Congrats, Guitar Club!
The guitar is a difficult instrument to learn. With all its strings and frets, it’s very easy to get confused, yet Mr.Rimmer (runner of the Guitar Club) was able to get a number of students to play the guitar impressively well in the matter of a few weeks. Thus, it was inevitable that his club would eventually become the club of the month.
After all, how was one man able to get these students playing the guitar in such a short period of time? (Bearing in mind that they weren’t just playing simple tunes like Jingle Bells; they were playing complex tunes for more advanced/ intermediate guitarists.) Now you may be thinking, “When did this revolutionary club start?”
Well, you’ll be surprised to know that it only began at the beginning of September 2019. It was started under Mr. Price’s request who thought NES needed a guitar club. Currently, two teachers attend (Ms. Mir and Mr. Conner) as well as about 10 students.
Every Sunday in the music rooms at 2:30 PM, Mr. Rimmer and his group gather up to learn about the wonderous world of the guitar and its rhythms. Whether they use the guitars provided or the guitars they got from home, every single participant leaves the meetings with a smile on their face and some new knowledge about the instrument. How Mr. Rimmer is able to get all these members well-educated in the art of guitar (while having fun) is an incredible mystery, but part of it has to do with him being “…a good teacher and extremely patient” (as his students kept repeating).
What’s more surprising is that the guitar master himself (Mr. Rimmer) only started playing the guitar seriously 8 years ago! While Mr. Rimmer admits he’s dabbled with playing the guitar in his youth, he says his true passion only began when he started teaching at NES and saw how talented the students were. After those students shared their passion for the guitar with Mr. Rimmer, he decided to complete the cycle and share his newfound passion with other students, hence the guitar club was started.
What amazes me most, however, is the fact that some of the members in the guitar club started out as total beginners, but now (thanks to Mr. Rimmer’s assistance) they can play at a near advanced level! Mr. Rimmer himself said that his favourite thing about the club was seeing people improve at guitar while enjoying themselves.
Last Sunday, I had the privilege of attending one of their meetings to see how exactly things are run in the Guitar Club and carried out a few interviews.
Here are a few, short interviews with some of the student members:
Mariam:
- What inspired you to join this club?
My passion for guitar.
- When did you start playing the guitar? Were you a beginner when you first joined and how far do you feel you have come?
I started when I was 6 and I do feel I’ve quite come far.
- What is your favorite thing about this club and why?
I like playing with other people and seeing their different styles.
Rosalyne:
- What inspired you to join this club?
I was always interested in music and wanted to learn to play the guitar.
- When did you start playing the guitar? Were you a beginner when you first joined and how far do you feel you have come?
Yes, I was a beginner and have definitely improved since.
- What is your favorite thing about this club and why?
It’s a good destresser; it’s quite relaxing and it is very accepting of mistakes due to the very comfortable environment it provides.
The guitar club is very well-run and seems immensely enjoyable, so next year, if you have an interest in guitar or just have free Sunday afternoons, be sure to keep a lookout for when you can join. I, for one, will definitely try to join the guitar club next year!
