Testimonial - by Sandi Lauzon

   I started taking Bob’s class... because the name of the class was “Absolute Beginners”; and that’s what I was.  I wanted very basic training– learning simple chords.  I accomplished that and more.  My intention has never been to play for the public but to play for myself and for or with close friends. 

   I love playing songs that I’m familiar with and singing along– still just playing basic chords and loving it.  For those that want to learn more and go further, Bob offers classes for those as well.  Thank you, Bob, for encouraging and helping me to learn...

                         --- Sandi Lauzon 

  

Testimonial - by Alpha Barger

   As a wife of one of your students I want to thank you for your willingness to take the time to teach Ronald. He really looks forward  to lessons on     Mondays. He has learned a lot and playing gives him joy. I know that he has difficulty with his hands and getting all the chords. Your kindness, patience, and encouragement keep him trying. 

   I often smile when I hear a tune that I know and see how he continues. Thank you so much for giving of your time and talents to teach.

                                                                  — Alpha Barger

Testimonial / Judy Zirt

Judy Zirt

I have thoroughly enjoyed my guitar classes. I bought my guitar on the way to my very first class, so I truly was an "absolute" beginner. 

You not only made all the classes so easy to follow but oh, so much fun as well. You told us on the first day that anyone can learn to play the guitar. Well, I'm starting to believe you! 

Thanks Bob!

Guitar / A Life Lesson

Guitar Strings are a lot like our Lives

Playing guitar is in many ways a life lesson. The strings of the guitar are connected to the instrument, but they also each have to be tuned well for the instrument to play and sound harmonically correct. If only one string is out of tune, then it affects the sound of the whole instrument. 

So it is with our lives. If one area of our life is out of step or tune with the rest, it affects the whole. I'm studying a seven-part series now on having our lives transformed, and it integrates the physical, spiritual, mental, emotional, as well as relational, financial & vocational.

This is so true. If we neglect our bodies, our minds and emotions suffer as well. If we do not open our minds to learn, we feel empty and unfulfilled. If we harbor bad feelings of resentment or hatred in our hearts, our whole life is affected in a negative way. 

This life is definitely a system of parts, connected together and functioning as a whole. That's the way that God made us, and that's the way we have to approach our lives.

Guitar Life Group

   High Rock first had a Guitar Group back in the early stages of the church, around 2005. Back then, the church was a sole entity, located near Dan Nicholas Park on Bringle Ferry Road.  It was led by Barry Dyson, and attended by Wayne Eller, both of whom have also served with me more recently in a new Guitar Group at the Salisbury-West campus. We have had about 25-30 people come to the class at different times.  

Guitar Life Group : John Montgomery, Joe Brandt, Bob Wingate, Ethan Hedrick, and Jimmy Smith.

   Right now, we have a core group of about a dozen people, which includes about three beginning students, 4-6 intermediate students, and two or three teachers, including myself, Wayne, and John Montgomery.  During the fall, we were joined by High Rock pastor Tom Bartlett, who is also an accomplished musician.  Tom came in, helped us re-organize the group, and led a piano group.  We began each class as a combined group, having a devotional thought, plus a joint music training, and then we broke off into guitar and piano groups.  This method worked very well, and culminated with a Christmas Concert in December 2013.  { see picture }   We played Christmas favorites, such as Jingle Bells, Joy to the World, and Away in a Manger, as well as some personal favorites.

Logo for our Guitar Group

Here is a Logo that I designed for our Guitar Life Group at church.  I hope to be able to adapt it or create another one for my Senior Guitar Classes.

  How do you like it ?

I'm thinking of creating a TEE SHIRT from this logo design.. would anyone buy them ??





Here's a COLOR version-- what do u think ?





Brand New Guitar Classes Start

 A new session of guitar classes began today at Rufty-Holmes Senior Center.  There was a great turnout of about fifteen (15) students in the Beginners Class-- and ten (10) students in the Intermediate Class.

 

 I was able to put together two separate sets of handout notes for the two classes. 

 

 In the Beginners Class, we covered "How to Tune the Guitar" and "Playing Notes" with a Single-Note Exercise.  We took time to hear from each students, who introduced themselves, and we got to know each other a bit for the first time.  Students were also encouraged to devote practice time every day in learning to play the guitar.

 

 In the Intermediate Class, we studied "Learning New Keys" from a handout entitled "Plus One".  We learned how learning one new chord at a time can help you learn Brand New Keys.  We looked at the 1-4-5 Chords in each key, and also saw how each Major chord is made up of the 1-3-5 notes of the scale.  We studied the key of C and the key of E, learning some two-string "Power Chords", and saw how these chords are used over and over in popular music.

 

 Looking forward to these next weeks and seeing how our classes and students develop!