Clarke Central High School guitar students perform in the CCHS Fall Guitar Concert in the E.B. Mell Auditorium on Sept. 24. Fine arts department teacher Aziz Coleman organized the concert, in which he added new elements to pieces for creativity. “We (opened) with (the song) “Lollipop,” but the way we (performed) it was different (from) the original song. We had singing, clapping, solos, drums (and) two of (the solos) intertwined. I wanted (it) to feel like a full ensemble (to) bring (the) song some new life,” Coleman said. Photo by Iliana Tejada
On Sept. 24, CCHS community members were invited to attend the CCHS Fall Guitar Concert in the E.B. Mell Auditorium from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
The Clarke Central High School Fall Guitar Concert took place in the E.B. Mell Auditorium on Sept. 24, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. There, 13 small groups of guitar students of all levels performed several original pieces, and covered two songs as a collective.
Organized by fine arts department teacher Aziz Coleman, who teaches Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced Guitar classes, the concert began with a cover of “Lollipop”, followed by original songs performed by small groups from each class period, and ended with a cover of “California Dreamin’”.
“I wasn’t really nervous while I was performing. I felt like it was just me and my guitar (and) everything (else) was silent,”
— Christopher Vasquez Lopez,
CCHS junior
To help the students prepare for the show, Coleman brought in Lead Guitar Teaching Artist Ryan Moore, who studies guitar at the University of Georgia, to mentor students on Mondays to inspire creativity throughout the week.
“(Moore) helps them develop (their skills) into something more. He’ll work with them, and then (for) the rest of the week after (he says), ‘Let’s hear it with this now,’ ‘Let’s try it this way,’ and (then) we’ll just experiment all week.” Coleman said. “Then after a week of experimenting on it, we settle on something and then practice it. It’s just a lot of trial and error.”
CCHS junior Christopher Vasquez Lopez played both the acoustic and electric guitar at the show, with two original songs he helped compose.
“I wasn’t really nervous. While I was performing, I felt like it was just me and my guitar (and) everything (else) was silent,” Vasquez Lopez said. “(For the original song,) I took pieces from something else and merged (it) into my own song.”
Clarke Central High School community members attend the CCHS Fall Guitar Concert in the E.B. Mell Auditorium on Sept. 24. CCHS fine arts department teacher Aziz Coleman reflected on his students’ improvement in preparation for the performance. “I was very impressed (with their growth). I don’t think they realize how hard it is to make something. It requires a part of your brain that people don’t use anymore as you get older. Little kids are really good at it because when you first started to walk, you weren’t worried about falling down. You just fell down, and you got up,” Coleman said. “I figured if I approached learning music and writing music that way with them, (then) we’re just trying it.” Photos by Iliana Tejada and Miriam Silk
In addition to organizing, Coleman also sang a solo performance with one of the small groups at the event, and sang in both covers of “California Dreamin’” and “Lollipop.”
“I was dying to (perform with my students). I was so excited. I was hopeful that when I was on stage, I was modeling that everyone around you is going to feel how you want them to feel, if you really just emanate it.”Coleman said. “So, I was trying to emanate that we’re all a team and we’re like a little ‘School of Rock’ band just trying to have fun.”
Parent of a CCHS student Larissa Stouffer attended the concert and found it to be an unique experience.
“I thought (the performance) was great. (Coleman) fostering that creativity in them (to create original pieces) shows a lot, versus (them) just playing any old song,” Stouffer said. “I think it’s really important for (the students) to be able to learn to be creative and write their own music.”
