| Stuart
Walters-Girout
I am in my early fifties and have been tinkering with
a guitar forever, trying to play guitar for more than
twenty years, still not being able to play a few songs
properly.
Many years ago, I tried a classical teacher, went for
two lessons, and decided much too complicated for me.
The desire has always remained with me to play the acoustic
guitar, and as a result last year, I walked into a guitar
shop and asked about lessons. I was referred to a music
school, and signed up for lessons.
The school has some 500 pupils, mostly
teenagers. I attended for two months, struggling with
the rigid timekeeping, (the next pupil for lesson waiting
outside the see through glass classroom) and noise from
next door classrooms, drums, electric guitars and other
instruments which was pretty disturbing.
The lessons are very CD orientated,
teacher goes through tab form only, demonstrating on
his guitar, and lesson is over, you then rely entirely
on CD till next lesson, with no review of workspace
in the next lesson, the lessons are designed to finish
as a course within a time limit!
Well, then by chance, browsing the
internet for acoustic guitar information, I discovered
Hugh’s website. I had met Hugh many years ago,
he placed me through his recruitment business with a
company which I did extremely well some nine years later,
and also, he assisted me in choosing the best out of
two Martin guitars in a music shop in Sandton City!
I contacted Hugh, visited, and had
great fun chatting about past, he is a fine host indeed,
we chatted about guitars, careers and so on, Hugh listened
patiently to my frustrating gripes concerning my music
lessons, and suggested I get in touch with John.
I have been taking lessons from John
for several months, and cannot say enough. What a fantastic
person and teacher. I have learnt notes, chords, fingerpicking
styles (including bluegrass!), strumming techniques,
and best of all I am learning to read music, both music
notation and tablature form.
I would never believe I was capable
of all this in so short a time, a few months back. I
already confidently play several songs, including Classical
pieces! What more can I say, Thanks so much John.
John is patient; gently administering
pressure to learn in a one on one basis in a peaceful
environment where one can concentrate. What a contrast
to what I have been exposed to, I love my lessons. John
also has phenomenal music experience in many different
styles of music and will accommodate any style you aspire
to learn.
I now look forward to each lesson, enjoying the session,
having fun, and always assured that I learn something
new, and most importantly John teachers to play the
instrument strictly the right way, where one will benefit
for future. My old habits are fading fast!
I have no hesitation in recommending
John van Nierop as a music teacher, and thanks Hugh,
for your introduction to John. |
| Geof
Harris
John is a holistic music teacher, not just a guitar
teacher. By that, I mean he covers Music in a contextual
sense: it is of very limited use to just learn pieces/songs
in isolation, because then all you've got is a few songs
but no idea how to progress musically out of that 'box'
- those pieces will exist by themselves but not be linked
together as part of the Greater Database of Music. A
lot like learning to say a sentence in a foreign language
but not having the faintest idea of what you are saying.
Ultimately it goes nowhere, adding to the frustrations
of the players... and the listeners too, don't forget
them! Whereas with his profound understanding and intelligent
teaching approach, John shows the pupil (at the same
time as learning to play the guitar - it is fun too)
the 'relationships', or more specifically how to learn
to identify the relationships, of the parts that together
make up the whole: the 'why's & wherefore's...'.
Sometimes we can't see the scenery to the side of us
because we are so busy looking to the front. Understanding
the relationships is key to the future manipulation
of the 'tools' in The Music Toolbox.
The importance of this is that the students will develop
a comprehension of how the Building Blocks of Music
fit together, and why, and in the long run the learning
curve is straightened making it sooner it will be for
them to rise to a higher level of performance and creativity.
Knowledge is power. This sounds like a very good deal
to me. John is the best music teacher I have ever had!
Geoffrey Walter Harris : ex pupil, now living and
playing in the UK |
