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The Watauga County Arts Council to Offer Summer Guitar Crash Course Through Month of July

July 1, 2014. Has that guitar that was handed down to you or perhaps given to you as a gift been starting you in the face for months or even years? Have your fingers itched to pluck the tunes it holds, but lack the know how to make it sound like you’re imagining instead of more like painful twangs and dischords?

In only two short weeks, you can be making your guitar sound much more like you’ve dreamed by participating in Watauga County Arts Council’s Summer Guitar Crash Course. This course is a basic introduction in a group class setting. Students will learn basic guitar skills, chords, reading music, finger-style picking, music notation and how to play in a guitar ensemble.

imgresIt is a wonderful class to take on your own or to share with someone special in your life. Adults might want to take the class with a younger child such as a grandchild. The classes are open to students aged 7 and up. Classes will begin on Monday, July 14, and will take place each afternoon Monday through Friday from 1-2:30 p.m. through July 25.

The crash course is being taught by David Smith, an Alumnus of Appalachian State University’s Hayes School of Music and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He holds degrees from UNC Charlotte in Music and Traditional Philosophy and a Master of Musical Performance in Classical Guitar from Appalachian State.

Currently, David is a freelance musician in the Boone area and an adjunct music teacher at Emory & Henry College in Emory, Va. He has played in a jazz duo, a rock cover band and helps with the music performances on Sundays at the Watauga County High School. Primarily. David focuses his attention on Classical guitar music from various time periods and to travel the world playing music is one of his dreams. David has been teaching private guitar lessons during the past year at the Blue Ridge ArtSpace through their partnership with the Community Music School sponsored by the Hayes School of Music.

The cost for the Summer Guitar Crash Course is $120 for ten sessions. Guitars are also available for lease through the Watauga County Arts Council for $10 each.

Registration deadline is Saturday, July 12. Because space is limited, should this class fill, there will be another class formed.

There are four ways to register.

  1. Go to the Watauga County Arts Council’s website to sign up online and pay via PayPal.
  2. Download the registration form and mail it in with a check.
  3. Call the Arts Council at 828-264-1789.
  4. Come by the Blue Ridge ArtSpace at 377 Shadowline Dr. in Boone and register in person.

For more information call the Watauga County Arts Council at 828-264-1789.