by Glen McCarthy | Aug 26, 2013 | Classroom, Education, Principles, Success Stories, Tips + Tricks
Interning at the Teaching Guitar Workshops Atlanta kicked off the summer Teaching Guitar Workshop (TGW) series, offering both level 1 and level 2 courses. Attendees consisted of educators from elementary, secondary, and even collegiate contexts. While some of the...
by Glen McCarthy | Aug 23, 2013 | Classroom, Education, Principles, Tips + Tricks
I had a new guitar teacher that I was supervising tell me on the fourth day of school that he had already taught his class the first four strings on the guitar and was asking what he should teach on day five. I simply told him to tell his class on day five that the...
by Glen McCarthy | Aug 19, 2013 | Classroom, Education, News, Principles, Tips + Tricks
Let your classroom know what they sound like. Try recording your class sessions once you have gotten a semester underway and play the recording back so that you and your students can objectively review and discuss what they performed (either solo or ensemble pieces)...
by Glen McCarthy | Aug 17, 2013 | Classroom, Education, Principles, Tips + Tricks
Question: How do you implement effective counting and accurate rhythmic reading? I’ve had my students count out loud since day one, but they fight it and struggle with it! Answer: That’s a universal “music teacher” problem. I don’t have a silver bullet for that one....
by Glen McCarthy | Aug 16, 2013 | Classroom, Education, Principles, Tips + Tricks
Each year, more and more music teachers who were hired to teach Band, Choir and Orchestra are being asked to teach guitar. It is common for many music teachers to know little or nothing about playing or teaching guitar. Here is a list of skills which will be very...
by Glen McCarthy | Aug 12, 2013 | Classroom, Education, Principles, Tips + Tricks
Question: Music education training is about proper modeling of playing/singing- how do we teach guitar confidently (and in good conscience), if we are very much beginners and not demonstrating good technique/accurate playing? Answer: Hopefully, you have learned a lot...
