Mr. Derrick Javier

​Guitar/ Piano / Drums / Bass / Ukulele / Band

Pensacola resident, Mr. Derrick was born in Charlotte, NC but spent most of his life moving around the world. He first started playing guitar in his early teens and spent most of his high school days playing in local bands. His love for playing in bands continues to this day. He often spends nights playing concerts at local venues and festivals. Playing for years in live bands has not only been rewarding for Mr. Derrick but has also given him a wealth of invaluable information and experience in playing guitar, drums, and bass.


Derrick's first introduction to teaching guitar started in high school where he tutored guitar students and taught guitar lessons from a local recreation center. In 2006, he moved to Pensacola where he began studying music and classical guitar. He currently holds a degree from Pensacola State College with a focus on Classical Guitar Performance and has had many years of experience teaching music.


One of Derrick’s favorite aspects of Minds on Music is the recording studio. In today’s age of the internet, being able to record is a completely new skill set that all musicians need to master in order to be successful. Be it creating content for a channel or submitting a video audition, recording has become a cornerstone of the modern musician.


Derrick is a kind and caring teacher and his "easy-going" attitude makes his music lessons fun. Plus, he has a really awesome beard!