Reviewed by Orren Karp

On Thursday 16th of November, students at the Institute were treated to a masterclass by guitarist John Goldie.  John has been playing guitar professionally for a number of years, his experience and his skill as a guitar player attracted students of all disciplines at the Institute.

As the room started to fill up with more and more people, there was tension in the air. I don't think anyone really knew what to expect. However, John put all those doubts to rest; roughly thirty seconds into his first tune, the tension was lifted and I realised that this man had a lot of knowledge to share.

After proving his mettle as a guitarist, John then went on share some of his tales from the industry giving the students a valuable insight into life in the music business. With enough comedy to create a relaxed atmosphere and a wealth of priceless pieces of knowledge and insightful comments, John also demonstrated the level of musicianship required to be a success in the music industry, a level that we, aspiring musicians, should aim for.

I left the masterclass feeling as though I'd learnt a great deal. John stressed the importance of listening to other musicians when playing in a group (something a lot of guitarists forget) as well as inspiring me to really work at becoming a professional musician. I hope that the other students attending the masterclass felt the same way and took as much away from it as I did.