Student Guitar Show and Violin Showcase shared the sights and sounds of students' newly-built instruments
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This spring, the annual Student Guitar Show at Minnesota State College Southeast in Red Wing showcased a bumper crop of new guitars built by the college's first- and second- year guitar students.
A beautiful array of flat top acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and mandolins were on display. The acoustic instruments were played in concert by professional musicians Mike Cramer and Phil Heywood.
The Student Guitar Show is an exhilarating experience for anyone who loves handcrafted musical instruments, but most of all, it's a thrill for the students who race right up until the last day to finish their instruments on time.
The event took place at MSC Southeast (308 Pioneer Road, Red Wing, MN) on Thursday, May 12, 2022 from 1 to 3 pm.
New this year, instruments built by students in the Violin Making program were also on display. More than 10 new violins were played by some of the program's students who are expert violinists.
The Student Guitar Show and the Violin Showcase are always free and open to the public.
The Guitar Repair & Building (first year) and Guitar Development & Production (second year) diplomas at MSC Southeast are unique full year accredited college-level programs that draw students from all over the United States. First year students learn all aspects of acoustic and electric guitar repair before starting their own guitar builds. In the second-year program, students learn advanced techniques including elaborate inlay and more sophisticated finishing processes.
The Violin Repair program is a full year of training in all aspects of violin, viola, cello and double bass repair and maintenance. Students can take Violin Construction at the same time or return after earning the Violin Repair diploma.
Photo Captions:
1. Phil Heywood played a guitar built by first year student Jeff Kelly.
2. Mike Cramer tuned up a mandolin built by second year student Harlan Jones.
3. Angela Thompson, a student, played a violin built by another of the students in the Violin Construction class.
About the Musicians
Mike Cramer
Guitarist Mike Cramer is a music major from the University of Northern Iowa. His award-winning flatpicking technique has earned him championship titles in both the Minnesota State Fair Flatpicking Competition and Wisconsin's Upper-Midwest Flatpicking Contest. A fluid and powerful guitarist, Mike is as comfortable playing jazz standards as he is playing Bill Monroe's bluegrass instrumentals. He plays guitar in The Barley Jacks.
Phil Heywood
Fingerstyle guitarist Phil Heywood has been based in Minneapolis-St. Paul since the mid-1980s, performing locally and regionally while also establishing himself in the greater guitar and acoustic music world. In 1986 he won the National Fingerpicking Championship, and followed up in 1987 by winning the American Fingerstyle Guitar Festival Competition. He plays with a bluesy swing and tone, lyricism, and groove.