We are gearing up for our Winter Recital on December 18 at the Red Light Cafe. The recital will begin at 6 pm with our younger students going on stage first. We are very excited for our most diverse recital to date, with the addition of our violin students and performances from the Guitar Ensemble and Adult Band!
This is a busy time of year so we are going to have an open rehearsal at Guitar Shed on December 11 at 6 pm. “Open” meaning that attendance is not required and we won’t have set times for each student to rehearse. However, there will be PIZZA! You are all invited to attend the rehearsal and recital (even if you are not performing).
This Saturday, I’ll be playing the music of The Band with my fellow Elegant Bachelors at Venkman’s in Old Fourth Ward. From time to time we will play an entire night of a band’s catalog. In the past we’ve played an entire night of music by The Beatles, The Grateful Dead and The Allman Brothers.
For me, it is always great to revisit these catalogs and absorb myself in the songs. Although I have played these songs many times, there is always something exposing itself for the first time. Whether it’s a new lyric, different chord or riff, or a new version that I haven’t heard before.
The Band are a musicians’ band. They were road tested, solid players with great vocals, musicianship and stage presence (some of the many reasons they made a great backing band for Bob Dylan). Other classic bands can be put in this category, Little Feat, Steely Dan, etc., but the Band possessed a rawness that is difficult to capture. They were Americana before it was a musical genre. How did this Canadian-American band so perfectly capture the essence of American music, blues, soul and country?
Much like The Band are a musicians’ band, Robbie Robertson is a guitarists’ guitarist. He has a unique style that is understated, tasteful, funky, sensitive and confident. Perhaps his most trademark technique is the use of pinch harmonics (picking the string with the thumb of the right hand immediately after the pick strikes the string). Add to that unapologetic bends, string squealing and chunky double stops and you’ve got a force to be reckoned with. He was a songwriter, singer and lead guitarist of one of the most influential rock and roll bands of the 20th century. Have a listen here for the band at their peak with some live recordings released a few years ago from 1971. They are not just any band, they are THE BAND.
Please fill out the short form below or click on the poster to guarantee yourself a spot in our Winter Recital. Deadline to signup is November 18 and the recital is on December 18. If you don’t know what you (or your children) will be playing yet, it’s all good. You can still signup to secure your spot!
Rehearsals for our first adult band will begin onTuesday, November 1st. Brandon Marsolo will be playing drums and coaching the ensemble. The group will focus on rock and blues techniques. Brandon has plenty of experience in leading rehearsals and will be able to provide expert instruction on individual and group performance. This is something I think that has been missing at the Shed and there is a lot to be learned from playing in a group setting.
You are welcome to use our equipment at the Shed or bring your own. The cost will be $30 per 90 min rehearsal from 8:00-9:30. The rehearsals will culminate in a final performance at our recital on December 18. Tuition will be pro-rated and added to your monthly invoice. There will be no make-up classes, but we are happy to adjust invoices prior to payment if you will be absent. You can sign up online through our student portal or email us directly if you are interested. Limited to 6 students.
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I received my first guitar for Chanukah in December of 1996. I was 10 years old and I can vividly remember unwrapping the large box in our living room and seeing the hardshell case. At first I thought it was a trombone (not sure why) but then as I pulled the case out of the box I realized it was an acoustic guitar. I had been asking for a guitar for what seemed like eons, so the moment was surreal. My mom thought the guitar would be just like the gameboy, sega genesis, computer, baseball cards, movies, and million other material things that I needed to have and discarded along the way. Fortunately for both of us the guitar stuck.
It was a modest Mitchell acoustic guitar and it came with a book and videotape. My excitement was met with some initial frustration and confusion when I opened the book and watched the video. Like any kid, I wanted instant gratification and wanted everything to sound amazing right away. This was not my first time picking up guitar; but up until then my exposure was limited to watching adults strumming chords and friends showing me simple one string riffs on their guitars. Hearing and seeing all of this new information for the first time was overwhelming and I didn’t know where to start. Also, it did not sound amazing.
For the moment it was back to my one string riffs and turning the pegs on the end of the guitar so they all lined up (kids don’t try this at home). My curiosity and determination won over and eventually I was able to play some recognizable melodies. This was the beginning of a lifelong journey that continues to this day. I’m still looking forward to learning that next song.
If your child expresses a specific interest in an instrument, get them one! Sign them up for lessons. You’ll never know if it will stick unless you try.
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It’s almost that time of year again! I know it’s only September, but we’re already gearing up for our 2nd annual Winter Recital. The date is set for Sunday, December 18 at The Red Light Cafe at 7 pm. So mark your calendars and be thinking of what songs you would like to play!
For those of you that have not participated in a recital yet, we will have an adult set and a kids set. All students have the opportunity to perform solo or with teacher accompaniment. Feel free to play some festive tunes and wear some festive gear, after all it is the most wonderful time of the year!
We just got a new shipment of DR Strings in at the store. Electric, Acoustic and Classical (Nylon) strings are available for only $8 pack (Mfg. List Price $12.75). The price includes tax and can be added to your next invoice or you can pay by credit card in the store.
We can also restring your instrument for $25 (includes the price of strings). If you don’t know how to replace your strings and you’d like to do it yourself, feel free to ask your teacher and they will be happy to show you in your next lesson. It’s hard not to play a guitar with new strings on it, so strap them on and let it ring!
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What is a chart? In musical terms, a “chart” is short for a written arrangement of music. Don’t worry, there are no bar graphs, tables or spreadsheets!
For those of you that have taken lessons with me, you know that I am BIG on making charts. In short, charts take out the guesswork and allow you to play along with recordings and other people with full confidence. Over the past year I have been uploading select charts from my personal collection to our library page. I just uploaded a new batch of charts including songs by Stone Temple Pilots, The Beatles, The Who and more! Please use these only for your own educational purposes and enjoyment. Disclaimer: they are free to download and may contain some errors or be incomplete.
Feel free to explore and see if you can start charting out songs you are working on now!
P.S. Charts are also very helpful when writing or sharing your own songs
We are excited to announce the addition of our newest teacher, Izaak Walton. Izaak is a very talented classical violinist from a musical family and born and raised right here in our neighborhood. Read below for more about Isaak and let us know if you are interested in signing up for violin lessons! Lessons are available on Wednesday afternoons starting August 10.
Izaak Walton (violin)
Raised in Atlanta in a musical household, Izaak began playing at a young age under his parents’ instruction. He studied in the studios of Levon Ambartsumian, Shakhida Azimkodjaeva, and Dr. Michael Heald at the University of Georgia, and more recently Raymond Leung of the Atlanta Symphony. Izaak graduated in 2015 from the University of Georgia with a degree in Violin Performance and a minor in English….read more
