Byron Bay Guitar Academy

BYRON BAY GUITAR ACADEMY

Personalised guitar lessons at our Byron Arts & Industrial Estate studio — from beginner to advanced.

Learn at your own pace with focused one-on-one sessions.
Choose your lesson pack, book your time, and start right away — no online payment required.

About Byron Bay Guitar Academy

More than lessons — a complete creative experience.

Byron Bay Guitar Academy is located inside a unique creative hub in the Byron Arts & Industrial Estate — a place where music, art, and technology come together. Within the same space, you’ll find a marketing agency, a professional recording studio, and a podcast facility.

This environment allows musicians to do everything in one place — learn, record, perform, collaborate, and grow. Whether you’re taking your first steps on the guitar or refining your technique as an experienced player, the Academy offers a professional yet relaxed setting that inspires creativity.

Founded by Irlan Joney

The Byron Bay Guitar Academy was founded by Irlan Joney, a Brazilian-born guitarist, producer, educator, and creative professional with over 30 years of musical experience.

Known for his expressive playing, deep understanding of music theory, and improvisation, Irlan brings a rare combination of stage presence, studio expertise, and structured teaching to every lesson. His approach blends the precision of formal study with the spontaneity of real performance — helping students understand not just how to play, but how to speak the language of music.

Alongside his music career, Irlan has over 18 years of professional experience in video production and editing, working across broadcast television, commercial campaigns, and digital media in both Brazil and Australia.

In Brazil, he spent eight years working with TV Globo, one of the largest television networks in the world, where he developed a deep understanding of storytelling, timing, and high-pressure production environments.

In Australia, Irlan has collaborated on video and content production for global brands such as Johnson & Johnson and Breville, delivering professional audiovisual work aligned with international standards and brand guidelines. This experience sharpened his ability to translate complex ideas into clear, engaging visual narratives — a skill that directly informs his musical teaching and performance coaching.

Irlan is also the founder of High-End Productions / High-End Marketing Agency, where he develops digital strategies focused on deep SEO, Google ranking, Google Ads, Meta Ads, and long-term brand positioning. His marketing background allows him to connect musicianship with visibility, helping artists understand how to grow an audience, communicate their identity, and navigate today’s digital music landscape.

At BBGA, this multidisciplinary experience feeds directly into artist development. Students are encouraged to grow not only as guitarists, but as complete creative professionals — with awareness of performance, recording, content creation, and personal branding.

Whether you’re learning your first chords, refining advanced improvisation, or developing your artistic voice, BBGA offers a holistic, contemporary, and experience-driven approach to music education — grounded in real-world practice and creative integrity.

The Byron Bay Spirit

The Academy reflects the creative energy that defines Byron Bay — open-minded, inspiring, and community-driven. Within this artistic ecosystem, musicians, producers, and creators from different disciplines coexist and collaborate, turning every day into a new opportunity for artistic growth.

Choose the perfect
lesson plan

At Byron Bay Guitar Academy, we believe in clear, fair pricing that gives you more time to learn and enjoy your music. Whether it’s your first time picking up a guitar or you’re ready to refine your skills, we’ve got the plan for you — in person in Byron Bay.

BLACK FRIDAY EXTENDED SALE

$ 50

Private 40-minute lesson
Personalised to your goals
In-person (Byron Bay) or online

START HERE

$ 180

4 × 40-minute private lessons
Structured learning plan
Message + audio/video feedback

MOST CHOSEN

$ 240

8 × 40-minute private lessons
Personalised long-term roadmap
Ongoing support between lessons

BEST VALUE

Watching Irlan Joney play is an experience in itself. Frontman of Irlan Joney & The Carcará — a power trio blending blues, baião, and reggae — he carries a sound that’s both raw and deeply expressive. A self-taught guitarist from Brazil’s northeast, Irlan brings together a lifetime of emotion, groove, and precision. One moment he’s channeling Hendrix in “Little Wing,” the next he’s a Brazilian Chuck Berry — or Bob Marley with a slide in hand. His music moves seamlessly between rhythm and melody, telling stories through tone, phrasing, and feel. Whether performing solo or with his band, Irlan’s guitar speaks a universal language. It’s soulful, spontaneous, and full of character — the kind of playing that reminds you why you fell in love with music in the first place.

Dave Keogh
Founder & Owner – Perfect Pitch Music Marketing

Dave Keogh responded to my suggestion of booking one Irlan Joney, a swarthy
Brazilian guitar-shredder and singer, with irrepressible, beaming, gleaming smile and
explosive black locks, who I found punching well above his weight, as a busker, outside
Woolies, Dee Why. Joney has accessorised his own, near-phenomenal skills with a bassist
and drummer that complement his own prowess & musicality. As a trio, they’re known—not
entirely inappropriately—as Irlan Joney & The Carcara; the carcara being a large South
American bird of prey, with colourful beak and majestic plumage.
IJ & The Carcara were warming up the stage for full-on party band, Blackbird Hum, who
cross terrain from roots, to reggae, to dub.
Joney, backed by an admirable rhythm section, plays jazz-inflected guitar, to impress; an
aspiration in which he very substantially succeeds. Honey and co are blues rockers par
excellence, with a distinctive panache, in no small measure thanks to intra-band cohesion
and simpatico, as well as Joney’s unto himself guitar stylings. The guitar he was playing, too,
lent a certain unfamiliar sound. I wish I was well-versed enough to identify it.

Lloyd Bradford (Brad) Syke
ECD, Grapevine Communications & Dogsballs Advertising; Editor, Syke On Stage; Judge, Siver Gull (Playwriting) Award.

“Irlan Joney is an exceptional guitar teacher and collaborator. Not only did he compose a beautiful piece for my album, but after I added lyrics, it became a single of its own. In our lessons, he guided me step by step to play my own song—a track that already has a rich variety of complex chords and a groovy rhythm. His attention to detail and passion for music make every session inspiring and productive.”

Stephen Whittaker
Singer & Composer

Learn, Create & Grow Inside the BBGA

For recording projects, professional demos or expanded creative work,
BBGA collaborates with B2B Entertainment and Byron Music Studio, both located within the Byron Music Creative Hub.

This gives artists the ability to learn at BBGA and record in fully equipped studios when needed — all within the same creative ecosystem.

BYRON BAY GUITAR ACADEMY