Lead Guitar collaborates with K-12 schools to provide in-school guitar ensemble classes by pairing a Lead Guitar Teaching Artist with a certified “Teacher of Record” from a participating school to co-teach guitar classes.
The Teacher of Record is usually someone who does not play or teach guitar but has some experience leading other kinds of music classes. Band, Orchestra and Choir specialists are frequent partners but Science, Math and History teachers with some music experience have also been effective. Formal professional development and Lead Guitar’s proprietary curriculum including guitar ensemble method books, online learning platform, ensemble library, and lesson outlines give teachers a clear curricular road map to engage students all year long.
Throughout the year, classes meet two to five times per week during school hours with a Lead Guitar Teaching Artist there to model teach new concepts and support the Teacher of Record one day per week. Students are also inspired by in-school concerts from global touring guitarists and performance opportunities like the We Are Guitar live stream and Showcase Concerts at local College campuses.
Lead Guitar uses nylon-string guitars and teaches finger-style technique using a mixture of world folk music, Western art music, blues, mariachi, pop, rock and film music. Our method establishes core music competencies—such as understanding pitch and rhythm, playing diverse musical lines simultaneously with others, basic music theory, reading in standard notation, and ergonomic technique—as well as composition and improvisation activities.
Our Teaching Artists provide meaningful mentorship to boost Social-Emotional Learning through music participation, including self-confidence, accountability, focus, emotional regulation, and positive peer relationships. Lead Guitar appeals to students who may not be drawn to band and orchestra programs by using an instrument relevant to any tradition, genre, and cultural background. If there is a population at your school that is not receiving music education, Lead Guitar can help!
