Newsletter Vol. 4 # 2 – May 1, 2011
Greetings,
Welcome to Volume 4, Issue #2 of Guitar Noise News!
In This Issue:
- Greetings, News and Announcements
- Guitar Noise Featured Artist
- Topic of the Month
- New Articles, Lessons, Reviews and Stuff
- Great Advice from Great Teachers
- Spotlight on the Sunday Songwriters Group
- Events Horizon
- Random Thoughts
Greetings, News and Announcements
A happy May first to all of you! And welcome to the latest issue of Guitar Noise News, the free twice-a-month newsletter from Guitar Noise (www.guitarnoise.com).
Before we go any further, I’d like to send out wishes to all our readers who have been affected by the amazing and terrifying spate of tornadoes (as well as the flood waters) that have been hitting the central, south and southeast regions of the United States these past two weeks. Please try to be safe out there!
And I’d also like to remind any of our readers who would like to help any of those who’ve been affected by the many natural disasters of late to check in with their local office of the Red Cross or whichever rescue and relief agency you feel best about. There’s always some way to help.
We’re making more progress on the lessons front in regard to dealing with some of the publishers. As many of you know, Paul has been working on negotiating the return of the music examples (both in notation and guitar tablature) with various publishers since last spring. As mentioned in our last two issues, the final phase of these negotiations has been excruciatingly slow but we’ll let you know the news, one way or the other, as soon as we do. And, as always, both Paul and I thank you all for both your support and your patience through all this.
In other news, I got an email from Nick Minnion the other day. He writes:
After fourteen months of slaving over a hot computer, not to mention sweating over a hot guitar in front of hot film studio lights, I am very pleased to welcome you to my brand new guitar teaching website!
Whereas my first site was aimed principally at Guitar Teachers, Secret Guitar Teacher is for anyone wanting to learn or improve their guitar playing.
If you are a guitar teacher who knows me from TeachGuitar.com or any of my ebooks on guitar teaching, then here’s a chance to see me putting some of what I have been preaching into practice!
Whether a guitar student or teacher, please dive in and help yourself to all the free goodies on offer on SecretGuitarTeacher.com including loads of backing tracks to jam over, printouts of all sorts of musical things and video lessons to meet the needs of all levels and styles of guitar playing.
As always, I am very grateful for your support and look forward to receiving your feedback on the new site and news of how you are all getting on, either with learning or teaching guitar.
Happy Playing!
Nick Minnion
www.secretguitarteacher.com
and
www.teachguitar.com
We want to wish Nick the best of success in this venture. Be sure to check out both his websites when you have the time.
And speaking of Nicks, we want to take a moment to congratulate Nick Torres, Guitar Forums Moderator of Moderators, and to wish him the best on his performing gig this afternoon at The Writers’ Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Nick will be taking part in an open reading of Mark Twain: The Return of Halley’s Comet by Donald Bliss. Nick will be playing four parts, one being Ulysses S, Grant. The show starts at 2 PM if you happen to be in the area. It should be a very enlightening and moving piece.
Guitar Noise Featured Artist
Since he’s turning seventy in a few weeks, it seemed a no-brainer to make Bob Dylan our Guitar Noise Featured Artist of the Month for May. We have yet to repeat an “artist of the month,” but both Paul and I think that this occasion warrants the attention. Find out more about this highly influential guitarist and songwriter on the Guitar Noise Profile Page.
Topic of the Month
Being, first and foremost, a website dedicated to teaching people all over the world the wonders of making music with the guitar, we’re thrilled to inform you that our Guitar Noise “Topic of the Month” for May is “Teaching Guitar.”
During your next visit to the Guitar Noise home page, click on the “Topic of the Month” up in the top left corner, just below the blue banner and check out all the great tips and information we have for you.
New Articles, Lessons, Reviews and Stuff
Can I Teach Guitar?
by Jamie Andreas
Many people ask this question for different reasons; some may be looking for fulfillment, some may be looking for a job, and hopefully many are doing both.
Sleutelbos: Inside Outsider
CD Review by David Hodge
Inside Outsider, by longtime Guitar Noise community member and contributor Arjen Schippers, is one of those albums that demands attention but rewards the listener with astonishing depth and layering.
Re-Beginning The Guitar Part 3 – Need To Know
by David Hodge
This one got lost in the April Fool’s Day shuffle! Do you really need to know music theory to play? How about reading music? Although the answer is pretty simple, there’s a lot to consider when making those choices. David discusses these decisions and what they mean, or should mean, to you.
Great Advice From Great Teachers
In our last issue of Guitar Noise News we started this new feature where we get some of the many teachers from the Guitar Noise community to contribute some advice about music, guitars and all sorts of topics. And since our “Topic of the Month” is teaching guitar, longtime Guitar Noise contributor and Forum Moderator Alan Green was kind enough to give us some tips about how to go about becoming a guitar teacher. While his narrative deals with the nuances of teaching guitar in England, there is still plenty of help for those of us living outside the British Isles!
Making a living as a guitar teacher by Alan Green
Episode 1 – making the break
So, there I was. It was March 2009. I’d been made redundant, for the second time, after twenty years in Investment Banking. And at the worst time that had ever been known in the industry too; jobs were being slashed everywhere.
So, there I sat in the study. I’d done some job-hunting online; I’d been doing some every day, registered with loads of agencies, and the outlook was gloomy.
I’d done all the job-hunting I could for the day. I tuned up a guitar, fired up a recording of an orchestra rehearsal on the PC, and started working on some material.
I could always turn pro at this, I thought.
I’d done some guitar teaching before, when I came back from living in Germany. I used to have Saturday afternoons full of students. Why couldn’t I do some more? I hadn’t done any marketing in the two years since we moved house; I dusted off my business cards.
The first time I went looking for students, it took about eight months for the first one to call me up. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to be as casual about getting students this time. I went and spoke to all the local guitar shops – both of them. On the way home, it dawned on me that I might be able to do something through Adult Education; most local colleges had loads of courses, pottery, knitting, languages, why not music? Why not guitar!?!? I dug out e-mail addresses for the County Council’s three adult education offices and wrote telling them all about me.
A couple of days later I got a reply. “We’ve got nothing for guitar in Adult Education,” they said, “why don’t you talk to mainstream?” and they gave me an e-mail address for the local Education Authority’s Music Services team. I wrote, telling them all about me.
Two weeks later, I’d got an interview with an Investment Bank for some temp work. I got the job too. Then I got an e-mail from the Music Services people. “Give us your address,” they said, “we’ll send you an application form.”
Tip number 1: Talk to your local Education Authority’s Music Services people.
Episode 2 – that 90-minute audition
So, it was May 2009. I’d got a job with an Investment Bank, and I’d started working there. I’d sent off the application form to the Music Services people and had more or less assumed they weren’t interested
Tip number 2: Music Services take ages to reply about things.
I got home from work one evening, and there was a letter from Music Services. It was a pretty thin envelope so I assumed it was a “Thanks, but no thanks” letter. Instead it said, “Please come for an audition and interview on this date.”
Now, I’m used to Investment Banking interviews which run for about an hour and probe into every ounce of your capabilities, motivation, leadership and practical experience and then expect you to pledge your soul to working twelve-hour days for little thanks. My interview technique was pretty hot, and I’d never failed an audition so along I went. I played “Capricho Arabe” by Francisco Tarrega, which I’d played at Grade 8, and “Classical Gas” by Mason Williams.
Tip number 3: Play something by a living composer. Examiners and Music Services people love it.
There followed ninety minutes of intense grilling about capabilities, teaching technique, motivation, leadership and practical experience, and safeguarding (including exactly what you can and can’t keep confidential from that conversation with your students.) “Right,” they said at the end, “subject to references and criminal record clearance, we’ll start working with you from September.”
Job done.
Tip number 4: Enhanced Criminal Records Clearance takes two months to come back.
Then it starts to get a bit complicated. I’ll tell you about that next time.
Spotlight On The Sunday Songwriters’ Group
And it just so happens that when I was plotting this all out ages ago, I’d slated Alan Green to be in the May “Spotlight on SSG” feature at the Guitar Noise Blog. Sometimes things just work out that way. In case you’ve not heard him before, Alan is an excellent classical guitarist. But we’re choosing to highligh his great punk song, “Sold Out” from Year 7 of the SSG. Alan’s also managed to take on the Q & A bit with me. Read all about it, and listen to Alan’s song here.
Events Horizon
If you’re anywhere near Norfolk, Connecticut, then you want to get over to Infinity Hall (on Route 44 right in the middle of town) this afternoon for the free FODfest show that starts at 4 PM. Lots of great performers and magical musical moments await you.
Doug James’ group Southern Roots continues to light up Virginia in a big way,. Next Friday, May 6, they’ll be at The Triple, 3306 West Broad Street in Richmond for a 10 PM show. And the following weekend, on Saturday, May 14, they’ll be rocking the house at Rocks River Roadhouse @ Rockahock, 1428 Outpost Road in Lanexa. Show starts at 9 PM.
And the wonderful Australian band, The Wishing Well, embark on a series of stops in Northern Ireland and Ireland beginning today. Tonight at 8 PM they’ll be at the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival, held at the Clanmill Arts & Business Centre on Bridge Street in Belfast.
From there, they’re off to Galway where you’ll catch them Wednesday, May 4 at 8pm at Roisin Dubh on Dominick Street.
The next night, Thurday, May 5, you’ll find them in Cork at the 9 PM show at the Crane Lane Theatre on
Pheonix Street.
Or you can catch them on Sunday, May 8 at The Back Room at The Cobblestone, located at 77 North King Street, Smithfield Square in Dublin.
Random Thoughts
Earlier this month I got an email from Javi, who goes by “Nuno” on the Guitar Noise Forums and I meant write about it in our last newsletter. Unfortunately all sorts of other things came up so I apologize for not bringing this to everybody’s attention sooner.
Javi writes:
You know I love all the activities in Guitar Noise (proposed by you and also by the members in the forum). Probably, my favorite is the Sunday Songwriters’ Group. I frequent that forum and I read the posts but I never wrote. I am not good with words and, moreover, English is not my mother tongue. I have tried to write lyrics but it is too hard to me.
Some months ago my girlfriend gave me a box with pencils and charcoal and I started to draw. First, they were exercises and sketches. Then, I tried to draw more complex scenes. You know, just for fun.
And some weeks ago (exactly five weeks) I guessed I could finally participate in the SSG by using the weekly assignments as guidelines for drawing.
I uploaded the drawings on Flickr but I do it on new blog now. The blog allows to write some texts and explanations on the drawings and also to organize the contents. Flickr is good but a blog is better.
The name of the blog is “Vinyl Eraser”and I maintain a special page on the SSG drawings.
And I have to say that this is a very cool idea! If you’re someone who plays or writes music, dabbling in another creative outlet, such as drawing or painting, can help you find inspiration for your songwriting or arranging.
Simply being open to art of any kind, on any level, will often help you find inspiration for your own endeavors. So now I find myself checking up not only on the songs and song lyrics and the critiques that people are posting up on the SSG but also on Javi’s latest sketches. Reading and listening and now seeing all this creativity is definitely inspiring!
If you get the chance, drop in on Javi’s blog and check out his sketchwork. It may inspire you to pick up and pencil and start working out some drawings yourself.
Until our next issue of Guitar Noise News. Until then, play well and play often.
And, as always,
Peace