The second annual Northwest Guitar Summit takes place this weekend in Powell. The event includes a public concert and workshops for guitar players in the community. This year, the summit is open to any guitar player of junior high age or above. Organizer Jeff Troxel will be joined by jazz guitarist Corey Christiansen and classical guitarist Michael Videon.
“I thought bringing these two people in to teach with me, they just have so much to offer, and I think it just be a great chance for people who play guitar in the community to some get exposure to a variety of styles of music,” says Troxel. “They also get a chance to meet, and hear, and get to know these wonderful artists that I’ve got coming in.”
Troxel says there’s been a recent surge of interest in adding guitar lessons to public school music programs. Currently, guitar lessons don’t fit into the standard band and choir format at most public schools. So this year’s summit includes a round table discussion for teachers.
“I thought it would be a good idea for us all to get know each other and maybe start to think about ways that we could direct guitar education in schools, so that guitar players can take a class in public schools and maybe even that could be their exposure to guitar that could get them into a college music program,” says Troxel.
The summit opens with a concert Friday, November 13, at Northwest College. Workshop sessions begin the next morning, with the teacher roundtable to follow in the afternoon.
