One elective that many Elmira High School students might not be aware of is guitar class.
The class is taught by music teacher Matt Taylor, who also teaches choir and band. Guitar is his first class of the day.
Taylor said his main goal of the class is “to take what you learn in this class and use it later on in life.”
He teaches his students to play classics such as “Hotel California” by the Eagles and “Mad World” by Tears for Fears.
The class of only four students plans to play in a concert scheduled for May 26. To prepare for it, they are learning a variety of songs.
Some students who are taking the class didn’t have a background in playing instruments at all. Taylor taught them all how to play the guitar, starting with the most basic songs and moving on to more complex ones such as “Mr. Bojangles” by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
Taylor goes above and beyond to make sure his students all have an opportunity to succeed. He said he has paid out of pocket to buy guitars for each student in the class, with each guitar costing nearly $500.
He sought out high-quality guitars for his students because they are easier for beginners to learn on, according to Taylor.
