Past Blog Posts

April 10th, 2013 by Dexter Findley

The guitar is the instrument of modern music, the spirit animal of youth. It is synonymous with cool independence and fresh creativity. Whether it be a battered acoustic or a thrash metal axe, it is imbued with the same core romanticism: revolution, newness and change.

Because of this, playing the guitar is a deeply rewarding activity. It has social benefits that no other instrument can provide, and an immediacy of use that isn't possible with practically every other common instrument, including its rock brethren, the bass, drums and keyboard. You are able to pick up any guitar (and that means any) and play a few chords, feeling the familiar movement of your fingers over the fret and hear that twangy, compelling sound, often to the mirth of any assembled company. It is a sound that translates equally well to the camp fire as to the stage, and everything in between.

Music Tuition – Why It Matters In Difficult Times

March 22nd, 2013 by Ged Brockie

Now more than ever with the difficult financial climate that many people find themselves in, families are restricting their expenditure to the absolute bare minimum. As part of a cost-cutting exercise, it will come as no surprise that music tuition is often viewed as a "luxury" that a family budget can do without. The question that needs to be asked, however, is why is instrumental tuition viewed so readily as an expendable extra?

The answer to this can surely be found within the educational establishment itself and rooted in a parents own experience. How many of us of a certain age can honestly say that the music department was anything other than the poor relation in tertiary education? Along with art, many schools, well into the eighties, would pay nothing more than lip service to music and the arts and inevitably these departments would be starved of both resources and school real estate. For too long the educational establishment has viewed mathematics and English as th... Read More »

Edinburgh Guitar and Music Festival

March 14th, 2013 by Dexter Findley

We are proud to announce that First Tutors has officially partnered with the Edinburgh Guitar and Music Festival!

The Edinburgh Guitar and Music festival is rapidly growing into a must-see international event, attracting worldwide acts performing music in a variety of guitar-based genres. This year's festival, running from the 25th to the 27th of May, will also contain an extensive program of educational guitar seminars, making it an absolute must for guitarists looking to improve their game with help from the pros.

TeenStar’s Top Audition Tips

November 21st, 2012 by Sara

So you want to impress at your audition? Auditioning for a competition like TeenStar is about so much more than the way you sing in front of the judges you're trying to impress. Preparing for your audition and making sure you're in the right mind set is just as important.

Preparing for your audition

Practice, practice, practice - then go and practice some more! Learn your audition song until it's ringing around your brain constantly! You're likely to feel a little bit of nerves once you're in the audition room, so make sure the song will come naturally to you. Dress to impress - make sure you go into the audition as you would be performing on stage. Think about your image and if it's coherent with your style of music. If you're singing a cover make sure you put your own stamp on it. Think about the arrangement of the song an... Read More »

Gilad Atzmon and Sarah Gillespie playing at the Wenlock Poetry Festival 2012

April 2nd, 2012 by Sara

The world famous jazz musician and composer Gilad Atzmon and brilliant jazz guitarist and vocalist Sarah Gillespie are to play at Wenlock Poetry Festival as well as running a Composition Workshop.

Gilad Atzmon is filling theatres and festivals all over the world and Sarah Gillespie has two critically acclaimed albums to her name. They are both very much in demand. And they will both be in Much Wenlock over the WPF2012 weekend of 13th-15th April!

Sarah (guitar and vocals) and Gilad (saxophone, clarinet and accordion) will be playing with Enzo Zirilli (Drums) and Ben Bastin (Bass) on Friday April 13th at 9.30 at The Edge Arts Centre. Tickets for this performance are now available.

As a bonus, Gilad and Sarah will also be sharing their love of words with everybody at a composition workshop on Saturday April 14th 11am-1pm, again at The Edge Arts Centre.

The workshop is open to everybody. No experience necessary. If you do play an instrument at any level b... Read More »

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