RGS Staff (L-R): Donna Lomp, Alan Siu, Rob Compagna, Stephanie Lederman, Joey Orduna (missing: Jake Hallett, Cole Bigonet, Finn McGillivray, Sam Marvin, Justin Spicer).
In addition to playing and teaching guitar for 40 years, Rob has also been an avid player of Dungeons and Dragons. He has written a song and put together a new rock video about one of the monsters from the game. Check it out!
If you feel so inclined, in YouTube on the video, please click Like and leave a comment! Thanks, be creative and keep having fun playing guitar (or ukulele, bass guitar, or mandolin!). Rob says to try writing your own music. It's fun!
Holiday event performance led by Rob at Mayor Fuller's mini-golf extravaganza setup inside Newton City Hall!
A special thanks to RGS Newton students Ethan Lam, Brendan Bubar, and Brett McNeice for their performance!
At the event, golf passerbys and spectators alike were serenaded by the sweet sounds of classic holiday tunes such as Deck the Halls, Frosty the Snowman, Its the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Jingle Bells, Let it Snow, and Winter Wonderland.
Everyone had a great time. As you can below, even see a few young fans began groovin' to the season's greetings.
If you or anyone else you know is interested in taking lessons from us, click here to setup a free trial lesson!
From left to right: Ethan Lamb, Brett McNeice, Rob Compagna, Brendan Bubar.
Rob's Guitar School Teacher Coordinator Liam Flinn did a great job organizing a wonderful performance on the 4th with students Shiamak Acharji and Kevin McNamara. Kevin did a great job singing and Shiamak tore it up with some awesome blues licks! Remember to keep you eyes peeled for more gigging opportunities in the future!
If you or anyone else you know is interested in taking lessons from us, click here to setup a free trial lesson!
Here are more photos of Kevin and Shiamak in this great event:
Love the guitar and want to learn more? Stuck in a rut with your guitar-playing and need a path to move forward? Just beginning to play and want to hear what is possible?
Join Brian Tiernan on Saturday, 12/11 for an enlightening clinic. Brian will perform selections from his latest CD titled “Eclectic Electric” and discusses various techniques of guitar playing as applied to Jazz, Blues, Rockabilly, and Classical music including:
· Chord melody - how to move from single note playing to constructing true
chord/melody guitar solos
· Fingerstyle technique - learning independent use of thumb and fingers
· Flat pick vs. finger picking
· Getting the most out of six strings
· Choosing a guitar tone that suits the song
· The use of guitar effects
· Songwriting and arrangement
· The music business
· Dealing with performance anxiety
· Mental and physical benefits of guitar study
This clinic is intended for intermediate and advanced players, however beginners are absolutely welcome! Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss.
REGISTRATION
Go here to register and pay: https://withribbon.com/s/398254
Admission is $20/person. Registration is open until Thur, 12/9 at 12:00pm.
ABOUT BRIAN TIERNAN
Brian has been a professional guitarist for over 40 years. He has played in the bands of blues greats Johnny Winter and Otis Rush. On the other end of the musical spectrum, Brian played guitar with Debby Boone (You Light Up My Life), Barry Williams (of The Brady Bunch), and the Lawrence Welk Orchestra. He was the guitarist in the orchestras for Man of La Mancha, Hair, and Legends in Concert. Additionally, Brian appeared as an actor and musician in the Broadway show “Buddy, The Buddy Holly Story”. He has studied with guitar greats Les Paul, Bucky Pizzarelli (the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson), and Ted Dunbar (Dizzy Gillespie).
Did you know we now offer lessons online? Now no matter where you are in the world, you can take lessons at Rob's Guitar School from the comfort of your home!
Guitar Care Basics is a workshop designed to give you the proper techniques for restringing your guitar, adjusting playability, and tips and tricks for better overall guitar performance.
Topics covered include restringing techniques, truss rod adjustment, intonation adjustment, tremolo adjustment, troubleshooting common problems, pick-up theory, and switching string gauge. We will also discuss the best way to keep your guitar in playing shape through the transitional seasons of year, as well as the main differences between caring for acoustics and electrics.
The workshop centers on a hand's-on, live demonstration of the above mentioned topics on a Mini-Squire Stratocaster. It is in average playing condition as is, but will transform to something worth learning on by the end of our time together.
If you have ever been dissatisfied with the performance of your guitar, whether it is brand new out-of-the-box, an old battleaxe, or a great used find, this is the workshop for you! Students are encouraged to bring any guitar that they think could play better for discussion purposes, and to come with questions.
This workshop is recommended for anyone that is curious about how to better care for their instrument, from young beginners to old pros. Students under 10 years of age should have a parent present.
REGISTER & PAY HERE: https://forms.gle/JANhebnDRcNuchkA7
Workshop Details:
When: Sat, 8/17, 1:30-3:00pm
Who: All ages and skill levels
Where: RGS Newton (48 Chandler Pl, Newton Upper Falls)
Max: 8 people
Taught by: Sam Marvin, RGS teacher and guitar technician
REGULAR ADMISSION: $40
EARLY BIRD: $30 when you register before 5pm on 8/10
STUDENTS: $20 when you register before 5pm on 8/16
Registration:
Registration will be open until 5pm on Friday, 8/16/19. Please be sure to register and pay in advance in order to secure your spot. If you do not register in advance and show up day-of we cannot guarantee there will be room. Day-of admission is $40.
To apply the early bird or student discount: simply put in the corresponding amount when you navigate to the payment link at the end of the registration form.
REGISTER & PAY HERE: https://forms.gle/JANhebnDRcNuchkA7
About Sam Marvin:
An active musician for the past 17 years, Sam has been teaching Guitar and Music Theory privately for the past 6 years. After earning a Masters Degree in Ethnomusicology from the University of Chicago, Sam moved to Colorado to teach and manage a small music shop, Jensen Guitar Company. Over those 5 years in Colorado, Sam honed his craft and further cultivated his passion for teaching and learning. Sam has performed for many years as a solo guitarist (acoustic and electric) in all styles, as well as a lead guitarist for a variety of bands in different styles from Jam to Jazz to Indie and more. Sam has an in-depth knowledge of Music Theory and Improvisation (The focuses of his BA in Music from Boston College, along with Composition) as they relate to guitar and harmonic analysis. We are privileged to have Sam at our school as a teacher as well as our in-house guitar tech!
We recently had the pleasure of providing musical entertainment for the Newton Farmers Market on Tuesday, 7/30. Rob and RGS instructor, Cole, played alongside RGS ukulele student, Charlie Stein. Thanks Charlie for coming out and doing an awesome job!
Sad you missed it? Don't worry! You can catch us at a few more of the Tuesday markets coming up in August. Stop by and say hello after you pick up your veggies!
Jake is bringing this intriguing workshop from Groton to Newton! In this month's "Music of the Spheres" workshop, Jake intends to enchant your mind with the simple yet complex similarities between geometry and music. The Universe speaks one language, and that is mathematics. What better way to enjoy the rules of mathematics than the real time experience of music?
Jake has searched high and low for every piece of information he can find from ancient and contemporary sources. This includes the fairly recent illumination of facts from Masonic, Hermetic, Qabbalistic, and Rosicrucian philosophy. The results of his research have filled his thoughts with incredible veneration for the harmony in our Universe (One-Verse).
Jake's hope is to assist you in seeing the correlation between sound, color, mathematics, the human body, and the stars. Come join him as we discuss and discover these beautiful rules on our guitars!
In this discussion-style workshop, we will:
-- Learn the origin of notes, cords and scales
-- Discuss 440hz vs 432hz tuning and dispel some common misconceptions
-- Learn how to hear pitch colours
-- And more!
Workshop Details:
When: Sat, 7/13, 1:00-2:30pm
Who: Teens & Adults (Ages 13+)
Where: RGS Newton (48 Chandler Pl, Newton Upper Falls)
Max: 8 people
Taught by: Jake Hallett of Rob's Guitar School
Please bring your guitar
REGULAR ADMISSION: $40
EARLY BIRD: $30 when you register before 5pm on 7/6
STUDENTS: $20 when you register before 5pm on 7/12
Registration:
Registration will be open until 5pm on Friday, 7/12/19. Please be sure to register and pay in advance in order to secure your spot. If you do not register in advance and show up day-of we cannot guarantee there will be room. Day-of admission is $40.
To apply the early bird or student discount: simply put in the corresponding amount when you navigate to the payment link at the end of the registration form.
About Instructor Jake Hallett:
Jake Hallett is an instructor at our Rob's Guitar School location in Groton. Jake has a Master Certificate from Berklee College of Music in Guitar and Songwriting. He has been playing guitar for over 15 years and has been teaching since 2010. Aside from teaching, Jake is also an accomplished studio musician. He has done TV spots for Hammerhead Guitar Picks on VH1, and composition for multiple indie video games by Smashplug Games.
Gary Backstrom's Road to Utopia
Our good friend and accomplished Boston area musician, Gary Backstrom, will be performing at the Regent Theatre in Arlington this Friday. Come support this Alzheimer's benefit and enjoy a Todd Rundgren tribute at the same time!
Cape Cod Rockin' Radio Comedy Night
One of our awesome guitar students, Sandi Summers, will be performing stand-up on the Cape this Saturday. Come laugh until you cry!
Finest Hour @ Pleasant Cafe
Our very own Jake Hallett will be performing with his band at Pleasant Cafe in Maynard this Saturday. Come show him some love and have a good ol' time!
Point Sebago Reggae Festival
If you happen to be traveling up north this weekend, check out Andres Wilson at this reggae fest in Maine!
In this month's "Music of the Spheres" workshop, Jake intends to enchant your mind with the simple yet complex similarities between geometry and music. The Universe speaks one language, and that is mathematics. What better way to enjoy the rules of mathematics than the real time experience of music?
Jake has searched high and low for every piece of information he can find from ancient and contemporary sources. This includes the fairly recent illumination of facts from Masonic, Hermetic, Qabbalistic, and Rosicrucian philosophy. The results of his research have filled his thoughts with incredible veneration for the harmony in our Universe (One-Verse).
Jake's hope is to assist you in seeing the correlation between sound, color, mathematics, the human body, and the stars. Come join him on June 29th from 10:30am to noon as we discuss and discover these beautiful rules on our guitars!
In this discussion-style workshop, we will:
-- Learn the origin of notes, cords and scales
-- Discuss 440hz vs 432hz tuning and dispel some common misconceptions
-- Learn how to hear pitch colours
-- And more!
Workshop Details:
When: Sat, 6/29, 10:30am-12:00pm
Who: Teens & Adults (Ages 13+)
Where: RGS Groton (Groton Grange, 80 Champney St in Groton)
Max: 8 people
Taught by: Jake Hallett of Rob's Guitar School
REGULAR ADMISSION: $40
EARLY BIRD: $30 when you register before 5pm on 6/22
STUDENTS: $20 when you register before 5pm on 6/28
Registration:
Registration will be open until 5pm on Friday, 6/28/19. Please be sure to register and pay in advance in order to secure your spot. If you do not register in advance and show up day-of we cannot guarantee there will be room. Day-of admission is $40.
To apply the early bird or student discount: simply put in the corresponding amount when you navigate to the payment link at the end of the registration form.
About Instructor Jake Hallett:
Jake Hallett is an instructor at our Rob's Guitar School location in Groton. Jake has a Master Certificate from Berklee College of Music in Guitar and Songwriting. He has been playing guitar for over 15 years and has been teaching since 2010. Aside from teaching, Jake is also an accomplished studio musician. He has done TV spots for Hammerhead Guitar Picks on VH1, and composition for multiple indie video games by Smashplug Games.