The GMTP is a grass roots, music teacher-lead enterprise aimed at extending guitar
teacher professionalism. Fundamental to our notion of guitar master teacher is the view
that guitar teachers better professionalize their teaching by expanding their knowledge of
playing the instrument through exploring differences, as well as significant intersections
and commonalties, between different pedagogical and methodological approaches to
teaching, which derive from different music cultures.
Moreover, the concept of Master Teacher aims to interrupt the limiting notion that guitar
teachers do not require educational training to support and elevate their performing
knowledge. We seek to blur the boundaries between this misleading split between guitar
playing and educational knowledge by presenting guitar-specific subjects along with
educational, research, and reflexive approaches. Owing to this, our vision envisages
private guitar teachers who, as reflexive practitioners, are informed by the research
literature as well as able to position their practical enquiry and intuitive teaching craft in the
knowledge base.
Nevertheless, we contrast what we believe to be a seemingly false dichotomy between
teaching and performing, and we support the view that each subject enhances the other
for placing it in a wider perspective. By extension, we take the stand that teacher training is
essential to acquire the knowledge and experience necessary to launch and maintain a
successful teaching career.
At the hearth of the GMTP lies the vision to support teachers in their need to acquire the
skills that distinguish a guitar teacher from a master guitar teacher. While the former my
posses expertize in curricular content and have developed intuitive teaching skills, the
latter are also capable to understand the rational behind the content they teach and
analyse, warrant, and argue their teaching insights and decisions methodologically,
presenting sound evidence.
Furthermore, our central aim is to construct a course that aims to bring together different
teaching experts, creating a transformative force within the private music teaching sector:
a sector widely recognised as the depository of the highest specialized knowledge in
music teaching across cultures, worldwide. However, although teachers in the private
sector are driven by a direction in teaching that differs from the role held in public
education, too often guitar teachers who operate in this sector don’t fully appreciate their
specialized role, and perceive it subordinated to that of a generic, classroom music
teacher.
To this end, the music private teacher’s status (unlike other specialised professions) is
often degraded for not being subject to teacher training. To this end, a teacher training
program designed with the private teacher in mind is not commonly at disposal. The lack
of a comprehensive road map to career development and qualification presents
disadvantages to music teachers as they embark on a highly specialized and competitive
profession without the required teaching expertize and professional management to
support the ambition for a long term career.
In this scenario, private guitar teachers can either withdraw into scepticism, intellectual
fossilization, or take matters in their hands and attend a course designed to advance them
on their career. To this end, the GMTP responds to the demands and expectations of aspiring teachers who seek a professional guitar teacher training that adapts around the
skills they need in order to create a significant impact on their career and to stand out in
today’s competitive and rapidly evolving profession.
In many respects, we believe that joining the program will represent the turning point for a
teacher. For transitioning from being an improvised teacher to becoming the best teacher
one can be, engaging with a broad range of knowledge on education, and engaging with
experts in the profession will produce the building blocks that elevates a teacher
effectiveness to the highest standards. An interest in teaching, after all, is fundamental; but
alone is not enough for advancing one’s career and avoid the pitfall and risks of trial and
error.
All members of the GMTP team are musicians and professional teachers holding a
Diploma or Degree from a recognised academic institution.