Beverly Watkins to Perform at Rufty-Holmes

Beverly Watkins to Perform at Rufty-Holmes

  Beverly "Guitar" Watkins, Atlanta's favorite Blues Mom, will appear in a special FREE Mini Concert at Rufty-Holmes Senior Center on Friday, August 2nd at 2:00 p.m.  This performance is being held courtesy of Rufty-Holmes and the Rowan Blues and Jazz Society. 

  A special benefit concert will be held that evening at 8pm at the Black Box Theater, 405 N. Lee Street in Salisbury.  Tickets for the evening concert are $10 at the door.

  Ms. Watkins has been playing guitar since age 12 and has recorded and performed with artists such as Ray Charles, B.B. King, and James Brown.  She frequently performs at major blues festivals around the country and internationally.

  You can read more about Ms. Watkins at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverly_Watkins

 or at  http://www.rowanbluesandjazz.org/.  This concert is FREE but seating is limited.  To register for the concert, please call RHSC at 704-216-7714.

Testimonial- by Libby Owens

  
My dad taught himself to play guitar when he was in the Coast Guard in the 1950's.  As a child, my brother, sisters, and I would come running in the evenings when Daddy pulled out his guitar.  We'd sit on the floor at his feet and listen as he played and sometimes sang.  Good old songs like "She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain", "The Old Gray Mare", as well as songs made popular by the likes of Johnny Cash, Ernest Tubb, Hank Williams, and many old favorite hymns.  If you're old enough you remember the TV show "Hee Haw."  In our minds our daddy was every bit as good as anyone who ever sang and played on that show and we told him often he ought to appear on it.  Still, I never thought much about playing guitar myself as I wasn't naturally gifted in music.  


  After we became adults, my younger sister took some guitar lessons, mostly from friends, and learned the basics.  I picked up her guitar a couple of times, but strumming hurt my fingers so I never pursued it.  Several years ago after I'd made an off-hand remark about wishing I could play guitar, my husband gave me one for Christmas.  I realized pretty quickly that I didn't know the first thing about the guitar.  I didn't have any idea how to make separate notes, nothing more than a quick strum across the strings.  So, the guitar stayed in its case for about 3 years.  I thought occasionally about taking lessons, but couldn't really afford to do so.  I did ask my dad to teach me, but somehow what he told me never made sense.  

  Then one day I saw the new Small Group class listings for church, and someone named Bob was going to lead a Beginner Guitar small group.  I figured, "Hey, I have nothing to lose if I still can't play after taking lessons, and maybe I can make my daddy proud of me."  The first night of class, I came away feeling completely inadequate.  Not only did my fingers hurt after just a few strums of the strings, but nothing that was said made any sense to me.  The teachers (Bob and Barry) promised me that if I practiced strumming every day, my fingers would quickly toughen up.  I did, and they were right.  I was amazed at the difference it made so quickly.  So the next week I felt ready to go, ready to learn!  But after that class I still felt overwhelmed.  I was the only one who didn't know at least a little about a guitar, and most had done some playing in the past.  I didn't even know enough vocabulary to talk about a guitar!  I was the only woman in class, and felt intimidated by that also.  I almost quit several times.  Bob was so patient with me, he knew I was totally clueless from the first night.  

  I told my dad I was taking lessons. I'd wanted to surprise him, but I couldn't wait.  Most nights after class I would call him on the way home and tell him what we'd discussed.  He was so encouraging, he kept me going when I felt totally overwhelmed and wanted to quit several times.  I'll never forget the first night in class that we all strummed through a song while Bob played and sang the melody.  It was mostly using only G, and maybe a C, but it was exhilarating when we ended the song and I realized I had pretty much kept up and we had completed a song!  That night I called my dad and told him I had played a song, and it was cool to hear his chuckle of approval! 

  My very favorite class was when Bob taught us how to read tab notes.  It felt like a light bulb went on in my head.  I had picked around on a piano years before, and I knew a little about reading notes.  So tab notes made sense to me, and I could finally pick up my guitar and hear a tune, a real song, coming from it. 

  These days, I'd love to say that I practice and play my guitar often and entertain others with it.  But lying is a sin, so I won't do that!  I do pick it up and remind myself of the basics every so often, then sit and pick out a few songs.  I have played with my dad a few times, and my sister.  I'm ashamed to admit that the last time I did, my dad could tell right away that I had NOT been practicing!  Daddy doesn't get out much anymore, and spending time with him and my guitar is one way I can bring him happiness. 

  Taking lessons from Bob gave me the basics of guitar playing and one day I may be ready to play more and use it for others.  Right now though I am content to know how to pick a tune out of it and enjoy it in my own home and occasionally with my dad and sister.  

  Thank you, Bob, for your patience and for never ever making me feel that playing was out of my league and above my head (because I sure felt that way).  You always assured me that I was capable of learning, and helped me to believe in myself.  I appreciate the opportunity you gave me and am so glad you were open to using a talent you have to glorify God and benefit others.  You have proven that you CAN teach an old dog new tricks!  

Gratefully,  
Libby Owens

Muriel Anderson Concert- Aug 4th

Just heard from the concert sponsors at St. Patrick's in Mooresville and they are going to offer us the Student Rate of $10 for any Adults attending the concert.

  That means a 1/3 off the Regular ticket price.. so please come and join us !!

If you are not already planning to go, or haven't let me know, please send me a comment below.. or an email..  thanks a lot.. Bob =)

Muriel Anderson -- In Concert

Sunday, Aug 4th @ 7pm

 

St. Patrick's Episcopal Church

201 Fairview Road

Mooresville, NC

Admission: $15 /Adults -- $10 /Students

Go Hear Her Music @ http://www.murielanderson.com/music/listen

[ CLICK ON "Guitar Gigs" TO READ MORE ABOUT THIS EVENT]

New Guitar Class Planned at RCCC

New Guitar Class Planned at RCCC

  The plans for  --BRAND NEW-- Guitar Classes at the RCCC North Campus in Salisbury have been temporarily postponed..   I will be updating this page again when I find out more details about a definite starting date.  Keep posted !

MORE DETAILS TO BE ANNOUNCED LATER -- KEEP POSTED

Performance at 2013 Blues & Jazz Festival

Guitar Classes to Perform at 2013 Blues & Jazz Festival

  EXCITING NEWS !! 

  We received an invitation to perform at this year's Rowan Blues & Jazz Festival, held in downtown Salisbury, NC.   Mark the date.  It is on Saturday, October 19 !!

2013 Rowan Blues & Jazz Festival -- Saturday, October 19

     We'll be performing a few tunes as a group, along with some solos or duets, & some surprises.  We're working hard & looking forward to it & hope you will plan to be there to support us & enjoy our performance.

Taylor 314-ce Available

Hey Folks~
  I may have an opportunity to get a good deal on a Taylor guitar.  Please pray that I can work it out to be able to afford this great instrument.  Right now, it seems difficult at best.  If any of you folks are truly blessed financially and would consider investing a gift in a needy musician, let me know.  Right now I'm using a guitar with a buzzing fretboard and no pickup.  A really nice guitar would sure come in handy!

GuiTar Heel Blog Launched

History of the GuiTar Heel

by Bob Wingate

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I finished my first logo for GuiTarHeel today.  How do you like it ?  Leave a comment.

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Ok.  Here's what you've all been waiting for.. for so long.. the story of GuiTarHeel (that's me) in a nutshell. And I am a bit of a nut..in this shell.

  We start back at the early age of eight (8) when my dad brought this guitarist over to our house.  I don't know how this was arranged, but in he walks with his electric guitar and amp, and proceeds to "wow" us with his incredible guitar wizardry.  After an hour or so, he leaves and either then or shortly after, my dad presents to me this incredible $25 guitar.  I don't know where he got that!  I didn't really learn to play that thang, but I did bang the heck out of it, playing along with my favorite Beatles tunes. (I know- this really ages me.. ohh well..)

  After awhile, my interest in my cheap guitar waned, and then I began piano lessons, which actually managed to drag on for about eight or nine years.  At the age of 17, one of my friends invites me to a youth group that he's attending, so I go check it out.  That first night was during the summer, and everyone was sitting outside on the grass while a group of guitar players and other musicians were leading them in songs.  I caught the bug again.  I wanted to play guitar. This time- really badly. 

  I asked my youth leader to accompany me to the local music store, and I bought my very own guitar- it was a Yamaha FG-180.  It looks something like this.  My profile pic is of me, playing that guitar in one of my favorite places.. sitting in a rocking chair on my front porch. 

   This guitar has been on the beach with me,  playing while watching the early morning sun rise over the Atlantic, in the back of a pickup truck during a fall youth hayride with a bunch of teenagers who decided it would be cool to stuff my guitar full of hay, and basically everywhere else that I've been over the years.  And I still have it now, and play it almost every day.

  I began teaching guitar during a time in my life that was very busy.  I was a full-time college student (with 21 class hours) and three part-time jobs, one of which was giving private guitar lessons for two days a week at a local music store.  That went on for about two years, and eventually phased out, and the store closed. And I sorta gave up teaching guitar indefinitely. Then recently I was asked to lead a small group at my church.  Usually these were Bible study groups, but I asked if I could do something a little different and have a guitar group with a goal of helping people learn to play and use their musical talents.

  Sometime after we started, a lady in our group complimented me on being a good guitar teacher and asked if I had ever thought of giving lessons.  She didn't realize that I had taught previously, neither did she have a clue that I was already contemplating what I could do to earn some extra money.  So this comment by her got me thinking.  A quote came to mind that I had

heard, "love what you do & do what you love."  This made perfect sense.  I had been playing guitar for many years and had a passion for it.  It was only obvious that I should use my talents to help others in developing their musical skills.

  So I set out, determined to get started teaching guitar again.  I made up some flyers and cards, advertising lessons.  It was around October, and so they had a Christmas theme- Give the Gift of Music.   But no one responded.   It appeared to me that no one was really in the Christmas giving mood, at least not for guitar lessons.  Or either my marketing skills were lacking.    But I was still determined, so instead of private lessons, I went in a different direction, and began contacting venues about holding group guitar classes.  The first group to show interest was the local senior center, and after a bit of conversation and planning, even though our students were limited to senior adults over the age of 55, we launched our first beginner class.. with a group of seventeen (17) students!   This response far exceeded any of our wildest expectations!

  We are now in our second round of classes.  After the first class, we expanded into two classes to allow for an Intermediate level.  We will be launching a brand new group of classes on Monday, July 8.  If you are a senior adult, whether a beginner, or dusting off an old guitar from the closet or attic, you are welcome to come join us.  Let's have some fun learning the guitar!   Call the Rufty-Holmes Senior Center at 704-216-7714 to sign up!

If you're sitting there and thinking to yourself, "I'm interested, but I'm not a Senior adult,"   don't worry... we've got you covered.  At least soon.  We're working on launching a new Guitar Class for all ages.  It will likely be offered by the end of summer, sometime in August or September, at a local college or other venue.  Keep posted & we will share all of the details!

[ Editor's Note- see blog entry for July 2nd- a new class to be offered at RCCC- has been postponed, but more details will be announced pending a definite class starting date. ]