, , , , , , New Instructor – George Kotler-Wallace

Introducing our newest teacher at Guitar Shed, George Kotler-Wallace. George is an expert at all things that slide on the string! George teaches pedal steel, lap steel, guitar, banjo, ukulele, and bass.

We’ve been looking to offer pedal steel lessons for a long time, and are glad to have George join our faculty! He has availability on Friday afternoons from 4:00-7:00 pm starting 8/12. Call us today to reserve your spot!

We’ve got a busy spring ahead at Guitar Shed with some great events, giveaways, and performance opportunities!

We are excited to return to City Winery (6/1) and Venkman’s (6/2) for our Summer Recitals. Please note that our Kids Recital is on a Saturday as opposed to previous recitals. Sign up begins on 4/1 for both recitals in our student portal. Space is limited, so mark your calendars and familiarize yourself with our student portal before 4/1. You can login on our website here and we are happy to resend your login info if you misplaced it. While you are in the student portal you can also register for our Student Showcase at The Pullman on 3/23. There are still some spots available!

Looking ahead, we’ve got our first ever Guitar Shed “Spring Concert” featuring 3 of our groups: Teen Band, Americana Ensemble and Rock Ensemble on 4/15. Also, CAMP WOODSHED is back this year and we have added a session for our younger shedders. Early bird sign up ends on 3/31. Take advantage of a $25 discount!

Thank you to all of our campers who participated in Camp Woodshed! We had two very talented groups of performers that both learned two songs in one week. Here’s what they played…

Brandon’s Band:

“Everybody Wants to Rule the World” Tears for Fears

“Believer” Imagine Dragons

Sean’s Band:

“Use Somebody” Kings of Leon

“Can’t Stop” Red Hot Chili Peppers

Parker started each day with stretches and readings and then turned things over to Nichelle for vocal and rhythm warmups. Each day we had a masterclass from one of the teachers at Guitar Shed and two rehearsals (one live and one with headphones on). The masterclasses included guitar (Brandon), bass (Sean), drums (Nico), keys (Chris) and a class focusing on musical genres (all counselors).

We made sure to take advantage of Coan Park across the street and would take our snacks across the street each day. There kids would play frisbee, play on the giant marimbas and soak in some vitamin-D. At the end of the week we had a pizza party and performance from both bands. Check out our facebook page for more pictures and some videos from the week. Next year we hope to have a camp for our younger students as well. Look forward to seeing you all next year, stay tuned!

Parker is teaching a Guitar Workshop on Saturday, March 31st from 10:00-11:30 am. The workshop is titled “Exploring the Fretboard” and is great for intermediate to advanced teens and adults.

This session will focus on how to use five open chord shapes to map out the entire fretboard using the CAGED system. This chord based approach to soloing is helpful for the beginning to advanced improviser. If you are tired of playing the same licks or if you are looking to improvise for the first time, this is a great opportunity to learn among fellow Guitar Shedders.

Differences between harmonic concepts, practice techniques and ear training will be discussed. Below are the details…

  • Saturday, March 31st at Guitar Shed
  • 10:00-11:30 am
  • $30 for current students
  • $40 for new students
  • Limited to 20 students

To sign up either send an email to [email protected], or register in the student portal.

NOW HIRING

Experienced piano, violin and voice teachers wanted at Guitar Shed. Must have previous experience teaching in a music school and ability to work with students of all ages (especially kids 5-12) and skill levels. Must pass background check and demonstrate proficiency on your instrument. Music degree is a plus but not required. Please spend a good amount of time on our website. After visiting our website, send resume and cover letter for consideration. Background in music therapy and early childhood education is a plus! Available days are Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays (and potentially Saturdays)

Send resume and cover letter to [email protected] 

After listening to a segment on NPR about generation “iGen” I couldn’t help but think about the role music plays in mental health. iGen refers to children born in the mid 1990’s or later and is the first generation to spend their entire adolescence in the age of the smartphone. Most of our young students at Guitar Shed fall into this age range and are doing great things to not succumb to the pitfalls of their generation. They are playing music!

You know what is great about music lessons? During a lesson we are playing music, and if we do use our phones (which is very rare) it is for a tuner or a metronome…not Snapchat or Instagram. Students and teachers are developing a relationship in the real world without distractions.

Music lessons also get people out of the house! There is a reason we don’t do in-home lessons or online lessons at Guitar Shed. Community. We see all of our students and families every week and watch them grow with each performance. We know about their struggles and victories, encouraging them every step of the way.

Studies show that teenagers in iGen are much physically safer, but on the brink of a mental health crisis. Some of the negative impacts that have been linked to too much screen time are loneliness, depression, isolation, sleep deprivation, increased suicide attempts, lack of focus… the list goes on.

An article about iGen in the Atlantic gives the following advice…. “Put down the phone, turn off the laptop, and do something—anything—that does not involve a screen.” Although iGen is the target of this discussion, we adults are not immune either. There are countless benefits to playing and learning an instrument, but now we all need music more than ever.

  • December 17

We are very excited to announce that drum lessons are starting at the Shed! Zack Albetta will be teaching drums to students ages 8 and up. Lessons are available in 30 or 60 min time slots on Tuesdays starting June 6th.

This has been in the works for a while and now that our remodeling and soundproofing is complete, we are ready to start making some noise. Times are filling up, so register today to guarantee your spot.

Read more about Zack below…

Zack Albetta has been playing and teaching professionally for 15 years. He grew up in Santa Fe, NM, where he began playing drums at age 8. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Music in percussion performance, a Master of Music in percussion performance, and a Master of Arts in jazz and studio performance. From 2003 to 2010, Zack lived in Kansas City, MO and was a first call drummer in that city’s rich and historic jazz scene.

In 2010, he moved to Los Angeles, where he expanded his jazz resume, played dozens of musicals for the region’s top theatre companies, and became a staff musician at Disneyland. In 2016, he and his wife relocated to Atlanta, where he has hit the ground running with top acts such as Atlanta Funk Society, The Equinox Orchestra, and Delta Moon. As an educator, Zack has taught everything from beginning private lessons to college classes with students ranging from ages 8 to 80.

Want to write songs but don’t know where to start? Anyone with a basic knowledge of music can write a song! Learn how to put together a chord progression, a melody, and lyrics to create a lasting piece of art to call your own. We will discuss common song forms, study some techniques of the great songwriters throughout history, and every student will leave the workshop with their own original song!

Brandon has been writing songs for 10+ years, both as a solo artist and with various bands over the years. He has approached songwriting from both a self-taught perspective and under the systems of the classical tradition. We will learn some of the basic “rules” for songwriting, and in true rock ‘n’ roll fashion, learn how to break them.

$30 for Current Students
$40 for Non Students

Sign up in our online portal at www.guitarshed.wpengine.com or email [email protected]

Next weekend Lanta Gras will be back in Kirkwood for some Mardi Gras celebrations! Join us in supporting live music, music education and our community on Saturday, January 28 at noon. There will be a parade and post-parade festivities in downtown Kirkwood. Live bands and DJ’s from Scratch Academy will be providing the music!

Read more about Lanta Gras on their website here.
“Lanta Gras is a parade with purpose. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit with the mission to build community and opportunities for children through the common bond of music. Our goal is to establish a program offering brass and percussion musical instruction to middle school and high school children within the historic Atlanta neighborhoods of Kirkwood, East Lake and Edgewood. We hope to provide the instruments, mentorship and instruction to start local Brass Bands, highlighting our children at festivals, events and parades throughout Atlanta. We would love to walk down our streets and hear the echoes of trumpets playing!”