A Student's Experience inside the GuitarZoom Academy

You can love guitar for decades and still feel like you’re standing outside the music, looking in. That’s where Cary Bynum found himself: a creative professional from Birmingham, Alabama, raised on the Beatles, the Stones, classic rock, blues, and old-school country, with a house full of guitars and a long history of stalled-out lessons.

We talk through the pattern that kept tripping him up, from instructors who dazzled more than they guided to weekly sessions that reset to “what are we working on today?” Cary shares the moment things finally clicked when he discovered the pentatonic scale explained as a simple, repeatable pattern you can actually use. It’s a great reminder that guitar theory is only powerful when it turns into something your hands can do, right now.

Then we get into the bigger shift: why structured online guitar lessons work best when they include real humans. Cary explains how a personalized plan, consistent feedback, and the ability to review recorded coaching sessions helped him move farther faster than years of trying alone. We also dig into the unexpected force multiplier: a supportive guitar community where beginners feel safe posting progress, advanced players stay curious, and encouragement creates momentum.

If you’ve been stuck, overwhelmed, or tired of the YouTube rabbit hole, this conversation will help you rethink what “practice” should feel like. Subscribe, share this with a guitarist friend, and leave a review so more players can find the guidance that makes the instrument fun again.

Thanks for being here!! I will continue to do my best to bring you the best, most informative guitar discussions to help you along your guitar journey!

Please like, share and subscribe to get the word out about this podcast, and please check out the GuitarZoom Academy if you are ready to achieve your guitar goals!!
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Thank you!
Steve

Links:

Check out the GuitarZoom Academy:
https://academy.guitarzoom.com/

• Steve’s Channel → https://www.youtube.com/user/stinemus... 
• GuitarZoom Channel → https://www.youtube.com/user/guitarz0... 
• Songs Channel → https://www.youtube.com/user/GuitarSo... . 

Transcript

Welcome And Setup

Steve 0:38

So, Carrie, tell me a little bit about yourself. What you do for a living, what you've done for a living, kind of start there.

SPEAKER_01 0:44

All right. Yeah. So my name's Carrie Bynum. I live in Birmingham, Alabama, born and raised. I have spent my entire life in the advertising business. I uh started an agency uh when I was 29 years old and uh have really done it throughout my life. And so with that, you know, you know, the arts have been a big part of my life. Um by nature, I'm a writer, uh a creative, uh, have always uh been drawn to music because in advertising, that's always going to be a big part of um it's gonna be a big part of the product, right? Um someone once told me that, you know, uh even though things are very visual, it's really music that that really drives all of that. And so, you know, I've heard it said that, you know, uh without music, um, the movie Jaws would just be a movie about a fish, right? So um a challenge that I've always had though was uh was actually participating in music. And so I've said many times that uh uh you know I I was a guy that uh that had way too many guitars and and I wasn't gonna rest until I learned how to play at least one of them. So uh, but it's it's been a great journey and a lot of fun and and wouldn't change a thing about it.

Steve 2:03

Well, that's awesome. So tell me a little bit more about some of the the interest that you have in music. Like when you when you first decided you wanted to learn how to play guitar or anything else you might have started on, what kind of music did you enjoy listening to?

SPEAKER_01 2:16

I'm a child of the 60s. And so uh when I first started paying attention to music and still, you know, started, you know, just really becoming a fan of things, it was it was in that time. So, you know, um I remember exactly where I was at six years old the night that the Beatles appeared on the Sullivan show. And I, you know, became a fan of the stones and and just really sort of had my musical taste uh sort of defined by that era. And if you you know, if you look at the 60s, you had everything from what we would look back on now and call pop all the way into, you know, things started getting gritty a little bit later in the decade. And then um, and so really sort of all of that gave me maybe a little bit of breadth in terms of kind of what I like. Um, but I'm still pretty much a snob when it comes to um to being, you know, like I was saying earlier, you know, people will often answer a question like, you know, what kind of music you like, and they'll they'll sort of, I think, take the easy way out and say, uh, you know, I like all kinds of music, all genres. Well, I don't. I'm I'm kind of a classic rock, pop kind of a guy, a little bit of country, but it's got to be the old school stuff, none of this new stuff. You know, if you're if you're playing country and and then you stop and you wrap in the middle of it, then to me, you you know, it's not country anymore. Love blues, like jazz. Um and so when I pick up the guitar, though, I'm really kind of go back to my roots. It's it's you're gonna hear me play a lot of Beatles stuff and and and stuff from that era, and and a little bit of classic wrong, but I just love it. I love it. I've loved the guitar really um my entire life. Um, and um just I would say probably got my first guitar around when I was seven years old, um, and spent the rest of my life just trying to figure out why it was that God did not give me the gene to be able to play the guitar. Uh I was convinced that that was just uh something that I was always gonna aspire to, dream about, fantasize about, but was never really uh gonna be able to do. And then, hey, you know, I met you guys and all of that started to change. So really glad that happened.

Why Guitar Lessons Kept Failing

Steve 4:42

And that's what I'd really love to know too, Carrie, is kind of like what do you feel like you were kind of struggling with before we met, before you got into the academy? Like, what were some of the things that were going on with you that you just couldn't put the the pieces together?

SPEAKER_01 4:58

Okay. That's a great question. Um, so I think my experience is probably a lot like many people's experience. And and it goes something like this. And it actually began when I was seven years old, but it just repeated many times throughout my life. And that is um got a guitar um and signed up to take lessons. And what would happen is I would go in and I would meet my teacher, and the teacher would spend the first 15 or 20 minutes um of the of the session shredding, playing, doing things, kind of doing his thing, I suppose to sort of impress me and inspire me, but all it really did was intimidate me. And um, and then I would get some assignment. And and you know, it's really funny. I can still remember to this day that um, you know, as a kid, you know, I would sit there and listen to my um instructor play these great stones and beatles tunes and tread and do all this stuff. And then I got sent home to learn a song called uh Down in the Valley, which was had two chords, a G7 and a D7. And I spent like six weeks just playing this dadgum song, which gives me PTSD even to this day. And uh and you know, and eventually you get frustrated and you stop. And so, but because I loved it, it's like there was this cycle. So, so uh every so often I would get up the nerve and I would find a new instructor, and I would go in, and and this even like continued all through my adult life, where it's like I'm gonna be Charlie Brown kicking that football one more time. And I would go back in, and invariably I would get paired with an instructor who really had trouble remembering who I was from week to week and remembering what we talked about the week before. And so I would go in and I would sit down, and the first thing he would say was, okay, what are we working on this week? And it's like, oh, aren't you supposed to be telling me what we're working on? I mean, you know, it was a lot of pressure, a lot of burden. And then so I spent a lot of wasted time. So I'll I'm not kidding, Steve. For the first, I'm gonna say decades of me playing with a guitar, I never learned an entire song. I I could play bits of things. I spent 10 years sitting in my house trying to learn a horse with no name. I mean, you you my my poor wife, she can't stand that song even today. Just I just ruined it for her. And but but it just became so frustrating because and I was convinced that, well, there really is something missing because I obviously don't get it, I obviously don't understand it, I obviously don't have the ability, and um unfortunately it's paired with a love and a desire to do it, but it's gonna be this unrequited love. It's just not gonna happen for me. And so um, I will tell you, and that this is this is the gospel truth. So, you know, I would get on, you know, you know, by this time we've got YouTube, and I would get on there and I would look at all the things that uh I couldn't do, and I would pick the wrong things to watch and and try to emulate those, and that would become equally frustrating. And then in 2017, um I came across this video, and it was this guy um who was talking about um this thing that I didn't even really understand what he was saying, but it was called the pentatonic scale. And um it was um the thing that got me interested in, and it was like, you know, this it was gonna be about soloing, which I never, ever, ever had done anything but try to strong a guitar. And I had watched these kind of videos before and I could never understand them. But then um this guy said, Um, you know, when you're playing the pentatonic scale, you know, and you know, rather than trying to remember all of it, you know, here's something that's gonna help you move forward on it. And it's like, you know, you're gonna find a pattern, and it's gonna be one, four, one, three, one, three. He said, and and here's the thing: anytime you come across and you hit that one, three, guess what's gonna come next? The next two are gonna be one, three, one, three. And you can count on that, and it's like, and you can live right there and you can actually play something. And I said, Okay, and it's like all of a sudden, like something clicked, and whatever. And it's like, who is this Steve Stein guy? I mean, this is a guy who, I mean, he's talking theory, but what he's really doing is telling me something that I can actually use and do, and what happens when that happens? You get motivated, and all of a sudden it's like, you know what? Maybe there's a little bit of light coming in through through the window here. And so I at that point, I mean, it was it was what else can Steve Stein tell me? And and that really started turning things around for me. And um I actually at that point, um at that time, and I believe it was Guitar Zooms at that point, um but there was offering these wonderful programs, this whole library, and I bought all of them, which if you know anything about me, I've got the attention span of a gnat. And um, and and and so I just went in there and and kind of again frustrated myself with trying to do it all at one time without any real guidance. And so I recognized that these there was this wonderful system that was there, but for me personally, what was missing for me was the human element. I needed somebody to guide me. I was back to that problem of what are we gonna work on today? And I, you know, I never knew the answer. And so um, I guess, gosh, I can't believe how time is flying by, but in uh November of 24, um I came across this invitation um to participate in this thing called Guitar Zoom Academy. And the thing that got me in the email, I'll never forget it, was sometimes you just need to uh talk to be in the presence of a person, a human who can help you. And it said, tell me about it. You know, I mean, I I I mean I immediately responded, and I gotta tell you, uh it has been a game changer for me. Um and I went in a two or three month period, Steve, I moved farther, faster, and really started being able to do things on a guitar that the entire part of my life prior to that, I mean, it it just I I just I eclipsed all of that. And and and it it has just been a game changer and and just on so many different levels. I could talk about this stuff for days, but on so many different levels. It has been it, and it's not it's just not an overstatement for me to say that that it has been life-changing for me. Um and so um, I mean, gosh, just wonderful.

The Pentatonic Pattern That Clicked

Steve 12:35

Well, I can't tell you how happy that makes me feel because you know, the the thing about like for me, I've spent my whole life teaching and you know, playing and but you know, I I've taught from you know, I used to be a Montessori school, uh Montessori music and teacher for very for a number of years. And you know, I still work with kids in the schools and things like that, but I've worked with adults my life too, my whole life too. And it there's something really powerful when you can make a connection with somebody who like will say, you're helping, like you're making a difference, like this is actually helping me. Um because I, you know, people always think it's just the business, and it's not. The business is the way to reach people. That the goal is to actually change people's lives and find a way to make them happier with themselves, make them more confident with themselves, and let them enjoy this guitar thing that we were so passionate about, you know.

SPEAKER_01 13:57

So, so so I think you just nailed something that's very important and something that's really evident in the academy. And and and and so I first saw it, you know, in my little story about running across you on YouTube in 17. It was like, okay, there's a lot of guitar players out there, and then, you know, and and there's a lot of opportunities like here's a riff, here's a this, here's a that, you know, learn how to do something in 30 minutes, change your life, whatever. The difference in you uh was okay, here's a guy who's a world-class guitarist, like maybe the best out there that I've seen. And then, but he's a teacher, and so it makes sense to me that you've got that background, you know, that academic background where you actually know how to package the information, you know, and and and that's a great thing. But what's been just really even more um astounding to me is the way that it's been scaled. Because it among the students, we talk about this all the time, and that is that when we signed on, we didn't expect to be in the presence of a collection of world-class guitarists who all come from a background that uh includes the ability to teach. In some cases, you know, um folks who actually come out of the education system, but but for whatever reason, they've learned how to teach, they've learned how to personalize it to evaluate like where you are at. I mean, we've got some guys that they're teaching um that I would say are at the Saban level, genius level, but if they've got to show you how to make a G chord and learn how to like fix your mechanics and get out, you know, they will willingly do that with as much compassion and patience and and and helpful and and you know, just encouragement as they would sitting down with somebody who's really advanced and just trying to deal with modes or some kind of advanced theory kind of a thing. And and and so it's just um it's amazing to me that that somehow you got you know, you guys have built this collection of like-minded individuals who are extremely talented, who, like you were just saying, just care about this stuff. And and to me, the way that it's evidenced is just the way that they interact, the way that they respond, um, the way that they make themselves available to the point that sometimes I feel like I'm taking advantage because it's like, okay, you know, it's um at some point you've got to like, you know, instructor, you surely I'm interrupting your life here. I mean, I mean, I, you know, I and I we never get that. I mean, these these guys are just they're there to help us be better. And you can see the pleasure, the conversation. You can when you do something that you haven't done before, sometimes I think the instructor is more excited about it than than than we are, you know?

Steve 17:06

Right. Yeah, it's just wonderful, right? Right. So when since you've been in here, you know, what what kind of things do you find that is really helpful for you? You know, you know, we think about like we've got the open rooms and you've got your studio instructor, and um, you know, even the community itself, like where do you find is is the the most benefit for you personally with some of the stuff that's in here?

Joining Guitar Zoom Academy Fast Progress

Personalized Plans Coaches And Replays

SPEAKER_01 17:30

Okay, there's probably several things, and these may not necessarily be in order, and they're certainly well, I think they're all important and all equally important because it it creates this sort of ecosystem for success. Um it starts with the it starts with the very first meeting that you have where, and and I really stunk at this. I've really, I think it was Dan who who um did my own boarding, and I think he was ready to pull his hair out because he was he was trying to get me to what is it you're wanting to accomplish? And you and he was really looking for specifics because he was what I didn't realize at the time was he was level setting. It's like where are he wanted to know where I'm at and where I wanted to be, because what I didn't understand was that you guys are sort of committed to taking the responsibility for if I know where you are and I know where you want to go, then I'm going to build this way for you to get it. I'm not gonna, you're not gonna show up in the class and say, where I'm gonna be answering the question of what do you want to work on today? I'm gonna be given this pathway to success. So that's the first thing is there's a system in place that is personalized to me so that I feel like that I am not trying to learn what everybody else is learning when I may not be where everybody else is at. I I'm uh this this is my my lesson plan. That's one thing. The second thing is what we just talked about. I mean, I've got access to you. I I can I can get Steve Stein to solve a problem. I have actually sent you things where I'm trying to figure out something that I just know on the other end he's got to be rolling his eyes and saying, you know, but then you're really not. You're really not. Um, but any all the instructors are that way, and they all seem to be on the same page. So they, you know, among all of them, they just create this sort of 24-7 on availability um to keep you from getting stymied, okay, and to keep you motivated. That's the that's so like you said, open rooms are wonderful, but then the technology, the ability, if you miss an open room, and unfortunately I still miss a lot because of my work schedule, but I can go and watch it very quickly, and it will be understandable, and I can hear the interaction from the other students, and I can hear the questions being answered, and so there's that safety net. But the other thing that was unintended, well, that's not the right word. The other thing to me that was an unexpected uh benefit is the community. Uh, and I think you touched on it just a minute ago. I was not prepared to go into um a group of people, men and women, advanced guitar players, some of them that I wonder sometimes, shouldn't you be an instructor? But they're there to learn what they want to know. And then they're the folks that in, I think maybe have never picked up a guitar. But what happens is when we in in that community, everybody matters and everybody is treated with respect. And so everybody starts realizing they're in a safe place. Uh, you can be very honest about where you're at, um, and friendships start being formed. And with those friendships, these connections, there's this perpetual encouragement, there's this um perpetual inspiration. Um when you see somebody, and we have them. Um we have um we have folks that come in and and I will tell you, Steve, sometimes it's like they'll they'll post something, and and I'm just wondering, I don't know that if I I would have posted that. But then I realize, of course they should have posted, because by posting that and having the courage to say this is where I'm at, then within minutes of posting it, there will be three or four world-class instructors that will jump in there and say, Good job, man. Well, now let me tell you this little thing you can do, or this little thing you can do. And and then all of a sudden that person is going, Wow, I'm matter. They see me. I'm not being overshadowed by this guy that can play eruption. I mean, it's I'm mad. And then the beautiful thing about it is then the students, the other students fall in. And then all of a sudden, people are motivated, inspired, and happy for you. And it just makes you want to do more and more and more. And then suddenly you start learning about each other's lives, you start sharing, it starts becoming deeper. We start worrying about each other. If we don't see you know, people show up for a while, we start asking questions, we check on each other, uh, we have offline conversations, and and I don't even know if you guys intended it to be that way, but it's just an it's just a testament to um I call it an ecosystem. It's not you're not signing up for guitar classes, you're signing up to be part of something that's multifaceted, that matters in terms. Of your artistry, your desire to pursue guitar, but also our need to be among others that care about us and that want us to do well. And it comes from the instructors, it comes from you personally. Um it comes from one another. And I love it. And I get chills talking about it.

Community Support And Safe Practice Space

Steve 23:19

Yeah. Well, I sure do appreciate that. I mean, that's like I I'm so glad that you I mean, so do a lot of people, but I'm so happy that you get it because um I've always tried to create an environment where people feel comfortable. And that's how we make progress is we're not judging each other. We're just trying to help each other. And the fact that we are now, you know, we're almost up to 200 students, and now we even have students that are mentoring other students because we want people to succeed. This isn't a contest like everybody, including myself, everybody's on their own journey trying to get to where they want to go. And the more we can help each other with that, the more I was I always tell people when I when I have calls with them, what I'm trying to create here is something where you wake up every day and you're excited to get in there and see what everybody's doing, grab your guitar and play. That's what I want you to have, is something where you feel like this is home and you want to grab that guitar. And yeah, you're gonna get frustrated. And when you get frustrated, let's talk about it. Let's figure out what we need to do to fight through that frustration to get to the other side. Um, and I think people are sometimes shocked at the fact that this really is about interaction. It's about immersion. That's what that's how we get these relationships and get people where they want to go is by building a relationship where I can talk to you personally and you don't feel uncomfortable reaching out to me because that's the whole point of what it is we're doing.

SPEAKER_01 24:48

So so with what you just said, um, and I again I don't know how intentional it was. I mean, it if you guys if you guys intended it to be this way, then you knocked it out of the park. And if you didn't, you still knocked it out of the park. But a lot of times when you hear words like immersion, that kind of almost means like um something that might actually be an encroachment or something in which you've got to like detach from the fun stuff, or now it's become work. You know, you're you're here, and that's not it's immersion in the sense that you you want you just want to go deeper and deeper and deeper. And and I mean, you know, in all directions because because of all the things that we're talking about here. Literally, the first thing that I do when I get up in the morning, and it's been this way, and I am, I would say we all do this because I can tell who's online and and when they're not. First thing you do, you get up in the morning, you log into school, you know, the the platform that we use to connect and and and have our classes and and and chat with one another. And what happened while I was what happened while I was asleep? Who posted something? Who's connecting, who's reaching out, who's got a question, whatever. And that's the that's the first thing that gosh, a bunch of us do. Um, we were we were patting each other on the back at five o'clock Sucle time this morning. Just, you know, look what I did, look what I discovered, what do you think about this? And uh I I gotta tell you, it's just a blast. It really is.

Steve 26:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:38

Yeah.

Immersion Motivation And Daily Momentum

Steve 26:39

Well, Carrie, I can't thank you enough for hanging out with me for a while and just talking about this. I I um I I appreciate hearing what I was thinking in my head coming to life and somebody like you actually acknowledging and experiencing that. I just I can't thank you enough for obviously just for being part of the academy, but this is human connection. I I I I value this very greatly. So I appreciate your time, man.

Closing Thoughts And Invitation

SPEAKER_01 27:08

All right. Well, I appreciate the opportunity. Um, and if if I could, I I would just like to say for anybody out there that has um wanted to play the guitar, um do this, take a look at at Guitar Zoom, GZA, Guitar Zoom Academy. Consider it, look at it. I can tell you it's where you should be. If you're if you're new to it and and think maybe it's gonna be too advanced for you, give it a shot. You're gonna find out it's gonna be tailor-made for you. Uh, if you're advanced and you think that um you're looking for a way to just really sort of get to another level, do this because you're gonna find um you're gonna find folks that can again help you get to whatever level you want to go, because we got folks who are already there. So um it's um you know, stop just futzing around with you know YouTube and all the other stuff, or or or being frustrated like I was with instructors that are just not really thinking about your success, but more about just how to get through the next 30 minutes with you. Um this is this is the real deal. Yeah.

Steve 28:31

Well, thank you, Carrie. I really appreciate your time and am blessed to know you, my friend.

SPEAKER_01 28:36

So thank you, buddy. Appreciate it.

Steve 28:38

See you back in the academy soon. Yeah, thank you. Talk to you soon, my friend.

SPEAKER_01 28:41

All right, talk to you. Bye bye.

Steve 28:43

All right, bye. All right, so I'm