Ten-year-old Matheo E. came to California from Paris with two goals: experience the place he had dreamed of visiting and keep growing as a guitarist while he was here.
During his stay in the Bay Area, Matheo joined Teacher Joseph for guitar lessons at Opus 1 Music Studio. The two quickly connected through the music Matheo was excited to play.
"I love Teacher Joseph — we had so much fun! We worked on Extreme's 'More Than Words' and Metallica's 'Master of Puppets.'"
Music became their shared language
Matheo speaks limited English, and Joseph does not speak French. Instead of letting the language gap get in the way, they used live translation in ChatGPT to communicate during the lesson. Technology helped bridge the conversation, while their shared love of music did the rest.
With patience, creativity, and plenty of guitar playing, Joseph made the lessons welcoming and productive. Matheo was able to work on songs he loves, ask questions, and enjoy making music far from home.
Until next time, Matheo
We loved hosting Matheo during his California visit and hope to welcome him back to Opus 1 in the future. Thank you to Teacher Joseph for rising to the occasion and showing how music can bring people together — even when they do not speak the same language.
Interested in learning the music you love? Explore our guitar lessons in Mountain View or book a trial lesson.