Guitar workshop to make stop in Lebanon

Apr. 27—A renowned guitar workshop is coming back to Lebanon at Cumberland University this July. Founded 22 years ago by Brian Murray, Guitar Workshop Plus is a Toronto-based program that's held a summer workshop in Nashville since 2015.

Guest artists on this year's lineup include Eric Gales, Andy McKee, Laurence Juber, Gary Hoey, Matt Schofield, Andy Timmons, David Grissom, Muriel Anderson and Larry Mitchell.

"We expanded over the years and started doing these annual weeklong workshops," Murray said. "They're open to all ages, levels and styles. We started doing (the workshops) in Toronto, then Vancouver and we've gotten some United States locations in San Diego, Nashville and Fort Lauderdale."

This will be the second year that the workshop is held at Cumberland University in Lebanon, from July 7-12.

"It's great for us because it's a smaller campus and for the people who are attending, many of them will stay right there on site," Murray said. "It's nice to not lug a guitar two city blocks. You just walk across the courtyard to the classroom building."

On average, 50-100 people attend Guitar Workshop Plus's program, with small class sizes ranging from 10-11 people.

"We want people to have the individual attention and those classes will also rehearse and perform as ensembles," Murray said. "If you have too many people in a class, that doesn't work."

Classes are balanced with faculty, guest artists and student performances throughout the weeklong program, with jazz, blues, rock and acoustic styles being featured. The performances are only open to program attendees.

"Those are special evenings because you'll have an intimate performance, Q&A and meet and greet with artists who will have played Bridgestone Arena or The Ryman," Murray said. "That's a unique thing."

Murray enjoys the student performances and the ensemble concert.

"We have a lot of repeat attendees, and we only get to see them once a year," Murray said. "Some of them will go to multiple sessions, but most of them it's once a year. We get to see their progress. We get to see how much they've improved after they've attended the previous year. For me, that's the most rewarding, but there's a lot of highlights."

Even if someone chooses one genre as their main course during the program, they're exposed to other styles of music throughout the week.

"The next year they may come back and do one of those courses," Murray said. "They may do a blues class. All of a sudden, you see them rounding out as versatile players. They've definitely taken what they learned at the workshop and kind of absorbed it as they were practicing."

Registration is now open for the workshop at Cumberland University.

"We try to balance all the nuts and bolts, give people all the tools they need in the toolbox to become better players," Murray said.