Show 12 Page Student Life Wednesday May 19 1976 l Guitar instructor 1 NP From rock to Bach to USU by Doug Robinson At age 26 he has already ac- complished more than most guitarists will achieve in a lifetime Because of his unique versatility he has performed in every phase of professional music from playing in folk and rock groups playing jazz and ragtime arrangements to performing classical pieces with chamber orchestras Prior to teaching he also backed up USO tours in Europe and since then has even played background for studio recordings and television But Mike Christiansen will cast this off and tell you his proudest accomplishment is his program at USU and the recognition it has brought to the guitar as a true musical instrument in the mountain west music programs Mike gave up what most people would consider the glamorous side of music and returned to Utah out of love for teaching In just two years he has built a program of 150 students in the USU music department where there once was none This program has gained so much momentum that it is attracting guitar students from as far away as Boston and Canada The program has also received national attention in Guitar Player Magazine And Mike receives an increasing number of audition offers for students from various entertainment fields Raised in Provo Mike picked up his first guitar at the age of five and took 11 years of formal study But his education was e While growing largely to his up hunger learn led him to self-mad- attend all available guitar constant practice he developed the foundation for his uncanny sight clinics And due to i i He also foundation for his versatility ability Because he was exposed to record a massive developed and v 1 reading collection As he says now of his motivation “I just wanted to play like those records” And earning $200 a week teaching guitar his senior year in high school this motivation led him to flying around the country to hear various artists and groups Mike attended USU as a freshman but at this point guitar was not offered in the USU music department After a summer of music tours to New York and Europe Mike returned to school and decided on a music education major with an emphasis on guitar And as he now recalls “They (the music department) thought I was A curriculum was crazy for him designed leading him far from the away guitar into such as classes group strings various horns piano and voice During this time Mike couldn’t formally study guitar although he credits this varied curriculum with initiating his realization of the opportunities in the guitar field both as a recognized instrument and as a learning tool And he began to see this role as an opportunity to do something different Under the direction of various professors Mike developed interests in jazz and classical! music and began to build the BRIGADER GENERAL such a variety of instruments the various teaching methods with which they were taught he same began to wonder why the teach methods weren’t used to for guitar He began to search but this books that might do couldn’t find any worthwhile And at the suggestion of a professor Mike began to write one of his own Because Mike had such difficulty in finding books he began to realize just how far behind the guitar was in receiving proper attention and recognition in the music teaching field His concern may well be justified In the April issue of Guitar Player Magazine a survey revealed that only 25 per cent of the universities that offer any music courses at all offer any kind of guitar instruction at USU after Mike stay-o- n his concentrated and graduation efforts on developing a guitar 1 v well-compos- r- - s grt Mike Christiansen: Of all his proud of the guitar program he no other instrument YfiU— could learn a basic song on so fast for the simple reason that all you do is pluck down” a string and push it Mike has strived for the guitar’s use not only as a teaching aid in the schools but also for its expansion into such programs as music therapy And program so many people enjoy the because Mike does guitar push Why so much? “Because of its writing and putting words to familiarity the guitar would music Mike has actively been the guitar in provide more exposure to music involved in using r for kids” he says “It would connection witF poetry classes encourage participation rather All of this amounts to student than just listening because kids involvement which is one of could better relate to it Also it is Mike’s primary goals To facilitate the student’s relatively easy to play There is accomplishments he has developed at USU application developed process and Mike FOREMOST AUTHORITY 0 U THE Lectures on ARAB-ISRAE- LI several teaching tools and ideas He has created basic ways for students to learn songs off of records or simple ways to transpose songs to enable a student to adapt a song to his own voice range if he wishes to sing Though a student may determine the direction and type of music he will study Mike believes that a student’s interests can be broadened This might be done by teaching a fan of the rock group Led Zeppelin one of their songs But eventually he shows the student how its linked in one way (Continued on page 16) WARS Blitzkreig The River & the Gaunlet Pork Chop Hill Sinai Victory UNIVERSITY LOUNGE 9:30 AD 20 1976 mVWelcome has copyrighted r UV7U 0 is most Ifoursday Everyone Sponsored by the History Dept and Army ROTC |