When putting your schedule together for the semester, you probably have courses like English, chemistry, algebra, and world history at the top of your mind. But have you ever considered adding a little music to your day? Here at ASU Prep Digital, students can sign up for a guitar class and begin their journey to rock stardom.
This class is designed for students who have never picked up an instrument but have always wanted to learn how to play. “The course that we have starts students off by showing them how to hold the guitar, so it’s perfect for someone who has never so much as touched the instrument before,” says Warren Eallonardo, the guitar class instructor. “From there, it provides a steady and gradual build of skills to familiarize beginners with how to play.”
Like every class at ASU Prep Digital, this course features a live lesson each week, giving students the opportunity to connect and check on their progress. “While written feedback to their performance videos can be beneficial, the live lessons are the best place for that,” Eallonardo said. “I had just taught the class’s first chord, and one of my students was getting a lot of ‘fret buzz’ from his guitar. Because he had his camera on, I could see that his fingers were too high on the neck, and I was able to hold up my guitar and show him where to move his fingers to eliminate the noise. When he heard the result, he lit up. Teachers live for those moments!”
And the students are appreciative of the face time, too.
“My favorite part about the class is the live class meetings,” John-Louis, ASU Prep Digital junior, said. “It gives all of us students a chance to express our concerns toward the curriculum, and things that we don’t quite understand.”
But just because this isn’t a core subject, it doesn’t mean hard work and a considerable time commitment aren’t required.
“Every week, we practice rhythm for 30 minutes and general research and practice for an hour,” John-Louis said. “Sometimes it’s difficult to find time to do these things, but I’ve found that merely messing around with the guitar and doing research is when I learn the most.”
The course would not be as successful as it is without Eallonardo’s spirit and love for music, which translates into his teaching.
“Music has always been—for lack of a better word—medicinal for me,” Eallonardo said. “It simply and plainly improves the quality of my life. The fact that it now gets to be a part of my job is a dream come true.”
Interested in checking out the unique courses we offer? Browse our course catalog and get a taste for our Guitar 1 class, featuring John-Louis, below:
