EGTA (UK): European Guitar Teachers Association

EUROPEAN GUITAR TEACHERS ASSOCIATION

EGTA UK - Association for classical guitar teachers in the UK  

» EGTA (UK): European Guitar Teachers Association

European Guitar Teachers Association

Gerald Garcia conducts NYGE in rehearsal

The European Guitar Teachers Association was founded in 1990 following preliminary meetings instigated by Gordon Crosskey, professor of guitar at Manchester’s Royal Northern College of Music. John Williams has been its Honorary President since that time.

EGTA's original stated aims were to improve the standard of guitar teaching, to raise the status of the instrument within the musical mainstream and to widen interest in guitar playing.

Much has already been done to achieve these aims and EGTA today acts above all as a resource and a discussion place for guitarists concerned with developing themselves as teachers, and their pupils as players.



“Bacc for the Future” campaign-initial success

In October 2012 EGTA became one of the 113 organisations signed up to the “Bacc for the Future” campaign.  This opposes the Government’s plan to introduce an English Baccalaureate that omitted performing/expressive arts at Key Stage 4.

Plans to introduce the EBacc as an exam have now been scrapped, although school league tables will still retain a measure of achievement in the 'English Baccalaureate' subjects both at GCSE and at A-Level.  These subjects are: English, Mathematics, History or Geography, the Sciences and a language.  For this reason the campaign will go on and EGTA will continue to support it through publicising the issues involved.  

This is not just about art for art’s sake; to quote from the website: 

“our creative industries are world-beaters - they contribute 6% of GDP, employ two million people and export over £16 billion annually.”

For further information visit: http://www.baccforthefuture.com/index.html 



 

 
 

 

Read a review of the 21st  Annual EGTA Conference

 

 Video from the 2010 EGTA Conference

 

 

 

'NYGENational Youth Guitar Ensemble

EGTA founded the National Youth Guitar Ensemble. As the years roll on NYGE has become an established and respected source of the best guitar ensemble training available. Its annual courses culminate in large concerts across the UK.

 


 

 

All EGTA members open to £100 grant

Any EGTA member can run an event in their region and be underwritten by EGTA for £100, to cover the risk of losses. Past events have included guitar exhibitions, master classes, and ensemble meetings. A future event in the South is being discussed now. Please contact us with your proposal ( there is a form called sponsored events in the member's section ) and we'll see if we can help.

 

The Achievements of EGTA

Publications

EGTA has increasingly used its resources to enable projects to be born, to develop and to flourish.

The EGTA Series published by Chanterelle/Mel Bay, including the One + One and Solo Now books, along with The Baroque Book and Classical Book, is an early example of EGTAs vision. All the books have become extremely popular and are used internationally, not least as set pieces in the syllabuses of the leading examination boards.

Latterly our own journal, Guitar Forum, has developed into the first and only scholarly publication in English devoted to the guitar, and its international acclaim is growing. Guitar Forum grew out of EGTA’s Guitar Journal, and the articles first published there are gradually being made available on line,  attracting thousands of visits each month.

A Common Approach: National Curriculum - EGTA members were substantially involved in the development of A Common Approach, the national curriculum project for instrumental and vocal teaching published by the Federation of Music Services and the National Association of Music Educators. This document is being widely endorsed as an essential reference book for those teaching the classical guitar in schools today.

Member Participation

EGTA is administered by a national committee which also organizes the annual conference. Notable visitors in recent years have included Julian Bream and Graham Wade. Members are kept abreast of news and events, and are encouraged to become actively involved within the Association. All members can submit proposals to the committee for consideration to run local meetings, concerts and seminars under the EGTA banner.