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. With the rising interest in guitar, Mariachi, rock band, handbells, bluegrass, music technology, and so on, more and more music educators are being asked to teach innovative music classes. Author Bill Swick has crafted this book to help these educators build such innovative music programs from the ground floor, based on his years of experience as a music educator specialized in guitar. The book will assist music educators with classroom management, scheduling, structure, organization, fund raising, festivals, travel, and other subjects related to teaching guitar in the classroom, but its principles are broadly relevant to any and all music educators hoping to create a unique program that stands out within their school district and state, attracting students, parents, educators and administrators alike.

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