Guitar Workshops

Guitar lovers from complete beginners to those shredding advanced riffs meet for two hours weekly, to not only learn how to play in a group, but to try out new techniques whilst playing guitar-based songs by bands such as Nirvana, to more chilled out numbers in a blues or soul style.  All levels are given tips on how to improvise.  Differentiation of abilities is managed by the tutor so each student can learn at their own pace.  Every six weeks new repertoire is introduced to work towards a public gig.

Performances

There is nothing like the feeling of playing your first ever public gig or returning to play in front of people, in some cases, after 20 years. Our gigs, deliberately kept informal, showcase a range of talent and help nurture skills new and old to audiences made up of friendly faces - mostly friends and family of students. These gigs are hosted in venues from wine bars to arts and craft hubs to unusual dens such as a coffee house based in a cycle shop.

Some people say you are only as good as your last performance. With our workshop gigs we aim to help everyone feel at ease and improve their next performance. The opportunity to take away a CD recording of themselves with their group provides not only evidence of how good they sound but a nice keep sake they can share with friends and family who may never have heard them sing, strum or strike a note. Every 6 weeks new repertoire and songs produced and learnt – being able to record a CD also provides a good portfolio of songs that students can return to any time and perhaps introduce to others.

Every performance no matter whether it’s live or recorded, formal or informal is memorable. Our workshop students’ experiences are further increased with opportunities to perform on radio. The camaraderie of our workshop groups has been electric anytime the red light has flashed. Hearing our workshop students speak about their experiences in the workshops live to inquisitive radio presenters and then perform on cue has boosted the confidence of many a participant and given them a taste of life as a musician.