Strumming a tune
MusicMatters
Borella
Email: info@musicmatterssrilanka.com 92/1a, D. S. Senanayake Mawatha, Borella, Colombo 8.
Tel: 011- 2686615
Sarani Perera and Primal Liyanage – known as members of the groups Thriloka and Flame – teach guitar at MusicMatters. Here, students turn up once-a-week for a two-hour session. The session consists of a 30 minute individual instrument class, a 30 minute theory class and a 1-hour ensemble class.The classes follow the American Hal Leonard guitar method, where notes on each string of the guitar are introduced initially and chords are followed. Songs of varying degrees of difficulty are introduced at different levels so students can apply their new knowledge. Typically a student would need to regularly attend classes for at least six months to start seeing significant results.
Among the things that make the school unique is students get plenty of opportunities to perform.
“Every three months, students get to take part in a Student Concert which features their ensemble playing. In between these concerts, we have what we call Performance Weeks. These are smaller in-house concerts which focus on solo performances,” says Sumudi Suraweera, a director at the school, adding“some of the more advanced student groups perform at the annual MusicMatters Festival and other public events such as CR&FC Jazz Sunday.” Currently, new enrolments happen every month. However, from 2014 MusicMatters are considering term enrolments. Keep an eye out for their open day forums in early December.
Fee: Rs. 5000 a month
Tennyson Napolean
Rajagiriya
Email: tenny891@gmail.com
Tel: 0771678729
As a founding member of the band Stigmata, Tennyson Napolean says for him teaching is about helping his students fulfil their potential. “I teach them to think differently as musicians and as individuals. My main goal is to help them create what they like to listen to,” he says. With just over a year of classes under his belt, Tenny keeps his schedule flexible. He recommends a 1 – 1 ½ hour class, once a week, asking students to simply call and book the next one when they’re ready. His students should be motivated enough to practise at home in between sessions.
Individual classes mean plenty of one on one attention. “I always push them to write their own music or compose a small music piece after they have learned a scale; something fun for homework with some guitar exercises,” says Tenny. He’s sharing what he does best – after 13 years, three albums (and a fourth on the way), Stigmata’s guitarist sees himself on the edge of composing music and guitar playing.
He teaches on both the electric and box guitars. While he has a fondness for acoustic guitar, many students are drawn to him because of his impeccable heavy metal credentials. They should cultivate patience though because mastering what Tenny calls ‘loud overdrive’ doesn’t come easy. “It takes a lot of practice, skill and patience. My advice is get your basic music theory and basic guitar techniques sorted out before you go all out there with loud overdrive even though it’s very tempting to try out and chase everyone off your neighbourhood.”
Fee: Rs.1500 a class
Ravin David Ratnam
Nugegoda
Email: ravdavid.toms@gmail.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ravdavid.toms
You may remember ‘Rav David’ as a member of the band Fuez Mechan-x, the winners of TNL Onstage 2006. He’s since gone on to make music his full-time career and is now at work on an album for his heavy metal project R.A.G.E. As a composer and musician who plays multiple instruments, Ravin likes to push his students to create original work. “I always encourage my students never to look at tabs and to learn it by ear, instead,” he says. “You try to pick up as much as you can and interpret what you’re hearing on the guitar – this improves your ability to improvise.”
Though he’s been teaching since 2005, Ravin has only recently begun training students interested in sitting for Trinity College of Music’s Rock & Pop exams. These don’t require that you know how to read music – they’re listening based exams, says Ravin saying it’s all about musical perception and the ability to improvise on the spot. As someone who’s been in and out of bands in recent years, Ravin says he also teaches students what they need to know to play in a band. His classes begin with the basics and go on from anywhere between an hour to two, with four classes a month. Up to five students make up a single class. “I’ve found I really enjoy teaching people guitar – almost as much as performing. For me teaching is kind of learning experience,as well. Getting to know people and seeing them improving –it is fun.”
Fee: Rs. 4,000 a month