Press

From Galway Independent September 2007 
Kevin McNicholas began his musical career over 30 years ago. He has worked in music retail, as a radio presenter and as an engineer in recording studios. He has been musical producer for a variety of stage musicals and pantomimes. He has gigged solo, and in bands of every shape and size. He admits to being a musical jack-of-all-trades. But down the years, teaching guitar has been his first love and the job he keeps returning to.

In 2001, after serving a 2 year term as co-ordinator of the Access Music Project, he set up Guitar Made Easy. “Every time I’ve returned to teaching, I’ve tried to improve on previous methods. This was my ninth or tenth time setting up a guitar course for beginners. I’m not sure that it’s perfect yet, but it’s getting there”.

Kevin is passionate about teaching. “I’ve always insisted that playing guitar is a skill, not a talent. Most people would love to be able to play guitar but will complain that they don’t have any music in them. They are wrong. Everybody has music in them. Driving is a skill. So is cooking. So is typing. So is cycling. Why is music any different?”

The 10 week course that Kevin runs is very different from your usual music course. “Firstly, there are no exams. I don’t see the point. The focus at Guitar Made Easy is not how well you play, but how well you enjoy playing, and believe me, there’s a big difference. Ask any Grade 6 piano student.

Secondly, students on Kevin’s course don’t learn to read music. “There’s no need. Guitar has always been an aural learning tradition. The list of guitar players who can’t read music is infinite, and starts with names like Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Christy Moore and others. As babies we learn to talk before we learn to read. Same with the guitar. You can turn beginners off music for life by making them learn to read against their will.

The courses cater to everyone from ten years and up. “There is no upper age limit. People in their forties, fifties and older are welcome along. I see lots of parents attending classes with their kids, and learning alongside each other. 10 weeks is a very short time in which to learn to play guitar, and in truth we only scrape the surface. It takes a lifetime to learn to play, so I focus on giving people the tools they need to teach themselves into the future. You’ve heard the expression “give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach him to fish, feed him for life”? Well, in that sense, I guess I’m teaching people to fish!

Kevin makes extensive use of multimedia technology, with all class materials presented on a big video screen, and a website with additional resource for students. But he believes the biggest attraction for beginners is the relaxed informal atmosphere of the class, where complete strangers quickly become friends on a musical adventure.

“It’s the fast, fun and easy way to learn to play guitar. I can’t take credit for making it easy. All I do is remove the complicated bits that beginners don’t need. There’s two things you must know before I can teach you to play – you must be able to count to 4 and know the alphabet as far as G!”

Classes run every January, April and September in venues in Oranmore, Galway, Tuam and Castlebar. The classes begin at 7pm or 8.15pm and run for one hour. The 10 week course costs €180 and gift vouchers are available. For further information on Guitar Made Easy phone Kevin on 093-36724 or log onto www.guitar-made-easy.com.

Home Book A Class Buying A Guitar Testimonials Syllabus FAQ Venues  Left-Handers Podcasts Tuning Pictures Press About Contact