Fireside Chat with Michael Lorimer

Posted on March 3, 2012 by

Michael Lorimer

I am very excited and honored to inaugurate my Fireside Chat series with guitarist Michael Lorimer favorite protege of Andres Segovia. Mr Lorimer will be joining the Kritzer Studio via SKYPE on Sunday, March 18th at 3:00-4:30 pm for an open discussion initiated by your questions. What a fantastic opportunity to discuss the lifetime of achievement of one of America’s top guitarists, someone who helped propel the guitar to the prominence it enjoys today. Learn what it was like studying and traveling with Andres Segovia, his work with composers and guitarists, how he approaches arrangements, his thoughts on the state of the classical guitar. This is open to Subscribers of this website but seating is limited so please reserve your spot ASAP if you’d like to be present! Simply Subscribe to this site (if you haven’t already) and go to Contact to let me know. Continue reading →

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Kritzer Studio Opening Report

Posted on February 26, 2012 by

Jeffrey Elliott and Cyndy Burton in the new Kritzer Studio

It was an exciting night – thanks everyone for your participation. It was a nice mix of students, friends, and fans! I welcomed everyone in the main area of the building, and shared some of the upcoming events.

 

Part of what made this evening special was the performance I was able to share with my first teacher, my brother Jack Kritzer. Beginning a week-long family visit was a nice way to share some exciting studio news and at the same time give my brother the nod he deserves for igniting my interest in the guitar, an interest that grew into an obsession and eventually a career. When I began my classical guitar lessons, Jack joined me, and for a year we’d drive and study together, working on the same technical exercises and assignments. Continue reading →

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Possible Cure for the Musician’s Nervous Hand Shakes

Posted on February 23, 2012 by

One of the great benefits of Classical Guitar Immersion is the collective knowledge and experience that the participants add to the week-long event. In fact, it’s an integral part of the ‘immersion’ experience. This happens informally, with chats on the way to the dining hall, or at night by the fireside, or in our ’round tables’ where we discuss a particular subject.

One day Tom Page was telling me his thoughts on the effects of adrenaline on performance anxiety – which I found very revealing – so I asked him and Doug Campbell (an MD) to lead a discussion on the subject. Tom explained that his expertise was what he could garner from his wife (she does research on stress and immunity at Johns Hopkins University), and Doug shared that he’d retired from practicing medicine years ago, but that he had a brain iPhone app (funny guys, to boot.)

CGI Attendees

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Getting More out of Your Guitar Lessons

Posted on January 29, 2012 by

Table of Contents for Getting More

  1. Getting More out of Your Guitar Lessons
  2. Getting More from a Master Class

In our last installment, we discussed how to get more out of your practice time.  Next, we’ll discuss how to get more out of your guitar lessons. While lessons can be expensive, they can also move your playing forward much more quickly than if you study on your own. This post will cover how to get more for your money. Also, I’ll briefly cover supplemental forms of study that the Kritzer Studio provides which will work as a substitute for those who can’t afford private lessons. Continue reading →

Next in series
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Artclectic PDX – Scott Kritzer Interview

Posted on January 28, 2012 by

Here’s a short interview of me from the Portland show Artclectic PDX with host Dennise M. Kowalczyk.

Artclectic PDX Interview of Scott Kritzer

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Kritzer Studio Opening and Special Performance

Posted on January 25, 2012 by

I’d like to invite you to a special Kritzer Studio Gathering on Friday, February 17th at 7:00 p.m. Come see my new studio and hear some exciting news regarding the release of my new Method for Classical Guitar. This is the fruition of over 30 years of teaching and 5 years of intense writing and research. Also, you’ll be the first to hear some exciting news about next season! (There is very limited space so if you’d like to attend please R.S.V.P. by going to Contact and letting me know how many people.)

I’d like to offer a short program of music for classical guitar as well as classically arranged popular songs by my first teacher and brother, Jack Kritzer. It seems fitting to have Jack (my big brother) a self-taught guitarist, here at this special event as he was my inspiration for learning to play the guitar. This will be the first time we’ll be sharing the stage together!
Continue reading →

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The Chunking Theory of Learning by Tom Page

Posted on January 16, 2012 by

The following article was submitted by my student Tom Page. It’s a great article and offers some very interesting concepts regarding practice and learning. Great job Tom, thanks!

The chunking theory of learning is based on the concepts that:
• Performance consists of known patterns (chunks) inherent in the task you are performing
• Practice consists of acquiring the necessary patterns (chunks) that you build out of tasks already mastered.

High levels of performance are made possible by the magic of chunking. The time required to process a larger chunk is shorter than the sum of the times to process all the component chunks that comprise it. Hence, acquiring skill consists of building up increasingly larger-scale chunks, such that tasks of increasing complexity can be performed much more rapidly and fluidly than all of the underlying component skills required would imply. Continue reading →

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Range of Motion for the Right Hand

Posted on January 10, 2012 by

Often players, knowingly or not, limit the range of motion when playing the classical guitar. The ‘Minimum Movement’ movement has propagated this idea. The idea being if you can stay close to the string you’ll be able to player faster, that less movement means less exertion. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. A proper range of motion, being bio mechanically correct, allows for a relaxed movement and better tone production.

The following video is an excerpt of a lesson with student Nigel Stadick, working on Prelude from J.S. Bach’s 1st Cello Suite.

I’m quoting here from my Phase I – Free Stroke

Prevalent in my early studies was the concept of ‘minimum motion’. The theory went like this; the more my finger moves the farther it is from the string which slows my response time to get to the next note. A shorter motion keeps the finger poised to play. This may sound good in theory but it’s mechanically unsound. If a finger is stopped from Continue reading →

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Playing for Segovia

Posted on November 2, 2011 by

While studying with Michael Lorimer in a special year-long master class off the coast of Wilmington, North Carolina in 1980 I was given the opportunity to play for my teacher’s teacher, Andres Segovia.

Maestro Segovia was to be awarded the Albert Schweitzer award for music, coincidentally, at the University of North Carolina in Wilmington, where our year long master class with Michael Lorimer was held. Having heard that Segovia hated beards I shaved mine off the night before and arrived only assured that I, along with the other students, would get to meet him.

Michael and Jude met with the Maestro first as we all nervously awaited our introductions.

Jude and Michael with Segovia

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La Folia Form

Posted on October 25, 2011 by

By Charlie Schultz, student

The name La Folia means “folly” or “madness”. It refers to a dance in 3/4 time that originated in the late 15th century. It was originally a quick paced noisy dance in which the dancers carried men, dressed as women, on their shoulders. There were many different basic themes and there was not one single fundamental melody that dominated the rest for these so called ‘early’ Folia. These Folias became very popular in Spain and Italy.

Composer Jean-Baptiste Lully

In the late 1600’s, the rhythm and melody were adapted into a kind of solemn passacaglia (Jean-Baptiste Lully, “Air des Hautbois”, 1672, see below) and it gained more popularity, particularly in higher society. This is known as the “later Folia”. It has been transcribed for virtually every instrument and has been used by more than 150 composers since then. Continue reading →

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