Good Flamenco Instructor in Southeast Michigan

[sprucetop21]

Hey,

I just started learning how to play classical guitar. I've been playing for approximately 2 years. However, what I'm really interested in, is learning Flamenco. Does anyone know of any good flamenco guitar instructors in Southeast Michigan? I live in Ann Arbor, MI......

[NGiorgio]

You might want to ask that question over here as well ................

http://www.foroflamenco.com/foroflamenco_home.asp

[nickc]

Save money and teach yourself. There is an abundance of instructional books and videos to guide you, and now that you already have two years of classical guitar as a foundation, you should be able to build on it without the live presence of a teacher.

[sprucetop21]

Yeah I thought about that as well.....I'm concerned I won't be able to teach myself the rhythm of the various compas. Do you know of any good instructional videos?

[nickc]

I think Juan Martin's La Guitarra Flamenca which includes 2 dvd's and a book of music is a great beginning. It can be purchased at sheetmusicplus.com for $59.95.

[tanolonco]

sprucetop21--do yourself a favor and get a teacher. there is a whole lot more to learning flamenco that what you pick up on a video/dvd. as you probably found out when starting to play classical a teacher is hands on and can help learn the correct techniques. once you feel you have a good grasp of the foundations then move on to the videos/dvd. in the long run it is actually cheaper to go this route. why? paying to unlearn bad habits/bad technique costs more than learning good habits/good technique.

as to finding a teacher--given it is a college town i suspect there is a music dept. and possibly a guitar dept. and i would suspect someone there can point you in the right direction. there might be a guitar society in ann arbor. lastly, contact elderly music (via internet) as they are a large seller of instruments and probably know of teachers in michigan. elderly instruments is a cool place.

[nickc]

Give the video a try. It's not a lot of money and it's a joy to listen to, even if it doesn't make a flamenco player out of you. If you find you can't learn from it and your desire is still strong, then look for a teacher, but I just can't imagine there are that many flamenco masters lurking in Southeast Michigan unless it's between planes.

[Jon in Michigan]

Joseph Pratt is a fine flamenco teacher and player in Ann Arbor. He has a gig every Friday night at Amadeus on Washington St. Joseph is a serious student of Flamenco.

You might also check with Herb David or Paul at Blue Fish (in Plymouth) to see if Michele (pronounced mi-KE-li) (surname?) is still around. He is the genuine article but goes back to Europe when it gets cold here.

If you are looking for a serious classical teacher, check on Brian Roberts, Helene Rettenberg (sp?) at Herb David, or Charles Amos. They are also professors at Wayne State, Madonna, and Eastern Michigan respectively.

Jon

[sprucetop21]

Thanks! I'm actually a student of Helene's. She is an amazing guitarist and a great teacher. I'll give Joseph a try. Do you know a good way to get in contact with him before hand so I don't look like a stalker? I'l try to contac Michele as well.

[Jon in Michigan]

Joseph's phone number is 975-0678.

BTW, if you are looking for a decent student Flamenco guitar, I have one to sell.

Jon

[nickc]

I'm glad you are going to be able to find an instructor, and please forgive my skepticism about the availability of good Flamenco players in Southeast Michigan. Obviously, when something is truly wonderful, it blooms everywhere.

[Shams]

Really old thread but thought I'd put the info out there since I've been involved in the flamenco scene in Detroit for a good chunk of time (10+ years, though there are many that have been here for much longer than!).

There are a lot more dancers here than guitarists which is great if you are a guitarist because you will have lots of opportunities to play and build your compas and rhythm skills.

As far as people to work with it depends where you are and what you would like to learn. If you are in Ann Arbor I would definitely look up Daniel Sanchez, he is a great person with a solid knowledge especially of traditional toque and dance accompaniment, interestingly enough he also plays the bagpipes and I have also seen him performing traditional Colombian music. I could get you at least his email if you PM me.

Another guy in Ann Arbor is Jean Agopian, I'm not sure if he is still there but you could find out by calling up Herb David guitar studio because that is where he teaches.

Daniel Parisen when he is not in Spain lives just outside of Detroit and has studied with some really great players, he accompanies dancers in the area as well and would be a great resource to learn about slightly more modern guitar techniques. His bio is on the La Chispa and Company website (www.lachispaandcompany.com) and you can contact him there.

Garialan Blugraye lives in Royal Oak and is another guy who has been here for years, he plays regularly at Sangria Tapas cafe and was fortunate enough to study with Juan Serrano (yes, THAT Juan Serrano) when he lived here. Garialan also has a website or you could just go to Sangria any Thursday night to see him accompanying dance.

Hope that helps, viva el flamenco Michigan!

[Shams]

Just rereading some of the original thread, if you are really interested in flamenco I would definitely NOT start with a book. There are a great deal of nuances, rhythmic, melodic and right hand techniques completely unique to flamenco that make playing flamenco guitar a bit like learning to walk completely over again, even if you have been playing for a long time.

Get books, but spend time either with a teacher or hang out with players, flamenco is way different than classical guitar. I think in a lot of ways it is difficult for foreigners to understand this, in Spain a great deal of flamenco knowledge is still passed down from family member to family member, it was an oral tradition and is still a way of life for a lot of people. Just my 2 cents and a word of caution, FLAMENCO IS ADDICTIVE and it will change your life, it sure changed mine.

Also, I hope I didn't leave out any guitarists in the general Ann Arbor, Detroit area, there are more players, but the guys I listed are the ones I know of that are teaching. I found Daniel Parisen's webpage too, so you can contact him from there if you want.

www.heliotricity.com/flamencomichigan.html

Good luck!