Guitar Program Spotlight 4 Interview With Arts High School Instructor, Jayson Martinez Thomas Amoriello Fleminton Raritan School District tamoriel@frsd.k12.nj.us
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t is my pleasure to interview Jayson Martinez for our October issue of TEMPO. He is a respected guitar educator in New Jersey who teaches guitar at Arts High School in Newark as well as Essex County College He will also conduct the 2019 NJMEA Honors Guitar Ensemble on May 4th at The College of New Jersey. Enjoy! Please Tell Us About Your School And Overall Music Program? Newark’s Arts High School opened its doors to students in September 1931 as the first public high school in the United States, specializing in the visual and performing arts. Although I am recognized as the first official guitar major in Arts High history, the true first guitarist who attended our school was Manuel Barrueco. Back in 1968-69, there was no guitar program, so Maestro Barrueco was forced to major in tuba. Today, the maestro would certainly extol the virtues of our guitar program, as it serves roughly twenty majors in the art of classical guitar. Please Tell Us About Your Own Personal Musical Background Growing Up And Your Collegiate Experience? Growing up, I was inspired to play guitar by several rock guitarists, such as Dave Mustaine and Slash. But it was Jose Luis Serrano, a music teacher serving in the Newark Public Schools, that offered me private lessons. These lessons played a critical role in my development as a guitarist; much like today, the guitar is not offered as an instrumental choice in many public schools. As a student in Arts High School, Lou Melchor taught me the exquisite art of the classical guitar. But it wasn’t until I studied guitar at New Jersey City University under the
tutelage of Ana María Rosado that I came full circle as a musician. During these formative collegial years, my passion for every aspect of classical guitar truly blossomed. What Obstacles Did You Face When You Were First Hired At Your School? The main obstacle I faced was that many incoming freshman had no prior guitar playing experience. This puts our program at a disadvantage, inasmuch as other students instrument major of choice had prior playing knowledge, since they studied the instrument as a group or class in middle school. This is why I opened my own music studio, Tremolo Music Studio, so that students can take private guitar lessons and be prepared to enter Arts High School with a solid playing foundation. What Kind Of Classes Related To The Guitar/Mandolin Do You Teach? At Arts High School, I teach not only classical guitar playing and pedagogy, but also guitar history and music theory. My goal is to prepare the guitarists with a solid overall foundation in order for them to continue their studies at the collegiate level if they so choose. What Would You Like To Say To The Non-Guitarist Music Educator That Is About To Or Interested In Incorporating The Guitar Into Their Program? Personally, I’m a strong advocate of the Little Kids Rock program. David Wish has established a strong and reputable program designed for the inclusion of guitar studies in the public schools. I would recommend to attend LKR seminars, network with other
TEMPO 32
OCTOBER 2018
