New Guitar School Opens In Plainville
Central Connecticut State University: The Recorder By Dennis Ryder
Anyone who has taken guitar lessons at one time or another knows the standard procedure: sit down with an instructor in the back of a music shop once a week and play standard beginner songs out of a book. If the student is lucky, the instructor won’t pressure them into buying equipment from the store. Now there is a new place to take lessons in the New Britain area with a new style of teaching.
The Macri School of Music offers lessons on guitar, bass and piano. It provides customized lesson plans for any skill level, from beginner to advanced. The Macri School of Music is a place for musicians to hone their skills with one-on-one lessons and play with other students who are at the same skill level.
“I wanted to start a place where students can come and basically just have fun playing the guitar,” said Frank Macri, owner of the school.
What sets the Macri School of Music apart from others is its applied theory approach. When a student is learning a new technique they will also learn a song from an artist that they enjoy and see how that technique is being used. “We design [our lessons] so that everything that you learn you can apply to the music that you listen to,” explains Macri. “Most guitarists just want to be self-sufficient. They want to be able to improvise and have fun playing with other musicians.”
When opening the school, Macri’s goal was not just to offer lessons but also create a musical community. Unlike taking lessons in a music shop where students meet only once a week for a lesson, Macri School of Music is a place where students can get together and meet other musicians with similar musical tastes.
By offering such extra-curricular activities as acoustic nights, jam sessions, and band nights, the Macri School of Music allows students to use the skills they’ve acquired in their private lessons in a positive and supportive environment. At the acoustic nights, students are able to play their own original songs or their favorite acoustic numbers in front of an audience of their age group.
Although the ages of Macri’s students range from 6 years old to 75, most are college age. The Macri School of Music creates a unique lesson plan to help each student meet their specific goals.
