To celebrate our favorite six-stringed instrument, the Brookline Music School decided to honor the guitar with its own month of fun and free activities.  There will be Student Concerts, Faculty Clinics (with Guest Artists), Garageband Class, Tour of the MFA’s Guitar Collection, and Faculty Concert. The entire guitar department is guitastically thrilled to bring you this guitarrific event!

Guitabulous Events for BMS Guitar Students and Open to the Public

Faculty Concert: Thursday, Guitober 30th - 7:30 pm in the Bakalar Recital Hall, Kennard House
Guitar Faculty members Will Dick, Bob Ward, Scott Pittman, Joe Conley, Jason Yost, & Brendan Burns will be sharing their love of guitar with their favorite pieces and collaborating with each other in an exciting and musically diverse evening of guitar playing. We’re turning the tables and putting on a concert for our students. This is our chance as teachers to say “Thank You” to our students for all the great work they do. The Guitar Faculty will play solo pieces & in small ensembles for a night of guitar awesomeness to remember.

Guitar Clinics: Saturday, Guitober 18th in Studio A, Kennard House
3:00 - Duets: Brendan Burns, Will Dick & Valerie Thompson (cellist for Goli & Fluttr Effect ) talk about playing guitar with other musicians.  This clinic demonstrates techniques for expanding or simplifying your playing style to fit any situation.  It also covers ways that different instrumentalists look at music and how a guitarist should present written music to another musician.  A great clinic for those who want to jam, play or write music with other musicians.
4:00 - Songwriting: Will Dick & Brendan Burns discuss how to write songs from a guitarist’s perspective.  Whether you are writing songs for other people or singing and playing the guitar yourself, a guitarist’s way of writing music can be unique.  Will & Brendan demonstrate some common song forms, playing techniques, and compositional exercises to get the songwriter in you out and into the music world.  Songwriters are welcome to present material of their own.
5:00 - Finger-Style: Bob Ward, Will Dick & Brendan Burns demonstrate the wide ranging stylistic opportunities that finger-style techniques present to the guitar.  Classical, Flamenco, Folk, Rock & Jazz styles will be explained and put into context with the a brief history of the finger-style guitar.

Guitar Clinics: Saturday, Guitober 25th in Studio A, Kennard House
3:00 - Blues: Jason Yost, Joe Conley & Brendan Burns talk about Blues fundamentals from the 12-Bar Blues form, to comping & lead techniques. Chord Voicings & Pentatonic forms will be discussed.  This clinic is a must for any guitarist interested in the Blues and/or Early Rock.
4:00 - Guitar Effects: Joe Conley, Jason Yost & Brendan Burns will explain and showcase their favorite guitar effects and stomp boxes.  Jason, Joe & Brendan will demonstrate common pedals and their different playing possibilities.
5:00 - Guitar Repair: Jay Cannava, from Mr. Music, will share his wisdom of servicing & repairing hundreds of guitars in the Boston area.  Jay will show us what to look out for when caring for a guitar and explain how to diagnose and fix some simple problems such as intonation, loose jacks, warped necks and changing strings.

*Concert and Clinics are Free & Open to the Public

Guitabulous Events for BMS Guitar Students Only

Student Concert (Guitar Night 1): Thursday, Guitober 16th – 7:30 pm
Student Concert (Guitar Night 2): Tuesday, Guitober 21st - 7:30 pm
Open recitals for guitar students at BMS. Talk to your instructor if you are interested in performing.

Garageband for the Guitarist Class: Friday, Guitober 17th - 7:30pm (limited space)* in Studio J
Scott Pittman is teaching a special edition of his Garageband class designed specifically for guitarists.  Learn to record, edit & practice with this easy-to-use program.  Sign up with Hollie Fleming (617-277-4593; hfleming@bmsmusic.org)

MFA Tour of Guitars: Sunday, Guitober 19th – 2:00pm (limited space)*
Come to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, to see and hear the Guitars in the museum’s fabulous instrument collection!  Curator Darcy Kuronen promises to show us “a broad range of really cool and significant guitars.”  To sign up, contact Hollie Fleming (617-277-4593; hfleming@bmsmusic.org) BUT HURRY!  Our group is limited to 25. Museum admission is your responsibility; presentation courtesy of BMS

* To sign up for the MFA Guitar Tour or Garageband Class,
contact Hollie Fleming 617-277-4593 x231; hfleming@bmsmusic.org