"When I was 13, I wanted to be a rock star. Like friends at school I had my sights set on the electric guitar and wanted to be in a band, so promptly asked my parents to buy me a guitar and book me some lessons. Whilst my Dad was watching me at Football Training one evening, he just happened to mention this to the Grandad of one of my teammates. He urged my Dad that before splashing out on a new instrument, amp, and set of lessons etc I should visit his house, have a play on his guitar, and see what I thought. Expecting to be given an electric guitar, I was instead sat down with a classical guitar. Expecting to be given a pick, I was instead told to use my fingers. Expecting to start strumming some chords, I was instead confronted with a giant book by Frederick Noad entitled ‘How to play Classical Guitar’. There is a famous saying that ‘To be a Rock Guitarist takes 12 hours, but to be a Classical Guitarist takes 12 years of study’…and this quickly became apparent. Whilst school-friends were thrashing out to Deep Purple and Guns N’ Roses, I was studiously trying to come to terms with the etudes of Bach, Dowland and Sor. This wasn’t overly easy. However, my friend’s Grandad continued to kindly offer me advice and lessons. So, I would wander over to his house on a Sunday evening (the Spanish guitar he had lent me wrapped up in a plastic bin bag!) and persevere with the little black and white dots, whilst his wife would kindly offer me drinks and biscuits. Then one day, after a couple months of lessons...I fell in love with the instrument. No longer were the scales a chore, nor learning to use my fingers a bore, but I became infatuated with this wonderful instrument and knew I wanted to dedicate my life to it. If it wasn’t for these kindly offered lessons I might never have encountered the Classical Guitar, and everything which is so wonderful about it. That is how it all began…"
- David Thomas Cotter (Spring 2016)
- David Thomas Cotter (Spring 2016)