Many strings: The European Guitar Teachers Association

Almost three decades ago, Gordon Crosskey held several meetings with other leading practitioners of classical guitar. Out of these gatherings, the European Guitar Teachers Association (EGTA) was formed with the intent to support classical guitar teachers across the UK through forums and CPD activities, as well as working to improve the status of the instrument, its educators, and the quality of educational work done to support both. Since 1990, when Australian virtuosic classical guitarist John Williams became EGTA's honorary president, its founding statement set out a clear mission, one which it continues to follow to this day: ‘To advance education for the public benefit in classical guitar playing in particular, but not exclusively, by the promotion of classical guitar playing, classical guitar concerts, and educating young people in the study of the classical guitar.’

As its name suggests, EGTA takes a pan-European approach to classical guitar, with mutual support crossing over both sides of the Channel in the form of solidarity and new pedagogical perspectives. The UK branch is run by a national committee, though international visitors to events and conferences are a common occurrence, with past guests including the likes of Jad Azkoul, Craig Ogden, Xue-fei Yang, and Eleftheria Kotzia. Similarly, the UK branch sends musicians to events across the globe to help promote the valuable contribution that British teachers are making to the artform.

The story so far

Throughout the last 30 years, EGTA has been quite productive when it comes to publishing content which is useful to classical guitar teachers. The EGTA Series, which was initially published by Chanterelle (now a Musikverlag Zimmerman imprint with online sales managed by Schott), consisted of the One+One and Solo Now books, along with The Baroque Book and Classical Book and shows just how quickly EGTA began acting upon its mission. The reach of these books was incredible, with teachers from across the world using them in their teaching, as well as many of the works making their way onto the list of set pieces for a number of prominent exam boards.

In addition to music, EGTA has also produced a number of academic texts, such as the Guitar Journal periodical and the first and only scholarly publication in English devoted to the teaching of the classical guitar, Guitar Forum.

Given the amount of expertise it offers, it is unsurprising that other organisations seek out EGTA when looking for input regarding classical guitar education. For both the 2009 and 2019 ABRSM guitar syllabuses, EGTA members played a key role in developing, reviewing, and editing the published materials. Looking further back, EGTA members were also deeply involved in the development of ‘A Common Approach’, which was a 2002 national curriculum project for instrumental and vocal teaching that was founded by the Federation of Music Services and the National Association of Music Educators. The curriculum document was well-received at the time and remains a touchstone of school-based classical guitar teaching in the UK to this day.

One of the organisation's biggest achievements was the founding of the National Youth Guitar Ensemble (NYGE) back in 2000. Since then, the NYGE has become known as the UK's best available ensemble training for young people thanks to its twice-yearly residential training courses and successful concert series. However, while EGTA developed the NYGE it passed the ensemble into the capable hands of The Arts Circus, a specialist youth music charity, in October 2015. While undoubtedly a difficult decision, it was one which enabled the great work of the NYGE to continue to this very day. The NYGE has since flourished and now provides even more auditions and performance opportunities, showing no signs of slowing down. The role that EGTA and its members have played in growing the reach of classical guitar in education is rightly celebrated and acknowledged across the sector.

The NYGE Fellowship performed at the Royal College of Music's 2018 guitar festival

Becoming a member

Aspiring members, that is to say anyone who is interested in teaching the classical guitar or who is already teaching it on a professional or semi-professional basis, have plenty of reasons to join. While membership to many professional bodies can be quite expensive, the rates for annual membership to EGTA are incredibly low. Full members pay just £35 per year. Anyone in full-time education who is able to evidence this satisfactorily is charged even less than half price, with the annual fee being currently set at just £15. Music hubs and services can also join as corporate members, providing they employ classical guitarists as music teachers on either a full or part time basis – regardless of the number of classical guitar teachers employed, this membership is only £70 per year. The great thing is that all members have access to the same resources and opportunities, so no-one is disadvantaged by their situation – it's great to see membership handled so simply.

So, once you've paid up, what can you expect as a member? Well, in the first instance you'll immediately unlock access to the myriad of teaching resources that can be found on the website.

While a lot of the content is understandably restricted to members, there are some things which are available to the general public which should give interested musicians an insight in to the quality of material they will be recieve as part of their membership package.

One page contains a library of arrangements, where members can share their material and download the works of others. Of the arrangements that I looked through, Bach's ‘Prelude XXII’ and ‘Greensleeves’, the quality is very good and prints out highly readable. As well as this, members also have access to lesson plans, with the two free examples here being on Villa-Lobos and Kodály. The online version of Guitar Forum also becomes available to members, though the publication can be purchased by non-members, either in its entirety or as individual articles.

Member are encouraged to take an active role in the organisation, with EGTA stressing that it does not subscribe to ‘a single view or doctrine; rather it is a melting pot for the interaction of professionals on how to better go about the business of teaching’. As such, any member can submit an idea for a meeting, concert or seminar to be run under the EGTA banner, with all the support and promotion that entails. Previous events have included exam preparation days, tone-production residential retreats, ensemble coaching, and technical workshops at venues such as the Yehudi Menuhin School and the Stoke Newington Guitar Festival.

Updates about the goings on of the organisation are sent out to members via email, though EGTA does maintain an active online presence, with a small but dedicated Facebook page consisting of 1,200 people. Posts to the page happen regularly and there's a definite community spirit, with events and ensembles from around the country being promoted alongside pertinent news that impacts classical guitarists.

The organisation has also recently launched a YouTube channel and while the platform doesn't have anything on it yet, its creation does suggest that video content is on the agenda. It demonstrates another step forward in the long and accomplished history of EGTA, showing that it is always looking for new and fresh ways to further the status of classical guitar in education and support the people who teach it.

© Kathy Panama 

John Williams has been honorary president of EGTA since its inception

egta.co.uk