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String it up! NIU will celebrate guitars Oct. 1

September 9, 2011
Fareed Haque

Fareed Haque

Guitar players, young and old, expert or novice, are invited to NIU’s first 12-hour All Styles Guitar Day.

The strumming and picking starts at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, in the Music Building.

The day, or celebration as NIU guitar professor Fareed Haque calls it, will start with instruction, introduction and sharing of techniques and end with a concert and performance of an all-styles guitar orchestra that will be created that day.

All participants will receive an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play, perform and rub shoulders with some of the world’s legendary and up-and-coming guitarists.

“This will be the first time we have assembled the Northern Illinois guitar-playing community together,” Haque said. “It will be interesting, entertaining and educational.”

The NIU All Styles Guitar Day is the idea of College of Visual and Performing Arts Dean Rich Holly’s and Haque.

They proposed it not only to showcase the talents of NIU students, staff and faculty members, but of residents living in northern Illinois as well.

With that in mind, elementary school, middle school and high school students are invited along with their guitar-playing parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.

And, they don’t have to play just one style of guitar; they can play a host of styles such as classical, folk or rock guitar.

“The whole idea of the gathering is to give players exposure to different styles,” Haque said. “Many guitar players have more than one style. They cross over from folk to rock guitar. This is a great opportunity to introduce them to each other and share inspiration.”

Haque plays the classical and jazz guitar. He will present classes designed for high school students.

Other musicians invited to teach and perform for the day are legendary jazz and electric guitarist Larry Coryell, award winning classical guitarist Brazilian native Eduardo Minozzi Costa, lead guitarist and song writer Rex Carroll and national fingerpicking guitar champion Muriel Anderson.

In addition, area guitar builders and guitar dealers are invited to show off their wares at the event’s mini guitar show.

Registration is $55 if it made by Monday, Sept. 12. After that date, registration is $65 a person. Discounts are available for groups of five or more.

For more information, call (815) 753-1450.