The group focuses on Jacob Gold as he positions his hand to strike the first note.
Before he moves his pick the classroom of people call out song titles.聽
鈥淜ashmir.鈥� 鈥淐omfortably Numb.鈥�
The participants in the Guitar Workshop Plus class are re-training their brains to notice specific notes, Canadian fusion guitarist Dave Martone says. Using only the visual queue of a hand鈥檚 placement on a guitar and the first note, the musicians will guess the song.聽
鈥淲e鈥檙e training our ears,鈥� he says.聽
As the Squamish Valley Music Festival wound down, things at Quest University were heating up. Since Sunday, Aug. 10, 70 musicians from across Canada and south of the border visited Squamish to take part in one of Canada鈥檚 top-ranked summer music programs.聽
鈥淲e鈥檝e been doing this for six years,鈥� Guitar Workshop Plus founder Brian Murray says.聽
A few years ago, Quest鈥檚 small campus feel lured the Toronto-based initiative away from the University of British Columbia to the Sea to Sky Corridor. Today the spectacular scenery matches an explosive lineup of professionals who鈥檝e agreed to teach in an intimate setting, Murray notes.聽
鈥淲e literally have all different styles from rock to blues,鈥� he says. 鈥淭here鈥檚 something for everybody.鈥�
With his home in Issaquah, Wash., guitar enthusiast Dan Conley drove up to Squamish for the third year in a row to take part in the week-long workshops. This year鈥檚 highlight was learning alongside American instrumental progressive metal band Animals As Leaders鈥檚 guitarist Tosin Abasi.聽
Conley swapped his clarinet for a guitar in middle school. The annual workshop feels like getting 鈥渇ire hosed鈥� with information. But it鈥檚 good, Conley says. Heading south, he鈥檒l have a year鈥檚 worth of material to work through.聽
鈥淵ou also meet a lot of the same people every year,鈥� he says, noting he鈥檚 gained close friends from the program.聽
The courses are designed for musicians of all ages, from adult hobbyists to students pursuing music careers. Next year, Murray says he hopes to see more Squamish residents sign up for the workshops.聽
鈥淲e have lots of people from all over Canada, the United States, South America, but we really don鈥檛 get a huge draw from Squamish,鈥� he says.聽
For more information visit www.guitarworkshopplus.com.
