Educational Side Sessions

Pick the brains of some folks who know a bit about what they’ve been doing successfully for quite some time?

Stop in, bring your guitar and take notes. You may go home smarter than you came!

Tales of Jim Croce and Maury Muehleisen–Mary Muehleisen (Friday 7/24 @ 12:00pm)

Mary will speak about her brother Maury Muehleisen and his great friendship and association with Jim Croce. She’ll also answer questions about her brother's use of his Martin D-18 and D-35 guitars on those classic Jim Croce hits from the early 1970s.

Guitar Setup and Care–John Hall (Friday 7/24 @1:00pm)

John will speak about guitar care and steps you can take to keep your guitar in its best shape. He’ll also demonstrate guitar setup techniques you can use to set up your own guitar.

Martin Guitars Old and New–Matt Manning (Friday 7/24 @2:00pm)

Matt will present several significant Martin guitars dating from the late 1800s through modern limited editions. He will provide context on the materials, production environment, historical factors, and design evolution of the instruments, offering attendees a firsthand opportunity to see and hear some great Martin guitars and learn Martin history. Matt may also be joined by some special guests.

Thumbpicking Tips and Tricks–Len Rosenberg (Friday 7/24 @ 3:00pm)

Len will (i) explain and demonstrate different styles of thumbpicking, (ii) show simple exercises to help you learn this style of guitar playing, (iii) explain the use of fingerpicks, and (iv) provide some tips and tricks to make your picking more interesting and fun (including E7 chord variations up the neck and cross-string picking). Len will also provide tab for an easy version of “Freight Train” and demonstrate it to help you get started.  Len may also have a guest artist join him to perform some thumbpicking duets and will distribute a handout listing some thumbpicking players to listen to and suggested sources for lessons.

Adventures in Alternate Tunings–Spoon Phillips & Jim Fortmuller (Friday 7/24 @4:00pm)

Spoon and Jim will demonstrate and provide insights into how to use different tunings to spice up your set lists, with an introduction to more advanced tips on exploring alternate tunings to create original music; and present tips and tricks for playing and arranging in these tunings.

Arranging Music for Fingerstyle Guitar–El McMeen (Saturday 7/25 @4:00pm)

El will discuss and demonstrate arranging music for fingerstyle guitar. He will encourage players of all levels to consider any of their favorite music as a subject for a guitar arrangement (even if that may sound crazy). El himself has arranged pop and rock songs, Celtic harp music, and even Sousa marches (!) for solo guitar. He will share a conceptual framework for this endeavor and will offer assistance and tips to help you on your musical journey. El’s website is elmcmeen.com

Documentary Screening–“String Theory: Guitar Obsessed”–Randy Levin (Sunday 7/26 @10:00 am)

Randy, Executive-Producer, Writer, Co-Editor, and Co-Host of the documentary “String Theory: Guitar Obsessed,” will present a screening of the film followed by a Q&A. This film features Martin Guitar’s legendary Dick Boak along with other major American guitar manufacturers, top internet instructors from around the world, iconic guitar shops in the USA and UK, academics, musicologists, a neuroscientist, and even the former FBI Deputy Director!

“String Theory: Guitar Obsessed” is a smart, funny, and heartfelt celebration of the guitar, told by legends, innovators and some truly unexpected voices,” says Tom Needham, Executive Director, Long Island Music Hall of Fame:  Music Documentary Film Festival.