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Page 1 of 2  Guitarist John Wunsch has enjoyed a highly successful career
as both a performer and educator. After spending his formative years performing
throughout North America, Europe and Japan,
John was appointed to the faculty at the Interlochen Arts
Academy. As the Academy’s
guitar instructor, and director of the Interlochen Guitar Festival Workshop, John works
with some of the finest up and coming classical and jazz guitarists on the
planet.
John took time out of his busy schedule at Interlochen to
talk about his experiences as the guitar instructor at one of the world’s
leading high-school music programs.
MW: How did you get your start as a guitar teacher?
JW: When I left NYC, and intended to limit my touring
schedule, I really wanted to start teaching. So I advertised in a local paper
and managed to get an article about my moving to Traverse City and how I was looking to take
on private students. I also submitted my resume to both Northwestern
Michigan College
and the Interlochen Center for the Arts.
It was years before I finally got my opportunity at
Interlochen. Though in the meantime all the press, my performance career and
local students had helped me develop a profile that brought me to the attention
of the school. So when the guitar instructor resigned, Interlochen called me
the week classes were starting and it has all built up from there. MW: Did any of your teachers have an influence on your
private teaching approach?
JW: Certainly I think everyone from my very first teacher on
up has had an effect on me in some way. From certain teachers I have taken
their style, others their actual technical approach, and in a few cases an
example of what to avoid. One of my biggest influences was Jesus Silva at the North Carolina School of the Arts, from whom I learned
much about artistry and style. He also influenced the way I help students
develop a sense of self worth and confidence. From him I learned to enhance the
artistry of my students and to give them an appreciation of beauty in the
world.
Nick Goluses at the Manhattan School of Music was another
influential teacher of mine. From him I primarily took much of my technical
approach to skill development, as well as some important historical
perspectives on interpretation. The lessons that I learned from Nick, or in
master classes with David Russell and others, I apply in terms of methods for
technical improvement, that then carry forward to new applications and more
universal approaches. A good example of this is the way I use classical guitar techniques
with my jazz students, who play electric guitars.
MW: As someone who draws from many influences in their
playing how do you encourage students to explore different genres and styles of
music?
JW: I base it around listening. They need to hear it first,
better still see it played live, and then they are truly fired up to play. If
something does not inspire them then the listening may be as far as it needs to
go. One may make small gains by playing a piece or two from a repertoire that
they respect, but do not enjoy, however it is my experience that students learn
best when they are motivated to do so.
I simply believe we cannot make consistent and significant
progress unless we are inspired by, and honestly in touch with, the essence of
the style we are playing. For example, I try to insure that students who come
to study at Interlochen really know the classical or traditional jazz styles.
Even if they are more advanced technically, they need to have listened to the
repertoire and in their heart of hearts have the desire to learn these pieces.
Of course for classical that can range form the music of Bach through the works
of Garoto to Andrew York. For jazz,
there is also a pretty wide range, but honestly our Academy jazz program is
centered on the classic jazz style. So, incoming jazz guitar students will need
to have spent some serious time listening to the music of Duke Ellington and
Count Basie through the Miles Davis cool period.
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