Robert Alfonso, Guitar Instructor

Robert Alfonso’s goal as a guitar instructor at Oak Ridge’s Music Arts is to get his students excited about their music, whether it’s the classics, blues or bluegrass.  “Seeing what really excites them is one of the big pleasures of teaching,” he says. “Some students have a natural sense of rhythm, or maybe they respond to the range of sounds a guitar can make.”

Alfonso, a professor of English at Roane State and also the director of the community college’s Learning Centers was trained as a classical guitarist, he also has played in country and rock ’n’ roll bands, and has “dabbled in many styles” as a songwriter.  Alfonso will accept students of all ages and levels, from beginners who are picking up a guitar for the first time to those who are seeking to perfect their technique.

“I like to start beginners with tablature,” he says, referring to the system of notation that shows the position of the fingers rather than the notes. He also stresses basic music structure, including blues, folk and country. “Scales play an important part in learning any instrument, and guitar is no exception,” he says. But while he encourages his students to practice as much as they can, he stresses that “I’m not a drill sergeant.”