Strumming into the New Year, the Kingsport Parks and Recreation Department aims to transform complete novices into aspiring guitarists with their latest Beginner Guitar lessons. As the strings hum at the V.O. Dobbins, Sr. Complex, this winter seems poised to produce a new cadre of musical enthusiasts.
Slated for Thursdays, from January 9 through February 16, young strummers aged 9 to 16 are invited to come to pick and grin from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the complex located on 301 Louis Street. Registration sets back each family by $100 a pop, but the investment may yield the next rock star—or at least, a kid who knows their way around a G chord. Remember, attendees must bring their own six-string—no air guitars allowed.
With his treasure trove of teaching and performance chops, Terry McCoy is the maestro maneuvering these sessions. He's getting down to the nitty-gritty of guitar playing, from fretting basic chords to setting a rhythm that doesn't feel like a wooden rollercoaster ride—that's the plan.
According to the folks over at Kingsport Parks and Recreation, "The goal of the program is for children to develop their confidence, learn a new skill and create a lifelong love for playing guitar," as revealed by Program Leader Garrett Sherer. They're not trying to incubate virtuosos, per se, just usher in a new era where kids can confidently pluck Smoke on the Water without causing a familial exodus.
For those itching for their brood to transform into the next wave of guitar heroes, it's time to call up Kingsport Parks and Recreation and get those tiny hands strumming. A hundred bucks is a small price to pay for a child's joy in a new hobby—especially one that doesn't involve staring at a screen.
