Tag Archives: learning guitar

I’ll be offering my popular Performance Anxiety Rehab Workshop beginning September 10th, 2016 and continuing on September 24th, October 15th and 29th from 2:00-3:30 pm PDT with PAR PODS to follow throughout the remainder of the year. Performance Anxiety Rehab (PAR) Nearly every performer, amateur to professional, suffers from some level of performance anxiety. If you’ve Read More

My four month hiatus from playing taught me a lot about the guitar. Since my methodical return I have gained new technical, musical and performance skills. I hope guitarists, and perhaps even non-guitarists find these posts worth following. Guitarists who want to improve their technique as well as musicianship and performance skills should apply themselves as Read More

Classical Guitar Immersion – Performance Development June 17th-24th, 2016 CGI is an immersion experience where 7 guitarists join me for a week of performance preparation on the historic Columbia River Gorge at the Menucha Retreat and Conference Center in Corbett, Oregon. In this close and intimate setting students get personal attention through daily masterclasses, ensemble Read More

The 9th Annual Classical Guitar Immersion Student Recital will take place on Thursday, June 2oth at 7:30 pm at the Community Music Center located at 3350 S.E. Francis in Portland, Oregon. Performers will include: Yen Nguyen from Newport, Oregon; Sunny Mudge from San Luis Obispo, California; James Walker, from Seattle, Washington; Tom Page from Baltimore, Read More

Performance anxiety affects nearly every performer, some learn to overcome it, others continue be subject to it’s affects. I suffered greatly from the affects of PA and finally found solutions that are simple and consistent. Join me on Saturday, March 24th from 2:00-3:00 PDT for an informal open discussion on the topic. All instruments welcome! Read More

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 Read More

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 Read More

Here are a couple of slide shows from my recent European performances. It was a dreamlike tour; a week in Bavaria where I was reunited with soprano Janet Chvatal with a cavalcade of performers, (another guitarist, singers and orchestra) in the Neuschwanstein Castle. Neuschwanstein Castle Performance 2011 Slideshow Then it was a beautiful week on Read More

Saturday, January 14th to February 18th, 2-4 pm The serious classical guitarist who wishes to study, play, and ultimately perform, will find the need for a strong technical foundation. A strong technical foundation can be achieved when our hands are working with optimal strength and coordination, which is best achieved by adhering to bio-mechanical principles. Read More

I remember clearly my decision to pursue the study of classical guitar. Following a concert of the (original) Oregon Guitar Quartet, contacted Scott Kritzer, one of it’s members, and told him I wanted to study guitar, and that I was a beginner. To my delight, he took me on. That was 1988! During my 17 Read More