By Jamie Lasorsa, Reporter
If you’re passing through the center of Sterling on the third Tuesday of the month and hear some stellar acoustic tunes coming from Town Hall, you should stop in and see what it’s all about.
What started as a “bucket list” item of learning to play guitar for Paul Murphy has developed into much more; something truly special for the members of the Sterling community and beyond.
This month marks the three-year anniversary of Paul and Heather Murphy starting the Central MA chapter of Guitar League. Paul was entering retirement and wanted to learn to play guitar, so he started looking in the area for a club where he would be free to jam with others who shared his interest. It seems finding that niche was harder than he anticipated. He saw an advertisement in a magazine about a group “Guitar League” which has chapters formed all over the country, however there were none local to Central Massachusetts. He began discussing it with some local friends and the response was overwhelming.
“Three years ago, Paul asked for my thoughts on starting a Guitar League chapter in Central Massachusetts,” said Ken Macy, a musician from Gardner, Mass. ”I thought it would be great for the community and for the area’s local musicians to explain their craft. It’s an excellent platform to hear people’s stories about how they started playing as well as learning songs in the break-out sessions.”
Hour 1: Hear from Professional Musicians
Each meeting runs for two hours, the first hour being a mini concert by a local professional who performs an MTV-style “unplugged” session for the group. They also will spend time chatting with the club members about their experience, influencers, successes, and upcoming gigs.
“It was such a great experience presenting for guitar league. From a presenter’s perspective, it was amazing to connect with some like-minded individuals across all levels and abilities of their craft. As a touring musician, more often than not you are performing to non-musicians. By being a Guitar League presenter, you are able to share your work and insights with those who are interested in the ‘other side of the curtain.’ As a performer, it was great to have such an interested and attentive audience!”
Jay Psaros
Boston-Based Musician | Presenter
“As a presenter, it was nice to share my knowledge of the instrument and explain my process. Paul does a fantastic job in organizing, facilitating, and keeping Guitar League moving forward. I’m happy to see Guitar League continue to grow and succeed.”
Ken Macy
Musician from Gardner, Mass. | Presenter
Hour 2: “No Judgement Zone” Jam Sessions
The final hour consists of break-out sessions where each member joins a self-declared skill level group: Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced, to learn songs collaboratively. These groups are led by other club members who have stepped up to help their fellow artists grow in their craft. These “no judgement zone” groups create a friendly, relaxed atmosphere for everyone to make their fear of embarrassment disappear and advance as an artist.
“I read about this newly forming group of guitar enthusiasts back in September 2018 called Guitar League. I couldn’t imagine how a group of guitar players of all levels of skill could get together to learn how to share an interest and passion of playing guitar in one setting; but I knew I had to join to be part of this. I have now been a faithful strummer with Guitar League for three years, undaunted by the zoom concerts and lessons during 2020, I have continued to play, learn, improve my skills, challenge my techniques, and simply enjoy the fun of playing with others. My own personal journey has resulted in happy improvement in my own level of play, but the most rewarding part is joining with folks who share this wonderful hobby of acoustic guitar with others at all levels of skill. There is always something to share and learn from beginners to pro players where we can all just have fun.”
Mary Lotze
Guitar League Member
“Very Definition of Paying it Forward”
Guitar League is currently meeting in person, but for a period of 14 months earlier in the pandemic, club members did have to adjust their method of attendance. Paul and Heather continued club meetings through the use of Zoom at no cost to their members. This was appreciated greatly by their members and kept the momentum of learning going strong.
“I have been extremely impressed with the leadership and organization that Paul, Heather, our presenters, and breakout group leaders show. Even through the pandemic, Paul and Heather found a way to keep the club alive through the use of Zoom meetings, at no cost to their members! That is the very definition of paying it forward and I am proud to be associated with a club that cares so much.”
Jason Tessitore
Guitar League Member
“Paul and Heather have worked tirelessly to keep this thing together, especially through the pandemic.”
Mike Pappas
Guitar League Member
All are Welcome Regardless of Skill
At roughly 40 members, Guitar League is always welcoming new folks to join, regardless of skill level. Although the group is open to anyone 18 years or older, the majority of the group is aged 30 years or older and the general style of preferred music is acoustic classic rock.
The comradery and confidence the members have gained from being part of Guitar League has been tremendous. It fosters accountability to practice at home and is a great addition for anyone taking lessons.
“I wanted to take lessons. While doing a search I came across the Guitar League website and thought it would be a great way for me to step out of my comfort zone and meet people and learn to play again. I was apprehensive to even go to the first free gathering. I showed up without my guitar just to check it out and to my surprise I was welcomed with open arms. Paul and Heather were so warm and friendly by the end of the first meeting I knew this was a group for me. Everyone is friendly, kind, and open to teaching and having fun together as we learn! I look forward to every meeting!”
Micki T.
Guitar League Member
“There is a great mix of members, young to old, men and women…The presenters have been excellent, and although I’ve been playing on and off for over 50 years, I’ve learned quite a bit from them. The break-out groups in the second hour are a great way for beginners and intermediate players to get individualized (practically) instruction.”
Mike Pappas
Guitar League Member
Right: Ned Sparrow teaches at Guitar League, but began as a regular member.
COURTESY: Paul Murphy
“I have been a part of the group since the beginning months. My son saw the sign in a restaurant and told me about it. I went to the next meeting to see what it was all about.
I’m an experienced guitar player with 52 years of playing behind me. I’ve played with many bands over the years as well as playing a few musical theater productions. I went to Guitar League to meet and share ideas with other musicians. In no time Paul had me teaching my own group. I enjoy sharing my enthusiasm for the guitar with others and passing on tips and tricks to become a better player in less time.”
Ned Sparrow
Guitar League Teacher
In the past, the club has had skill-level groups work together toward learning songs for a jam-session recital show for family and friends. They have had audiences of over 100 people attend to see the progress of their musicians.
Membership for Guitar League is just $75/year, and that fee goes towards paying the local artists who perform each month and rental fee of the space at town hall. The first meeting is free and drop-in visits are only $10. If you are like Paul and have learning to play guitar on your bucket list, or if you’ve been staring at that guitar in the corner for years, brush off the dust and join Paul and Heather at the next meeting. For more information about upcoming meetings and presenters, check out: https://www.guitarleague.com/central-massachusetts.html