled at teaching remotely. He was consistently able to zero in and make constructive suggestions that have improved my playing and posture.

Bharathi (Mount Roskill)  Our son Pavan has thoroughly enjoyed learning guitar with Kevin. He is a very patient and engaging teacher. He easily identifies the strengths and weaknesses of Pavan’s learning and tailors lessons and tasks accordingly. According to Pavan “Kevin is very knowledgeable and makes learning guitar fun. He challenges me to learn something new in every lesson.” Despite having mostly online classes due to Covid lockdowns this year, Pavan has really enjoyed the lessons and eagerly looks forward to them. We feel so lucky to have been able to find a teacher like Kevin and highly recommend him!

Bryan (Devonport) It’s been a great pleasure taking my classical guitar journey with Kevin. He is always ready with a new way for me to sharpen a technique or a clever strategy for practicing more efficiently, and as a result I have been delighted and surprised at how far I’ve come as a new student with no background in classical guitar. Kevin is a natural teacher, friendly and relaxed, who seems to take great pleasure in the progress I’m making. He knows how much I can handle each week and is always supportive, reminding me how far I’ve come. I always look forward to my weekly lesson and am excited about the progress to come.

Calvin (St Heliers) There were quite a few gaps in my technique and understanding, despite having several other teachers and a period of self learning. Kevin’s approach was a new experience. He discussed my journey so far and adjusted his teaching to fill the gaps. Clearly, learning to play the classical guitar is a journey: there are many plateaus which are comfortable for a while, but at some stage, we all want more; by working on basic skills Kevin prepares players for the way forward. One of my complaints when I joined Kevin was the lack of information provided in sheet music. After several months of training and coaching I am pleased to discover what it takes to turn notes into music. I have no hesitation in recommending Kevin for players at any level. He uses patience and empathy to move students forward at a steady pace. Careful not to push too hard but progressive enough to challenge.

Catherine (Auckland CBD) Kevin is a great guitar teacher. He is patient, can note all the details, and teaches little tricks that can give a big improvement to your performance. I finished 10 lessons and can already play some beautiful pieces: I highly recommend Kevin to be your Guitar Teacher :-)

Chris (Waiatarua) Kevin’s lessons are great. His ability to articulate the music theory and techniques make it really easy to understand how and why you need to play a piece in a particular way. He quickly identifies areas where you need assistance and has you competently playing it correctly in no time. Would highly recommend to anyone looking for lessons!

Christine (Birkenhead) I’ve been learning classical guitar online from Kevin for 3 terms now and can say that he truly is a fantastic teacher! I really enjoy my Zoom learning with Kevin: he is very patient and encouraging, always well prepared for lessons, and he plans out our learning for the term ahead. I feel I’ve made great improvement in terms of both rhythm and technique. Thanks Kevin!

Cornelius (Hamburg, Germany) I am so happy to get taught by Kevin! He motivates and demands in a very positive way. Without having any pressure, I recognize my weekly progress while showing him what I practiced over the week. No single lesson gets boring, cause he always comes up with a new exercise or idea on how to improve my skills: his knowledge of classical guitar music is impressive!

Cyril (Orewa) I can highly recommend Dr Kevin Mendousse to anyone wishing to improve their guitar playing, his teaching is transformative. He quickly diagnoses the issues that have stalled your progress and gives you the tools to rapidly remedy them, all while keeping lessons enjoyable. I take lessons via Zoom which works brilliantly, saving time and the stress of travel in unpredictable Auckland traffic. For those of us who are performance shy, Zoom lessons somehow reduces the anxiety of playing while taking nothing away from the quality of the teaching. Kevin is a wonderfully organised teacher so there is no wasted time and this, balanced with his enthusiasm and approachable manner, is a complete winner! I ‘ve had many teachers, and no one comes close to the calibre of Dr Kevin Mendousse. My only complaint is not having discovered him earlier!

David (Waiheke) I’ve really enjoyed my lessons with Kevin. He understood the level I was at and what my learning priorities were, then helped me work through a range of interesting pieces, focussing on techniques to help me grow as a guitarist. Kevin also inserts a good amount of fun, which nicely balances out the discipline required to improve technique.

Flynn (Fairview Heights) Kevin’s lessons have been great for improving my guitar technique: he comes prepared with music and exercises, which makes lessons efficient, then quickly identifies underlying problems and explains a preferable way to play, with further exercises to help learn the improved technique! Going online and casual has made fitting lessons into my work schedule easy and with enough time between sessions to properly practice new tips: thanks, Kevin!

Gaston (Auckland CBD) Great way to learn guitar. Kevin’s passion and optimism are contagious, making you want to do an extra effort to learn! His deep knowledge allows him to explain things in a very simple way while keeping the lessons interesting.

Geoff (Glenbrook Beach) After a 30+ year break from playing guitar I picked up my guitar again at 62. After a few days I realised I needed help and I signed up for classical guitar lessons with Kevin. The lessons are held online, over Zoom, which has turned out to be an excellent way to learn. Kevin took the time to get to know me, my playing ability, and goals before we decided on the way to proceed. Kevin is a fantastic teacher, patient and encouraging. Able to quickly see/hear where improvements can be made, and always with methods/techniques to help me make those improvements. I am very fortunate to have found Kevin and I highly recommend him as a classical guitar teacher. Finally, don’t be put off by online lessons. My experience learning from Kevin has shown me that online lessons can be as good as learning in person.

George (Rotorua) I have now done a few guitar lessons online with Kevin and I have found him really good, encouraging, and positive. Loving it so much that I am learning more and doing more lessons! I wish every music teacher was like Kevin, very experienced and easy to get along with. Thank you, Kevin, looking forward to our weekly lessons online.

Georgia (Herne Bay) Kevin is a fantastic teacher! His optimism is contagious and he has constantly kept me motivated. We have tackled quite large finger-picking pieces this year, none of which I would ever have been able to accomplish without the help of Kevin, who took my guitar playing to the next level! He helped me improve my technique, which in turn greatly improved my overall playing. Kevin is an excellent and enthusiastic teacher, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him as a teacher for someone of any level.

Heather (Christchurch) I started my musical journey with Kevin as a complete beginner. There has been a clear logic on how each lesson builds on the next, and we set clear and achievable goals that are manageable enough for me to feel the joy of progress without any pressure. I have achieved way more than I had ever anticipated whilst having a lot of fun simply learning new things. Kevin is kind, gentle, caring, and has a huge reservoir of knowledge to share. I look forward to each lesson.

Irisha (Melbourne, Australia) Kevin has been the best guitar teacher I have learnt from. He is very kind, funny and patient with me which makes the lesson very comfortable. This makes it much easier to focus on my learning and developing my skills. He always is very happy to have our lessons :-) 

Italo (Shanghai, China) This is my second term of online lessons with Kevin, who truly is an excellent teacher. Even though I am a beginner, he is able to balance technique with musicality in every lesson, which has really helped me with rhythm and phrasing. Kevin is extremely astute and able to pinpoint my mistakes. He is also extremely kind, supportive, and patient. I highly recommend his classes!

Jackie (Whangaparoa) We were delighted to have Kevin come to our Village and perform compositions from the Spanish repertoire and music from East Asia & Latin America. All our residents were mesmerised and are very keen to have him play again!

Jane (Devonport) A former student of classical guitar I hadn’t picked up an instrument for 20+ years and was delighted to find Kevin. A more patient and knowledgeable teacher, you couldn’t hope to find! In just 6 short months my confidence has grown and I’ve rediscovered my love of playing. Many thanks Kevin!

John (Devonport) I have been a student of many classical guitar teachers—Kevin is at another level. Not only does he have excellent professional experiences and affiliations, but his teaching skills are excellent. He is adaptive, patient, skilful and warm. Learning guitar is hard enough, and Kevin is really good at bringing across all the necessary elements and building blocks that so improve your playing. Good players are plenty, good players who can teach so well are rare!

Kanishka (Mount Roskill) I would recommend Kevin the guitar teacher to any student that is learning guitar at any level. Kevin is supportive and patient and is always searching for the best possible ways to help his students. He goes out of his way to find helpful resources and does it all with a great smile on his face. Kevin does a wonderful job at building positive relationships with students and helps them enjoy guitar just as much as he does!

Lih (Ellerslie) Dr Kevin Mendousse is a great inspiration for my guitar students by opening my student concerts with stunning performances! The children and their families really enjoyed the performances and it’s been a source of inspiration for them to work harder to progress on their learning.

Madeline (Newmarket) I came to Kevin as an experienced guitarist who was stuck in my playing and unsure of how to move forward and progress. Since starting lessons, I have noticed a substantial difference in my playing and a marked improvement. Kevin perfectly balances technical improvement and with fun and enjoyment, making lessons something I look forward to every week. Lessons both online and offline have been wonderful and I feel like I am making huge progress towards my playing goals, something that wouldn’t have happened without his help. Kevin is a truly gifted teacher and I can’t recommend him enough.

Melinda (Mount Roskill) Kevin is a patient, encouraging, and kind guitar teacher. During lessons, Kevin teaches me different fingerings and techniques for playing guitar which are extremely helpful towards making progress. Lessons are very enjoyable and fun with Kevin. With the encouraging environment he has created which I feel extremely comfortable in asking questions and making mistakes in. Not only does kevin teach the planned lessons very well, he also helps me with school music work! Therefore I strongly recommend having lessons with Kevin!

Olivia (Devonport) Kevin has been teaching guitar to both my son (6 years old) and me for the last six months. Kevin has been such a patient and kind teacher, and my son and I have enjoyed every lesson. His approach to learning is full of fun and laughter. I look forward to our lesson every week! Kevin truly loves what he does and he is an amazing teacher and guitar player himself.

Pauleen (Ellerslie) Kevin has a relaxed, encouraging style of teaching. He challenges me intellectually by facilitating a deliberate and thoughtful approach to each new piece, in both musical and technical aspects of classical guitar playing. Clearly passionate about the guitar and a talented musician, he is also a skilled and inspiring teacher. The online format is convenient and effective.

Rebecca & Christophe (Auckland CBD) I found self-learning through books problematic but Kevin’s guitar course had seemingly simple techniques that progressed through the difficult parts I had previously been stuck on. The flow through sections of the work was progressive – development fatigue was never an issue – and, as style and task changed, always kept you engaged. We really enjoyed class a lot and I think how Kevin showed us to change from one chord to the next in an easier way is important because of muscle memory. Relaxed environment, which was great, no pressure!

Renato (Pukekohe) Kevin is a very professional, talented and even-tempered teacher. He also has a very structural teaching approach, where basic skills are constantly being worked on. I have been learning fingerstyle with Kevin for the last four months, and I can already see my improvement: my motor skills, hand position and strumming patterns are more comfortable and accurate. All my teaching was through Zoom, and even though I was sceptical at the beginning of the course, I am very satisfied with the first outcome of my training with Kevin. Because I decided to learn something not easy (finger-picking), I am absolutely stoked with Kevin’s understanding of all the complexities of that style, and most important how to overcome my fear of learning fingerstyle: I am coming back next year, thanks Kevin!

Rob (Birkenhead) I’m a 50 year old average guitar player wanting to learn a few rock songs with finger picking. I have only done zoom lessons with Kevin. Never met him. There are a number of things which amaze me in our lessons. Firstly, he is extremely organized and prepared for each lesson. Secondly even when I haven’t practiced much he encourages me supportingly – I’m not afraid he will get annoyed. Thirdly his technical knowledge around fingering and options for both hands is incredible. Fourthly he really cares about your improvement and he gets very excited when you master a particular piece. Finally he is a very nice soft man with a natural gift for teaching and I absolutely love how much I learn each week. One of the best teachers I have ever had by far. I’m very happy to have found someone to teach me guitar who doesn’t feel like he’s just doing it for the money.

Rod (Bayswater) As an older adult beginner I had fairly low expectations with what I might be able to achieve on the guitar but have been delighted with my progress. Kevin has helped me to see that, although classical guitar was not my initial interest, it’s a great way to build a solid foundation for playing all types of music. He’s been able to demonstrate clearly, key technical aspects that I would never have been able to pick up via other methods of instruction such as YouTube – and I’ve watched a lot! Weekly lessons have also been a great motivator so I’ve already signed up for another term!

Sarah (Devonport) Lessons with Kevin have reignited our daughter’s enthusiasm for guitar and music in general. Keira had been playing for a while but was keen for a new challenge. Although a big pop/rock music fan, when she heard examples of classical guitar she was really enthusiastic and wanted to give it a try. Kevin’s kind, patient approach had her flying from the very first lesson. She can now read sheet music, not just chords, practices without reminders and takes huge pride in her playing. We can’t recommend Kevin highly enough!

Shanna (Hauraki) My son Shawn is learning classical guitar with Kevin. He is a great teacher and very friendly to deal with. Shawn is a quiet boy and Kevin always encourages him, finding new ways to help him improve his natural abilities but also expecting him to exceed his past limitations. We’re so happy and definitely recommend Kevin to everyone!

Stella (Devonport) My son loves his guitar lessons with Kevin! In just two terms, my son has made impressive progress in reading music and improving his finger techniques. Kevin’s amazing ability to connect with my son and personalise his teaching to his specific interests makes him an outstanding guitar teacher. Not only is he a skilled musician, but also a dedicated and patient instructor. His gentle teaching style creates a positive and supportive learning environment that suits my son perfectly. Thanks to Kevin’s exceptional teaching abilities, my son’s musical journey has been greatly enriched. I highly recommend Kevin to anyone in search of a guitar teacher!

Sylvia (Takapuna) Dr Kevin Mendousse is an excellent and enthusiastic teacher. His lessons are well planned to gradually allow the student to increase their skills. He gives positive advice and encouragement at every stage. I highly recommend Kevin as an inspiring guitar teacher!

Tapiwa (New Windsor) Kevin is a fantastic teacher. I look forward to our lessons each week. I never feel like we are moving too slow or too fast. Picking him was one of the best decisions I have made!

Toberts (Birkdale) I’m very lucky to have Kevin as a coach for my Trinity guitar exams: he is very keen to give the right technique for each piece! I have just done several coaching sessions and now my playing is more solid than before with the better techniques learned. Having him as my coach is a great way to improve my classical guitar playing as I move up to higher grades.

Vicky (Glenfield) Never thought learning classical guitar could be so fun and peaceful at the same time. Kevin’s teaching is patient, interesting and energetic. Starting lessons with Kevin was one of the best decisions I made last year. Highly recommended!

Winston (Albany) I started taking lessons from Kevin as a beginner. It is not easy as an adult to learn guitar, especially classical guitar. However, Kevin has been very patient and very nice to me, although I struggled at the beginning. He is very professional and very skilful in his teaching approach, from right and left hand technique exercise to the intricate technique of fingerpicking and strumming. He has motivated me to continue with guitar lessons: that’s why I still come back every term!

NB: some students have opted for an alias as a privacy safeguard.