marcgalea

“Blues is a unique style where it lets you close your eyes and play without thinking about theory and other stuff that makes your playing sounds too technical.”

Maltese guitarist Marc Galea is a session guitarist, RGT Registered Tutor, and principal at the Euro Institute of Music in Hamrun. He published his guitar book titled, A Step by Step Approach for the Modern Guitar Player. Marc started learning classical guitar at age 11 but immediately exchanged it for an electric guitar after hearing Brian May play. Following a trip to UK to see Joe Satriani in concert when he was 16 years old, he decided to take up guitar professionally and set about studying with intent and practicing with his first serious band Juicy Affair. In 2001 he held a teaching post in the state school Malta Society of Arts in Valletta. At that time he was also rehearsing and gigging with the rock band Lunatic, who recorded the single In My Dreams. In 2002 Marc went to the UK to study with leading guitar tutor John Mizarolli.

Since meeting Maltese jazz guitarist Sandro Zerafa and taking lessons with him, Marc started delving into jazz styles. He attended a Berklee University summer jazz course in Italy (2005) where he studied with Jim Kelly and Mark White. He also encountered renowned jazz guitarist, and future tutor and collaborator, Luigi Tessarollo. After listening to Marc’s single Dusty Sunbeams, Tessarollo was interested in working on a project together. 2009 was another busy year for marc since he had a chance to work again with Phil Hilborne and Neil Murray (Black Sabbath, Whitesnake, Brian May, Gary Moore). During 2010 Marc had also a chance to work with one of his teen’s idol rock singer of Krokus Marc Storace. In June 2011 Marc has launched his album ‘Easy Dialogue’ at the St. James Cavalier. He also works as a session guitarist in the studio for various local artists and currently plays regularly with Versatile Brass Band under the direction of Mro. Paul Borg.

Read the full interview using the link below:

http://blues.gr/profiles/blogs/interview-with-progressive-jazz-guitarist-marcgalea-one-of-malta?xg_source=activity

https://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110619/arts-entertainment/Speaking-in-six-strings.371560

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Just over two weeks ago, Galea launched his album Easy Dialogue there, performing to an audience that sat quietly; observing, absorbing every note that the guitarist and his current partners-in-jazz, namely Paul Abela on keyboards, Alan Portelli on bass and Joe ‘Bibi’ Camilleri on drums, served up during the 90-minute performance.

He may be known more prominently as a jazz guitarist, but Galea’s musical beginnings stem from a very different place. In fact, his first musical experience didn’t even involve a guitar.

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RGT examinations were recently held in malta. Maltese guitar tutor Marc Galea reports on how the exams went and describes his involvement with the RGT…

I started teaching in my local neighborhood at the age of 17. At the time I was an avid reader of Total Guitar magazine. This was my only source of knowledge, since at that time there was no possibility of receiving a contemporary music education in Malta. One problem in Malta is that most of the energy and financial input in music is spent in the Eurovision Song Contest, Which is still regarded by many as the only possibility to make a name for yourself. After I achieved grade 8 in electric guitar practice and theory I started teaching part time in a state school. At that time I realized that I would like to be further involved in modern guitar education because there were many talented youngsters who were eager to play but did not have the opportunity to learn.I'd had to travel to the UK to have some lessons with Jimi Savage and John Mizarolli, and later studied successfully for the RGT LLCM TD diploma on my own, which was difficult without tutor guidance. Euro Institute Of Music I am now a director at the Euro Institute of Music in Hamrun, Malta where I teach 170 guitar students a week from Monday to Saturday. We also teach drums, bass, voice, piano and violin. My students come once a week for hourly lessons and we work through my own syllabus which follows the lines of the RGT exams.Throughout the year I organize concerts for my students so that they experience live performing in realistic venues which gives them an incentive to practice. Students are given the opportunity to form a band and the school offers the facility of practicing rooms. It was always a dream for me that the RGT will come to the school and examine my students and this year it was possible. 39 of my students were examined and another 3 students were presented by another local tutor. The levels examined were from preliminary to grade six and I was very pleased with my students because they all did very well. Exam Day We had 9 hrs of examinations on Friday 4th November. Although you could feel the students tension in the corridor, there was a wonderful atmosphere with students warming up and asking loads of questions. Vic Hyland came to examine my students. He was very helpful when, after the exams we discussed teaching methods and he gave me some good ideas to improve my teaching. We took the opportunity to jam together and I also found some time to show him around the island. He is an amazing player. Next February I have invited Jimi Savage over to Malta. He will be delivering a master class at my school in rock improvisation and we will give a concert as a guitar duo at the St. James Cavalier. This will certainly be one of my dreams coming true, playing and working with one of the players that I admired for years. I am also organizing another master class in jazz improvisation in summer by Luigi Tessarollo, a prominent figure in the Italian jazz scene who participated in various international collaborations. I appreciate the work being done by RGT because they made me a better tutor and player, and being registered with them has opened more doors for me. After this positive experience I am working harder so that the next examination session will be even more successful.

School of Rock Exposed!

Just last May we featured a piece on the Euro Institute of Music, Marc Galea brain child, a music school where individuals learn to play what they want to play without the rigorous years of studying classical music. Marc transformed the Euro Institute of Music in Hamrun into a platform for a new teaching concept, based not only on interpretation and logic thinking, a teaching style that encourages and motivates students to be creative and express themselves artistically through music. This month we caught up with marc to discuss the progress of his students following his annual showcase held recently at Signals Music club where 22 bands made up of the Institute’s students played for friends and family to give a taste of what they learned throughout the past semester. The recently held concert was the first launch pad for those who could be destined to be the future Mark Knopfler and Joe Satrianis to the local music scene. Students aged between 7 and 45 made up 22 different bands and took to the stage to perform to an eager audience. Marc enthusiastically gave me a taste of the concert by screening a VHS recording; the images that hit my eyes left me very surprised, 10 year old or so kids performing excellent renditions of pink Floyd Comfortably Numb, teenagers tapping away to mouth gaping solos and drummers more than a stone throw away from a legal drinking age rolling drum beats that rock the house down. I asked Marc how long these students rehearsed before the gig and the answer was even more surprising, the majority of these students had enrolled for one of the Institute's courses barely 3 months before and had rehearsed only 3 times together. I suppose a perfect witness to the great benefits this school has to offer. The Institute offers of all ages (and that means anyone who can carry an instrument), the possibility of taking up courses in practically and genre and form they dream, from electrical, classical and bass guitar to drums, piano, violin voice, classical and modern theory and violin, voice classical and pop theory and improvisation, as well as art. The emphasis is on learning how to perform and have fun with an instrument rather than learn the technicalities of the score in isolation. This is especially seen in the training given in singing, Marc is strongly encouraging anyone with a passion for singing to commence a course and learn how to master the natural instrument with confidence. His courses don limit themselves to simple vocal lectures and broadening of musical range but also on stage presence and confidence and having fun with singing. In Marc own words anyone can sing, as long as they believe in themselves and acknowledge the potential and limitations of their voice. Marc emphasizes that his students learn more than just about how to play the instrument but also how to perform on stage, how to crate a synergy with other musicians and keep the passion for the music first. Maxims that have helped the school become what it is today. Marc love for music is what fuels his energy to not only be the school principal but also start work on his debut solo album which he is co-producing with Boris Cezek. The album writing process, Marc relates, is more of a soul searching journey and will contain instrumental pieces written over the past years. His first single titled Dusty sunbeams in fact is one of those inspiring jazzed pieces written by Marc a few years back whilst on holiday in Europe (I haven’t stopped listening to the track as I write this article!). Well done Marc, I can’t wait for the whole album! If you’ve been juggling with the idea of learning how to play an instrument or sing, this is your chance. Give Marc a visit the Euro Institute of Music at 631, St. Joseph High Rd., Hamrun Tel:21226555 Fax:21226280, email: [email protected], website: www.euroinstitutemalta.com and get playing! Marc guarantees that you’ll be playing from the first session.

‘Tune In Magazine By Peter Grech’