Last night I had an absolute blast conducting a workshop at the New York Classical Guitar Society. I presented some of my research that I have been doing on the topic of sight reading and I was really happy with how it went. I really enjoyed meeting the guitarists at the society, made some new friends and even bumped into some old ones!

Today, however, is a different story. Part of my studies for the doctoral program require ‘comprehensive exams’ which involve writing three substantial essays over the course of a weekend. As you can see, by the sheer fact that I am writing on my website, its tough to get the ball rolling.

One of the questions is a discussion on how classical guitar performance practice has been influenced by other plucked instruments int he guitar’s lineage (vihuela, lute, baroque guitar etc.). Another question is a comparison of the writings of Claude Debussy and his compositions. The third, well its a little complex, but let’s just say its going to involve a lot of books, a lot of scores and an hourly dose of caffeine.

If you want to send me messages to help me procrastinate I would be grateful

See you on Monday,

Simon

Thursday, February 4, 2010, at 7:00 PM
Manhattan Theatre Club Creative Center (on the 8th Floor)
311 West 43rd St. between Eighth and Ninth Avenues (map)
New York City

Bring your guitar and a music stand – this will be an interactive presentation!

“Reading facility is not simply a useful additional skill for a musician to have. It is, in a sense, necessary for full membership to the musical community.” – John Sloboda, The Musical Mind

Sight reading has a new found significance for guitarists in the twenty-first century with more guitarists getting involved in a variety of chamber music situations. The behavioral tendency of guitarists to be solitary figures has permitted poor sight reading skills to go largely unnoticed. Memorization of works plays a large role in the life of a guitarist and the use of memorization supplants the need to have adequate reading skills on any level, let alone at sight. The necessity of a well formed sight reading skill becomes more apparent as technique and performance standards rise to comparable levels with other musicians.

Despite the dramatic improvement in most areas of guitar pedagogy there are still several areas that remain undeveloped and desperately in need of attention. One of these areas is the skill of sight reading. Currently the level of sight reading among tertiary level guitar students is poor and inadequate for that required by most professional musicians. It is a deficiency that affects a musician’s life and the instrument’s reputation and there is no reason for the level of sight reading to remain as low as it currently is.

The presentation for the Society will look at why sight reading is at its current level and strategies for improving and teaching sight reading to guitarists. Bring your guitar and a music stand – this will be an interactive presentation!

With the end of my doctoral studies approaching in May, I plan to make my first commercial recording that will be available on CD and download. My head has been swimming with ideas for the album and I am sure that my imagination will continue to run rampant until I sit down and record. June will be the month for recording as I will have some time to focus on the repertoire after graduation and it will be just before I take off to Europe for two months, closely followed by a tour in Australia. A dear friend of mine has offered to lend her 1992 Smallman guitar for the recording. Her instrument is one of the finest guitars I have ever seen by Smallman and it would be amazing to record with it!

Thanks again, and please feel free to let your friends know about the recording if you think they will be interested.

Bye bye!

Simon