Organizers hope guitarists will “Represent your generation” by
attending the second annual Generations Guitar Workshop on April 25
at Floyd C. Fretz Middle School.
Generations Guitar Society will host a variety of clinics,
taught by experienced local musicians with net proceeds benefiting
the McKean County Unit of the American Cancer Society. Musicians
with vastly different tastes and styles from various parts of the
region have voluntarily united to promote all things guitar.
“The target of the program is for players, but everybody,
including spectators, is welcome,” said Jim Ronan of Dragonfly
Guitar Studio in Bradford and president of the McKean and Potter
counties chapter of the Generations Guitar Society.
Ronan started the workshops after receiving a gift from his
children to attend the North American Guitar contest. There he met
up with last year’s Master Clinician, Dan Peters, and the
Generations Guitar Workshop began.
Peters and one of this year’s instructors, Eric Brewer, were
featured in the holiday 2008 issue of Guitar Player magazine.
Brewer, an Erie resident, was also featured as one of guitarist
Elliott Randall’s Great 16 throughout 2007 and as an artist of the
week on GuitarPlayerZen.com. He was
selected to compete in Guitar Player magazine’s Guitar Superstar 08
in San Francisco, Calif., in September.
“This year the very talented Doug Yeomans will be the master
clinician,” said Ronan, “and we will induct another member to our
Hall of Fame.”
The first inductee was Grant Orris. This year David Myslewski
will be inducted into the Hall of Fame for his contributions to
guitar music in McKean County. He and Marge Terry will open for
Yeomans at the 7:30 p.m. concert. Tickets can be purchased at Orris
Jewelers or Wrights Music Shed.
Yeomans, of Buffalo, N.Y., won the Buffalo Music Award for Best
Country Lead Guitar in 1990; the North American Rock Guitar
Competition in June of 2001; and the Buffalo Music Award for Best
Blues Guitarist.
He is also a member of the Doug Yeomans and the Lo Blue Flame
band, which can be heard on YouTube and is known for a wide variety
of playing styles that mix country, blues, rock and roll, bluegrass
and jazz.
The workshop will offer three sessions of instruction and an
evening concert. Participants are asked to take a guitar and
amplifier and any other equipment. Registration will begin at 8:15
a.m.
The first morning session offers participants a choice of three
clinics: Livin On Blues Power: The Guitarist’s Toolbox with Jim
Ronan, The Beginning Guitarist with Joel Golden, and Bass From the
Bottom with Don Vought.
A second morning session will include Guitar Techniques with
Myslewski and Terry, Heavy Metal Thunder with Kira Leck, and Finger
Lickin’ Chickin’ Pickin’ with Bob Hartle.
After lunch, a songwriters’ roundtable will take place.
Participants are asked to take a written piece, to discuss, one
which may be a work-in-progress of lyrics and/or musical
composition.
In the final session of classes, four workshops are available:
The Complete Guitarist with Joel Anderson; Slide Guitar with Gene
Johnson; a Master Class with Yeomans; and the bonus clinic Classic
Rock with Brewer.
Following the workshop, a jam session and concert will take
place.
Other activities will include an equipment trade or sale.
Sellers will be asked to pay a nominal fee to participate and an
additional courtesy donation for the Cancer Society will be
requested if a sale is made.
Wrights Music Shed will also have items available to purchase
during the event.
