Pitching Guitar Class: A Look at the Numbers

by Glen McCarthy | Jun 24, 2016 | Classroom, Education, Gear, Principles, Tips + Tricks

With tight and fluctuating school budgets, it can feel like an impossible mission to pitch a new idea. This is especially true of arts programming, as music educators know. Interested in starting a guitar program at your school? One way is to sell the powers-that-be...

4 Sites That Will Make You a Better Guitar Teacher

by Glen McCarthy | Jun 19, 2016 | Classroom, Education, News, Principles, Success Stories, Tips + Tricks, Uncategorized, Videos

You’re a classroom guitar teacher and you’re having trouble planning lessons. Maybe your kids are getting better on guitar faster than you. You want to stay ahead of the curve, but when would you have time to take lessons and where would you find money in...

The End Is Near – Time for End-of-the-School-Year Chores

by Glen McCarthy | Jun 9, 2016 | Classroom, Education, Gear, News, Principles, Stories, Tips + Tricks

Just like your students, you are counting the days until the last final exam is taken and those sweet guitarists are on their way to summer! In our district it is very difficult to keep the momentum up during the last month of school. The first major interruption was...

3 Super Simple Music Theory Concepts for Guitar Students

by Glen McCarthy | Jun 5, 2016 | Classroom, Education, News, Principles, Tips + Tricks, Uncategorized

It’s time these guitar students learn music theory. Life can’t just be about noodling and trying to figure out, Smoke on the Water. If this sounds like you, you’re not alone – we agree. However, it might surprise you to learn that teaching...

Classroom Guitar Diaries – The Big Test

by Glen McCarthy | May 22, 2016 | Classroom, Education, Gear, Principles, Stories, Tips + Tricks, Uncategorized

Wrap it up! Show me what you know! It’s the day of the big test! I begin by letting kids study with buddies for about 10 minutes of class. They are allowed to ask me any questions and review anything they don’t understand. Students ask about how to tell the...

Classroom Guitar Diary – Review Time

by Glen McCarthy | May 15, 2016 | Classroom, Education, Gear, News, Principles, Stories, Tips + Tricks, Uncategorized

Review Time! It’s week 8! I was the preparation for the BIG unit test! Of course, it also was the week our students took the Terra Nova test. I don’t know about you but, I know our kids can be a little crazy these days! I think it’s because of sitting in a chair...