Welcome to and my teaching studios, a special place for guitar lessons in Austin.

See Van's Student Gallery HERE Contact Van directly at vanwilks@sbcglobal.net for more lesson information.

The cottage you see is part of the Guitarland compound. It sits on the edge of a beautiful meadow alongside Boggy Creek in deep South Austin. The property was once a community park, complete with a large pool. The cottage was the bathhouse and office. The pool has long been filled in and the cottage has been remodeled into a combination "country getaway", complete with picnic table and swing set, and teaching studio. In fact when the weather permits we sometimes have our lessons outside. Once or twice a year we have student appreciation parties with the band setting up at one end of the pool and the audience sitting in chairs and on blankets around the pool. The highlight for me is when the students come to the stage and "show-off"!! I also have another fully equipped teaching studio in a facility at the opposite end of the pool and certain days of the week I hold guitar classes and lessons there. I have been a professional musician all of my life. I began teaching when I tired of being on the road, playing in not so exotic places! I truly love to teach and feel that I have a great deal to offer in a way that can only be learned from "doing it"! There is no book that can show a new student what all those miles and years showed me! I have by no means retired from playing live. I usually tour Europe twice a year. My records have all been released world wide and I continue to tour to promote them. I teach all ages, levels and types of music. One thing I do not teach is "heavy" Music Theory. I do more of the "How To" than the "Why" method. Experience has shown me that students learn faster and have more fun if they are working on actual songs they are familiar with. I teach all the chords and technique they must know in the context of songs they like and can sing along with. I feel the student can relate better and see the "big picture". I want them to be able to play by ear and eventually "pick out" songs on their own. Feel free to e-mail me for more information about guitar lessons at