After more than a decade serving as Artist Affiliate of Guitar at Georgia State University, I have made the difficult decision to step away from my position. This was not a decision I made lightly. My time at GSU has been deeply rewarding, and I am immensely proud of the growth, recognition, and student successes that have come from our guitar program.

BUILDING THE GSU GUITAR PROGRAM

When I joined the GSU School of Music, I was the fifth guitar teacher in five years, and the guitar program was in need of stability and direction. Over the years, I worked to develop a curriculum that served a wide range of degree paths, including Music Performance, Music Business, Music Industry/Recording Arts, Music Education, Music Composition, and graduate-level study.

One of my most significant contributions was the creation of the Master of Music in Guitar Performance and the establishment of the Guitar Graduate Assistantship. This position has given graduate students hands-on teaching experience in both individual and group settings, as well as valuable performance opportunities: helping them prepare for careers as educators and performers.

I also proposed and implemented changes to degree requirements that expanded guitar instruction for Music Industry students, establishing the need for multiple sections of the Introduction to Guitar course and the creation of a second-level class to meet performance requirements. Unfortunately, however, as a part-time guitar instructor, this type of expansion was limited.

EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES AND RAISING THE PROGRAM’S PROFILE

Throughout my tenure, I worked to raise both national and international awareness of GSU’s guitar program. With the help of my students and the support of the administration, I secured external funding to host more than 20 guest artist concerts and masterclasses on campus. During my time there, I also represented GSU in over 80 professional concert engagements, performing at major festivals, concert series, and international events.

I believe the Guitar Ensemble grew into one of the most visible and active groups of its kind during my time at GSU. We presented full-length concerts each semester: something that, to my knowledge, had not been done by a part-time guitar instructor at GSU previously. In addition to having middle school, high school, and professional groups perform with us, the GSU Guitar Ensemble was invited to perform for special, off-campus, occasions, including events attended by the German and French Consuls.

STUDENT SUCCESSES

The accomplishments of my students are the clearest measure of the program’s success. Graduates from the GSU Guitar Studio have gone on to earn teaching positions at Georgia Highlands College, Georgia College and State University, Georgia State University Perimeter College, and Georgia State University, among other institutions. Additionally, graduates from the GSU Guitar Studio have been awarded graduate assistantships at highly regarded guitar programs, including Columbus State University and the University of Georgia.

Our students have also earned recognition in competitions, including reaching the semi-final rounds of the Florida Guitar Festival and Competition and the University of Florida Guitar Extravaganza.

WHY I CHOSE TO MOVE ON

While I am proud of these accomplishments, the position has always been a part-time appointment with a workload that far exceeded the compensation, lacked benefits, and offered no opportunities for professional advancement. Over time, the imbalance between the demands of the role and the resources provided made it increasingly difficult to maintain the level of commitment and attention I wanted to give to the students and the program.

There were discussions over the years about the possibility of expanding the position into a full-time role, and I remain hopeful that one day this will happen. Should that opportunity arise, I would welcome the chance to contribute again in a more sustainable capacity.

LOOKING AHEAD

I will always look back on my years at Georgia State University with gratitude: for my colleagues, my students, and the opportunity to help shape the guitar program into what it is today. The successes we achieved together are something of which I will always be proud.

My focus now turns to the next chapter in my career: continuing to perform, teach at Emory University, expand my private guitar studio, and create opportunities for classical guitar to thrive in our community and beyond. I have also taken on new opportunities in my expanded role as Music Curator and Strategist at SimpleC Connected Care, where I develop digital therapeutic music programs for individuals living with dementia and other cognitive challenges.