The perennial gathering of some of the very best guitarists in the world is always a star-studded display of guitar virtuosity — not only during the live performances on the Guitar Town main stage, but also during the fun, informative morning workshops Guitar Town hosts on both Saturday and Sunday mornings, at 10a.m. at the Copper Conference Center. Guitar aficionados/students and fans are granted a rare opportunity to connect with the Acoustic Day and Electric Day guitarists on a personal level at the workshops in a relaxed “living room-style” format while hearing stories, soaking up advice, gaining technical insight, and witnessing “you’ll never see this anywhere else” jams.
Workshop Schedule
Friday Kick Off Workshops
- 12:30pm – 1:30pm Guitar Workshop – “Learn to Play Guitar in a Day!” – Marlene Hutchinson – Conference Center
- 1:30pm – 3:30pm Proper Care and Feeding of your Guitar – Robbie O’Brien and Jim Deeming – Conference Center
- 3:30pm – 6:00pm NEW! Tips, Tricks and Tales from the Road Performance Workshop – John Knowles, Christie Lenée, and Joe Robinson (others may be added) – Conference Center
Acoustic Day Workshop Saturday
- 10:00am – 11:00am Guitar Workshop – “Learn to Play Guitar in a Day!” – Marlene Hutchinson – West Lake Stage
- 10:30am – 11:30am Musicians Acoustic Workshop – Conference Center
- 11:00am – 12:00pm Guitar Workshop – “Learn to Play Guitar in a Day!” – Marlene Hutchinson – West Lake Stage
Electric Day Workshop Sunday Conference Center
- 10:30am – 11:30am – Electric Musicians Workshop – Conference Center
Learn to Play Guitar in a Day
- Fri 12:00pm Upper Level Conference Center
- Sat 10:00am and 11:00am and 11am Guitar Center Stage – West Lake Stage
Learn to Play Guitar in a Day!
Stop dreaming and start playing guitar right away! Marlene Hutchinson, creator of “Learn to Play Guitar in a Day!”, as seen on PBS and featured on CBS, NBC and Acoustic Guitar, will present her program designed for the absolute novice. It’s a simple, fun method that will get you playing guitar right away. No music and/or guitar experience is required. Bring your acoustic guitar, stop by to meet Marlene and learn to play. No guitar, no problem ~ we’ll have loaner guitars compliments of Guitar Center.
The 1 hour clinic will include information and skills similar to those presented during the first hour of Marlene’s 5 hour “Learn to Play Guitar in a Day!”™ workshop. Marlene will cover guitar basics; parts of the guitar, positioning, tuning, fingering, reading a chord chart, basic time signatures, and then the attendees will learn to play 2 chords and 3 songs.
Taught by Marlene Hutchinson
Marlene lives and teaches guitar Orange County, California and presents her “Learn to Play Guitar in a Day!” workshop at colleges, universities and other locations around the United States. Her DVD airs on PBS stations and she has been featured on CBS 2, KCal9, NBC 9News, NPR (National Public Radio), Acoustic Guitar, the Women’s International Music Network and several newspapers including the Orange County Register. “Learn to Play Guitar in a Day!” is a 2014 Player’s Choice Award nominee. Additionally, Marlene is a spokesperson/clinician for GAMA (Guitar & Accessories Marketing Association) and a contributing editor for Making Music Magazine.
Proper Care and Feeding of your Guitar
If you have questions about how to properly care for your instrument or anything else lutherie related then come to the “ask the Luthier” event with Robbie O’Brien and get those questions answered.
When Jim Deeming takes the stage, audiences know they’re in for a treat before the first song is over. His infectious love of the guitar is evident in every arrangement, whether playing an original or covering one of his heroes, including the likes of Chet Atkins, Merle Travis and Jerry Reed.
Jim got his first guitar at the age of six. His ever evolving fingerstyle technique produces an exciting one-man-band sound which he applies to a wide range of songs from gospel to country, pop, classical and bluegrass. He rounds out his sound with alternate tunings and blistering banjo-style rolls that leave listeners looking around for “the other guitar player”
In addition to performing and recording, he is also a fingerstyle instructor for JamPlay.com with thousands of students in over 50 countries and recently won 2nd place in the 2011 Utah State Open Fingerstyle Championship.
Robert “Robbie” O’Brien
Robert “Robbie” O’Brien began his guitar building career in São Paulo, Brazil in 1997. For three years, Robbie built classical guitars under Antonio Tessarin, who remains one of Brazil’s most highly sought after luthiers. While still living in Brazil and upon returning to the United States, Robbie studied acoustic guitar building under Kent Everett in Atlanta, GA. He has also studied in Spain with renowned classical guitar builder José Romanillos.
In 2003, Robbie founded the Lutherie Program in the Fine Woodworking Department at Red Rocks Community College in Denver, CO. He developed the program into one of the largest lutherie schools in the United States. By the end of his tenure in 2012, the course list had expanded from a single classical guitar building class to include classes in acoustic guitar, electric guitar, archtop guitar, mandolin, violin, guitar setup & repair, French polish, high gloss finishes and inlay.
One of Robbie’s greatest passions in lutherie is teaching. He offers one on one and small group building and finishing classes, as well as master classes. He also offers consultations to individuals and small groups wanting help with their guitar building. To date, Robbie has personally supervised the building of over 500 guitars made by students in Colorado, from teenagers to retirees. Several of his students relocated to Colorado specifically to study with him.
NEW! Tips, Tricks, and Tales from the Road Performance Workshop
New in 2019! Get performance tips from Guitar Town artists! Would you like to work with Guitar Town performers to enhance your performance skills? Join us for Guitar Town’s first-ever Performance Workshop! Where but Guitar Town can you learn from guitarists of this caliber for FREE!? All ages welcome.
Panel (3:30pm – 4:15pm): During the first hour, a panel of artists from the Guitar Town roster will share performance Tips, Tricks, and Tales from the Road, covering everything from focused practice to showmanship. There will be plenty of time for Q & A. The panel discussion is open to all: No registration required.
Panelists: John Knowles, Christie Lenée – others TBA
Break (4:15pm – 4:25pm)
One-on-one Mentoring (4:25pm – 6:00pm): Bring your guitar, because the second part of the workshop will be 20-minute one-on-one mentoring sessions with Guitar Town artists! You must pre-register online before August 1 to reserve your place for a mentoring session. If there are mentoring spots available after August 1, we will have sign-up sheets at the workshop room on Friday afternoon from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. If there are still openings at 2:30 p.m., those who have already signed up for one session will be able to sign up for a second one.
Mentors: John Knowles, Christie Lenée, Joe Robinson – others may be added
John Knowles, CGP
John Knowles, CGP has worked with the finest fingerstyle and classical guitarists including Chet Atkins, Jerry Reed, Lenny Breau, and Tommy Emmanuel. In 1996, Chet Atkins named John an Honorary CGP (Certified Guitar Player) – he is one of only five people to earn this distinction. John’s work also earned him a Grammy and two Emmy nominations, and in 2004, he was inducted into the National Thumb Picker’s Hall of Fame for the second time. John is a regular instructor at Rocky Mountain Guitar Camp and a past performer at Guitar Town. Guitarists around the world learn from his FingerStyle QUARTERLY and his TrueFire video lessons.
Christie Lenée
Christie Lenée, 2017 International Fingerstyle Guitar Champion, views the guitar as an entire spectrum of musical possibilities. A captivating performer, her unique guitar work and profound instrumental compositions are well described as ‘Michael Hedges meets Joni Mitchell and Dave Matthews.’ Among the vast community of fingerstyle and tapping guitarists, her niche is the integration of melodic pop lyricism with catchy hooks that excite both modern commercial listeners and classic purists. Her instruction is rooted in the simplicity of seeing the guitar first as a tool for self-expression. She says that one of the greatest skills to develop as a musician is to be able to “play what you hear” and speak music as a language: “To feel relaxed, fluid and connected to the instrument is like breathing… and THAT is when the magic happens.” This is Christie’s second appearance at Guitar Town. Her DVD course, Creative Fingerstyle Guitar for Songwriters, is available on Truefire.com.
Joe Robinson
Joe Robinson is a true force in the pantheon of exceptional artists in modern music, and he has joined an exclusive group of elite performers whose impact continues to shape our unique American musical culture. Hailing from backwoods Temagog, on the mid-north coast of NSW, Australia, his six-string ability and compositional insight have already earned him a worldwide following. He walks a tightrope between the instrumental music that has put him in the spotlight and a unique fusion of rock, blues, jazz, and R&B that’s entirely his own. He has two DVD courses, 10 Scales & Modes You MUST Know and Fingerstyle Synergy: Bass & Melody, available on Truefire.com.
