Hamilton Guitar Association

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Next Meeting

Monday, April 2,

The Pheasent Plucker, 20 Augusta St. Hamilton

show starts at 8:00,

featuring singer/songwriter

John Baptista

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Scot Hamilton unveils slide version of Born To Run

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Sunday, February 26, 2012

This weeks clips feature visits from returning students Sarah Hamilton and Mike Anderson. There is no better way to spend a Familty Day evening than share in some of the successes of our young friends.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Every so often at the club,.... the joking subsides for a moment.... someone puts their head down and plays something like this, a piece that captures our art.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

S.O.F.G.A.

Southern Ontario Fingerstyle Guitar Association

Some five years ago, I typed finger style guitar into a search engine because that was the type of playing I wanted to explore. Mostly because I was tired of replacing all my lost guitar picks. What I found was the SOFGA, a club dedicated to this guitar style and encourageing new people to learn by providing a non competative performance environment. They met right here in Hamilton, I knew that this was something I had to check out.

What I found was a community of people enjoying each other's music, company and friendship. And the amazing music! Cutting edge acoustic, celtic, old blues , entire bands seems to leap from guitars held by one person. No fake effects or back tape. Each meeting, one great player after the next would play. Then, one of them would take some time to show you thier style.

This is where I found my guitar teacher and mentors and some realley good friends. Though I was just a beginner, these people seemed to have a genuine desire to hear my music. This encouragement was pivital, at a time when the rest of the world just wanted me to forget the whole guitar thing .

Some five years later, when it comes to music, I still don't have it all together most of the time, but I've come a long way, mostly thanks to SOFGA.

Now , it's called the Hamilton Guitar Association but the goal and spirit are the same. That's why I'm happy to slug all the gear up the stairs at the Pheasent Plucker every other week, set up the mics and board, then, watch it all unfold.

Mark V