Jason Shadrick has one of the coolest jobs a guitarist could ever hope for. As the Sales and Guest Artist Rep for the National Guitar Workshop, Jason works closely with some of the best guitarists and educators on the planet. Every summer thousands of guitarists of all ages enjoy the fruits of Jason’s labor as they study with these great teachers at NGW campuses all over the country.

Jason took some time off of his busy work schedule to talk with us about his experiences as a teacher, performer, and NGW administrator.

MW: How did you get your start as a guitar teacher?

JS: I started giving one-off lessons my senior year of high school.  During that time it was mostly a way for me to figure out how to explain concepts in a clear way to students who were just starting to play guitar.  When I was a sophomore in college I started to teach more frequently and then my guitar instructor recommended me for an open teaching position at a music store.  At the peak of that time I was teaching 25-30 students a week.

MW: Did any of your teachers have an influence on your private teaching approach?

JS: All of my teachers influenced my approach, although I didn’t know it at the time.  At Minnesota State Mankato I took lessons from Jim McGuire, who was an amazing classical as well as jazz guitarist.  He taught me how to improve my fundamental guitar technique and how to not discount another style of music just because you don’t listen to it 12 hours a day.  I still use some of the methods he taught me in my lessons.  Another important teacher during that time was Doug Snapp.  Doug taught me how to look at the big picture and introduced me to using technology in practice and lessons.

When I started at the University of Northern Iowa for my Master’s degree I was well informed about the faculty there.  All of them made a huge impact on me on a daily basis.  Bob Dunn was my guitar teacher and he had a very organized way to approach certain problems I was having.  There was this huge 3 ring notebook that he had in his office that contained hundreds of pages of handouts and whenever I brought up a certain issue; he had just the exercise to fix it.  Also, both Chris Merz and Bob Washut taught me invaluable lessons on becoming the most effective teacher I can be.  I still have about 10 to 15 notebooks and binders full of the stuff they gave me over a two year period.  I should be through that in about twenty years.

MW: As someone who draws from many influences in their playing how do you encourage students to explore different genres and styles of music?

JS: I encourage them to get out of the house and go see live music.  Even though I am a jazz guitarist by training, I probably only see 2-3 live jazz shows a year.  Since I deal with all types of world class guitarists from every genre with my job, it is fairly easy for me to become influenced by different genres and styles. 

Another method I recommend is going to the local library and check out 3 CD’s by people you have never heard of.  Go home and listen to them.  If you like something, tell a friend or go buy a ticket to see them live.  If you don’t like them, just return them.  It is ok not to like everything.  If you do this 10 times a year, I guarantee you will find something you didn’t think you would like and it will send your playing off in another direction.

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?

JS: Technology has made obtaining information easier.  It hasn’t made it easier to play instruments. You still have to put in the work.  I use technology in both lessons and practice, whether I am transcribing a solo and use software to slow it down or using a play along with a student.  At NGW we have started a special music technology curriculum that addresses theses changes in education.  It has been very successful the last few years.

I think musicians have to be responsive to new technology.  Every summer I see many, many young guitarists who have AMAZING technique and when I ask them how they learned to play like that almost every one talks about either a tab website, DVD or some computer software that slows down a difficult passage.  Technology is only going to help those musicians who take the time to learn about it and use it to their advantage.

MW: How did you begin your career at the National Guitar Workshop, and how have you seen that company grow in the past few years?

JS: That is an interesting story.  When I was at MSU I needed to complete an internship for my degree.  One day I was in the computer lab working on a project and decided to check out NGW.  I always wanted to go to NGW, but there wasn’t a location near where I grew up (Davenport, IA).  On the website they had a downloadable application for people who were interested in Resident Advisor positions.  I filled out an application, wrote a cover letter and mailed it off thinking nothing of it.

A few weeks later I received a phone call and they interviewed me on the spot.  About a week after that they called back and asked if I could do a month on the road.  That summer I spent time in New Orleans, Austin, Chicago and Nashville.  It was an amazing experience.  During that time I met some of my all time guitar heroes and made lifelong friends. 

After that summer I went back to school thinking that was going to be a one time thing.  In early ’05 they called me again and asked if I wanted to direct some campuses.  Thanks to my wife, she let me go on the road the two weeks before our wedding and then fly out the morning after to finish a week with NGW in Chicago.  I continued directing in the summer until my last year in graduate school when Dave Smolover, the owner of the company called me and offered both me and my wife (who had become a campus director as well) full time positions at the main office in Connecticut.

Since I have been working full time in the office I have seen the quality of our program increase exponentially.  Our Director of Music, Tom Dempsey has done an amazing job with hiring the best teachers possible.  The teachers are the people who really make the NGW experience great for our students.  Many of them tour with national acts, write columns in the guitar magazines and are some of the greatest musicians I have ever seen. 

Another big reason why our students come back every year is because of our guest artists.  On our community website we just made our first guest artists announcement for 2009.  This year our guest artists will include Buddy Guy, Paul Gilbert, Jimmy Herring, Pat Metheny, Robben Ford, Jimmie Vaughan, Pat Martino and many more.

MW: What advice do you have for people who are just starting to teach guitar?

JS: I would say approach it like you are a session guitarist and be versatile in many styles.  You never know what type of music a student will be interested in and you need to be prepared to at least give them some guidance even if that means helping them find a new teacher.  Also make sure your organizational skills are together.  Even if you teach out of a music store you are running a business and should be professional in your record keeping.

MW: What advice do you have for students when they are looking for a private teacher?

JS: Find a teacher who can teach you what you want to learn.  If a student comes to me wanting to be a shredder, I could help him with some things, but it would benefit them more if they studied with a teacher who specialized in that. 

Don’t be afraid to tell your teacher if you aren’t getting what you need out of your lessons.  It is the teacher’s responsibility to give you the information you need to make progress.

MW: Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk with us.

JS: My pleasure, anytime.