Playing guitar started for me when I was 14yrs of age (a little late I thought at the
time!), when a friend left his guitar at my parents house.
I always wanted to play
and when I saw the guitar I was drawn to it. I picked it up, not knowing anything about chords or even about guitars,
but I just knew I wanted to play.
So in the coming months I bought my first guitar
and a chord book and decided that this was what I wanted to do.
After a few weeks I
got used to the chord shapes and thoroughly enjoyed playing.
Now, through experience,
I know anyone at any age can play and enjoy playing guitar.
I joined my first band
at 17, then gradually learned more about different playing techniques from other players and also the theory behind music.
Over the 35yrs I have been playing, I have played and taught all styles from 50’s/60’s
Rock ‘n’ Roll, 70’s/ 80’s Pop, Blues, Classical etc, right through to the present.
My
own styles vary between pop-country to rock and blues and I have experience of playing in a wide variety of different venues
all over Britain, such as holiday camps, corporate hotels & companies, cabaret and local clubs which all adds to my experience
and ability to teach a wide variety of techniques and styles.
I started teaching at
the local High School in 2001 and obtained my Enhanced Disclosure which was issued by West Lothian Council in conjunction
with Lothian and Borders Police and due to the high demand for guitar tuition in the West Lothian area I started GTRS over
10yrs ago, in 2003.
I still enjoy playing and teaching and the satisfaction I get by
seeing the progress of pupils is great and, sometimes, even more than the pupils themselves!
The
age of pupils I currently teach are from 9/10yrs to the eldest at 62yrs! And all my pupils cover a wide variety of levels
of playing.
Some pupils come to me with some guitar playing knowledge,
and I help them to improve to the next level, and others are complete beginners and have never played before.
Thank
you
Mark
