Guitar teaching artists Christopher Jenkins and Suzanne Dorman team up for the Summer Classical Guitar Workshop for teens, July 31- August 4, providing students with valuable tools for continuing their pursuit of excellent guitar playing. Mr. Jenkins will also present Beginner Guitar Camps for kids and teens.
Classical Guitar Workshop
The Classical Guitar Workshop is intended for young guitarists who are at an intermediate to advanced level of playing. Mr. Jenkins and Ms. Dorman will guide students in practical strategies for and applications of effective practice, daily warm up exercises, how to rehearse with an ensemble, how to prepare for a performance, how to memorize music, and much more! All of this will be enriched by learning in group sessions, in master classes, as well as in private lessons. Participants will be actively applying what they are learning throughout the week, with the Workshop wrapping up with an informal group recital on Friday afternoon.
Christopher Jenkins is a performer and teacher in the Washington DC area. He has given performances both at home and abroad, from Spain and Argentina to locations in South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Texas, and Washington D.C. He holds his Master’s Degree in Music from the University of South Carolina, and he received his Bachelor’s Degree from George Mason University. Christopher and Brett Floyd have been performing together as The Coda Duo. Their work can be found online at CDBaby, Amazon, and iTunes.
“Regardless of a student’s age or skill level, I work to envision what the potential and goals are for them,” said Mr. Jenkins. “I believe that providing students with a solid understanding of music theory and guitar technique will only help them to grow. I have students from all walks of life, various ages and backgrounds, and with very different reasons for pursuing the guitar, so I try to work hard to understand the needs of each student. I want students to discover more about themselves through playing and performing on the guitar. I also want my students to understand how to practice well, thinking critically and understanding both the music and the instrument.”
Suzanne Dorman is a classically trained guitarist recently relocated to the Northern Virginia area. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Guitar Performance from Belhaven University, and she has studied at Peabody Conservatory. She has performed in venues in several states as well as in Mexico, where she taught music in an orphanage for one year.
“My philosophy, in essence, is that people are musical,” explained Ms. Dorman. “We have this fascinating way of expressing emotions and ideas that can’t even be expressed through language. With practice and persistence, everyone can grow their musical abilities. My job as a teacher is to help students learn how to practice, and hopefully to inspire them to imagine what is possible. Patience, persistence, and empathy – you need all three of these things to be a good musician. Of course, I also hope to teach good technique and practice strategies!”
The phrase “classical guitar” may refer to either of two concepts other than the instrument itself: the instrumental finger technique common to classical guitar (individual strings plucked with the fingernails or, rarely, fingertips) and the instrument’s classical music repertoire, such as works by composers Mauro Giuliani, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Manuel Ponce, Leo Brouwer, and Lennox Berkeley.
Beginner Guitar Camps
Brand new to guitar? Have no fear! We also have a program geared just for you. Both teens (ages 13-18) and older kids (ages 8-12) will enjoy learning the fundamentals of acoustic guitar playing at our Beginner Guitar Camps, July 17-21. Led by Guitar Teaching Artist Christopher Jenkins, students will learn guitar notation forms, how to play melodies, and strum chords. The camp is only a half-day, one-week program, but students should expect to practice outside of program hours as well.