Building an Award-Winning Guitar Program

Building an Award-Winning Guitar Program is a practical guide to assist secondary and post-secondary music educators with the tasks involved in establishing a successful music program.

Bill Swick currently writes guitar ensemble arrangements, supplementary teaching materials, and method books for several publishers. Swick has over two-hundred titles published with J.W. Pepper, over fifty titles with Sheet Music Plus, and several titles with Music Prodigy. In addition, he runs and operates BillSwick.com which publishes guitar classroom materials and a weekly newsletter for secondary guitar teachers. Swick was recently identified as a Top Ten Music Educator by the GRAMMY Foundation and is the author of Teaching Beginning Guitar Class: A Practical Guide (OUP 2017).

Chapter One: Guitar and the Rise of "Innovative" Ensembles
Chapter Two: Building an Infrastructure for Success
Chapter Three: Gaining Recognition
Chapter Four: Concerts and On-Campus Performances
Chapter Five: Feeder Programs, Recruiting, and Building Longevity
Chapter Six: Selecting Your Instrument and Approach
Chapter Seven: Solo and Ensemble and Other Festivals
Chapter Eight: Travel and Off-Campus Performances
Chapter Nine: Funding Your Program
Chapter Ten: Websites and Documentation
Chapter Eleven: Building a Curriculum
Chapter Twelve: Teaching the Whole Student
Conclusion
Appendix A: NAfME Council for Guitar Education's "Guitar Best Practices"
Appendix B: Guitar Ensemble Repertoire
Appendix C: Media Release Form
Appendix D: Guitar in the Classroom
Appendix E: Musical Terms to Introduce During Rehearsals
Appendix F: Annual Goals
Appendix G: Audition Requirements
Appendix H: Qualities of an Effective Music Educator Self-Reflection Quiz
Appendix I: Guitar Concert Program