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 George Turner is currently a Doctoral student at the University of Illinois in Champaign. After building a successful career as a performer and teacher in the Washington, D.C. area, George decided to return to school to further his studies at one of the nation's top universities and jazz programs. While his studies keep him very busy, George is one of the most active guitarists in down-state Illinois as he maintains a busy performing schedule and teaching studio.
George took time out of his busy schedule as a student, teacher and performer to talk to us about the experiences that have shaped his life as an artist and guitarist.
MW: How did you get your start as a guitar teacher?
GT: I taught a few lessons in college, but I didn’t start teaching seriously until I moved to the Washington, D.C. area after finishing my degree in Environmental Science. At this point, I had decided that I really wanted to make music my career, and teaching seemed like a good way to make a living. I got my start teaching for a chain of music stores in northern Virginia called Music and Arts Centers, on the recommendation of my first guitar teacher, Eric Tanner.
MW: Did any of your teachers have an influence on your private teaching approach?
GT: Eric Tanner and Mark Albert, my two teachers growing up were both very influential. When I first started teaching, I pretty much modeled my lessons on the ones I took from them. Also, I took a few lessons from jazz guitarist Paul Bollenback, which were very influential in my development as a player, and a lot of that information I later passed on to my jazz students.
MW: How is going through the process of getting a DMA affected your teaching approach? Has it changed the way you approach your teaching methods?
GT: My experience working on my MM in jazz studies, and now beginning my DMA has certainly had a great effect on me as a player, and has given me a lot of additional experience and information which I can now pass on to my students. I wouldn’t say it has changed my teaching methods too much, except that I maybe try to push my students a little more now.
MW: In your opinion how has technology, especially the internet, changed the landscape of guitar education in recent years and where do you see it headed in the future?
GT: I’m certainly aware that there are a great number of resources for guitar education available on the internet, but to be honest, I don’t use them very much. One of my students who is moving to Korea had the idea of continuing our lessons over the internet via webcam, so if he gets back in touch with me about that, then I’ll give that a try. The main thing that I think is great about the internet for teaching, though, is that my students and I can have access to almost any musical recording for study, which wasn’t the case a few years ago.
MW: You are such an experienced and accomplished performer as well as an educator. How has your teaching experience influenced your performing and vice-versa?
GT: My teaching has definitely influenced my performing, and vice versa. In my early years of teaching I found that in helping my students work on various technical problems, I became aware of technical problems that I needed to work on myself. Also, the process of helping my students to learn songs helped develop my ear. My performing definitely influences my teaching in that I play in a certain style which I think comes through regardless of what style that I’m teaching.
MW: What advice do you have for people who are just starting to teach guitar?
GT: I think the most important thing is to treat each student as an individual. Different people learn in different ways, and want different things from lessons. I think that as a teacher you should always find out what the student’s musical interests are, and strive to give them music to work on that they will enjoy playing, while still balancing this with giving them strong musical fundamentals. Guitar is a popular instrument, and most beginning students want to learn rock and popular music. If you want to teach them successfully you need to figure out how to teach them the music they want to learn while also giving them a strong foundation in music and on the instrument.
MW: What advice do you have for students when they are looking for a private teacher?
GT: Find a teacher who you like, but who also challenges you. Ask around a little bit to see who has a good reputation.
MW: Thanks for taking some time out of your day to talk to us.
GT: No problem, anytime.
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