Thursday, August 8, 2024

New Guitar Class Session


We had a HUGE summer session....and as school comes back in for the fall, we're gearing up for a new 8-week session of group classes!

We also have private lessons available (limited spaces) - so contact me if you're interested!

The new group session starts Thursday, August 22. Sign-up form is here:


Group cost is $240 for the 8 weeks.

I also have a few private lesson slots available. Contact me directly (909-929-2007 or sdmusiclab@gmail.com) if you're interested. 

Cost for private lessons is $129 per month.

Looking forward to hearing from YOU!

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If you value my work and want to support it......contact me for lessons (guitar, electric bass, ukulele, social drumming, songwriting, etc), sign up to my Patreon, or feel free to leave a tip (one-shot or monthly):

PayPal (one-time or monthly options)
http://www.paypal.me/skinnydevilmusic

Venmo (one-time only)
www.venmo.com/David-McLean-47



Monday, June 3, 2024

Free Summer Guitar Session


(Up-dated 6-19-24)
As announced last month, in response to budget issues at Fayette County Public Schools, we've decided to offer the 8 week summer group classes at Willis Music in Lexington for FREE.

The social media traction led to TV, radio, & newspaper interviews (see WLEX story, Spectrum News story, Herald-Leader story & mirror at Yahoo News, and I'll include link to WEKU story soon) and I'm happy to announce that is also led to FIVE guitar donations so far to help students in need, other arts orgs announcing free services (including On the Move Art Studio giving away art supplies & art lessons, and Studio 223 giving away a month of free lessons AND free guitar rental), and we have - as of this writing - registered 96 students.

That is $23,040 worth of guitar lessons FREE this summer!

PLUS we've gathered donations and, so far, given away over 20 guitars!

I can't thank Willis Music enough for allowing us to do this, I can't thank everyone enough who has helped promote this initiative, and I can't thank everyone enough who has donated guitars!

To accommodate that many students, we've had to double the number of class options (G1 classes at noon, 5pm, and 6pm, and our Boot Camp class at 4pm). We hope to secure a few more guitar donations so we can assist everyone in need.

Classes begin Thursday, June 6, at Willis Music in Lexington.

For more info, contact me directly at sdmusiclab@gmail.com 
For more info about me & past students, see my bio at SDML Academy of Guitar.


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If you value my work and want to support it......contact me for lessons (guitar, electric bass, ukulele, social drumming, songwriting, etc), sign up to my Patreon, or feel free to leave a tip (one-shot or monthly):

PayPal (one-time or monthly options)
http://www.paypal.me/skinnydevilmusic

Venmo (one-time only)
www.venmo.com/David-McLean-47





Saturday, June 1, 2024

FREE Guitar Lessons to FC Students



Howdy, all!

We have had an amazing response to the free lessons that we're doing in response to the budget issues at FCPS. We've extended to offer of a free summer guitar classes to private schools & home schoolers who may also be in need.

As of his writing, we have 78 registered students (about 10 in the G4 class, all others beginners), leading us to offer addition class times to accommodate everyone.

If anyone is reading this who has NOT registered, please contact me directly for info (I can be reached at sdmusiclab@gmail.com).

Classes begin THURSDAY, JUNE 6 at Willis Music. After the first class, we will also make a Zoom link available, though I strongly urge everyone to attend in person.

Class times are as follows:

G1 (beginner) students have he option of attending class at noon, or 5pm, or 6pm.
G4 (the "boot camp") students can attend the 4pm class.

Each class is roughly 40 minutes long, and we'll run the session for 8 lessons across 9 weeks (we're off Thursday, July 4). We provide all handouts and such - just bring a guitar and be ready to learn!

Yes, I also offer group classes year round AND private lessons year round. In addition, I teach workshops covering a wide array of topics (improvisation, social drumming, intro to piano, songwriting, etc).

For anyone who is interested in more info about me, my official bio can be found at our academy website HERE.

We have had a couple of guitar donations, so anyone in need, please don't hesitate to contact me to we can attempt to get you a guitar to use!

That about wraps it up for the moment. I'm looking forward to meeting everyone this Thursday at Willis Music! 

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If you value my work and want to support it......contact me for lessons (guitar, electric bass, ukulele, social drumming, songwriting, etc), sign up to my Patreon,  or feel free to leave a tip (one-shot or monthly):

PayPal (one-time or monthly options)
http://www.paypal.me/skinnydevilmusic

Venmo (one-time only)
www.venmo.com/David-McLean-47




This Day in Music (June 1st)!


Big day in music history....this day is the birthday of music greats Pat Boone (1934), Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood (1947), producer legend Michael Landau (1958), "Jagged Little Pill" singer Alanis Morissette (1974), alt-folk legend Brandi Carlile (1981), and more.

Its also, sadly, the day we lost soul legend David Ruffin of the Temptations, who died in 1991.

Also on this day we had debut albums release by David Bowie (1967), Black Sabbath (1970), and the Eagles (1972), and also saw the release of what many consider the greatest rock-n-roll album of all time, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" by the Beatles (1967).

Elvis hit #1 with "Surrender" (1961), Leslie Gore hit #1 with "Its My Party" (1963), Simon & Garfunkel hit #1 with "Mrs. Robinson" (1968), Ray Stevens' song "Everyting is Beautiful" goes to #1 (1970)....Dolly Parton moves to Nashville to launch music career (1964), George Harrison sees Ravi Shankar in concert (1966), leading to his embrace of Indian music, "Jumpin' Jack Flash" by the Rolling Stones released (1968), John Lennon recorded "Give Peace a Chance" (1969), Paul McCartney's "James Bond" theme song "Live and Let Die" is released (1973), the Rolling Stones kicked off their first tour with guitarist Ron Wood (1975), AC/DC graced the cover of the very first issue of Kerrang! Magazine, the Prince album "Around the World in a Day" (the follow-up to "Purple Rain") his number one on the album charts (1985), Ed Sheeran was the most played pop act and "Uptown Funk" the most played song of 2016, and Grateful Dead singer/guitarist Jerry Garcia's "Wolf" guitar was auctioned for charity and sold for $2.5 million!


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If you value my work and want to support it......contact me for lessons (guitar, electric bass, ukulele, social drumming, songwriting, etc) or feel free to leave a tip (one-shot or monthly):

PayPal (one-time or monthly options)
http://www.paypal.me/skinnydevilmusic

Venmo (one-time only)
www.venmo.com/David-McLean-47




Wednesday, December 27, 2023

Thankful for '23!

Thankful for sooo many things in 2023.....

On stage, December 2023, charity event.
Last year, I wrote a fairly comprehensive piece on being thankful, loaded with a fair bit of detail, professionally speaking.

This year I'd like to focus on something more personal and more general. I do focus on some 2023 highlights in my annual birthday post if you're interested, however....

It is often bragged - in song, poetry, moving pictures, literature, & the like - that one has made it on their own. That no one provided any assistance. That the person clawed out of the gutter and climbed the mountain all on their own.

This is a romantic vision and is, perhaps in some cases, absolutely true. But it isn't true for me.

From my first gigs to the first key to a recording studio door all the way to the day before yesterday, I have been blessed with opportunity and a helping hand from all manner of people - some family, some friends, some almost complete strangers.

I am blessed beyond belief.

And I am as grateful as I can possibly be.

I definitely have NOT done it all on my own. The life of a self-employed musician is hard, but mostly its hard on those around you. Every woman with whom I've had a failed relationship (that's ALL of them) and every woman I've ever been involved with will attest to that. My kids and my family and my friends can attest to it as well. Its a volatile industry and an incredibly stressful lifestyle for those who love us....or even just like us a little bit, for a little while - a few moments in time.

So, yes, it can be hard personally and financially and about any other way one can think. But its also incredibly rewarding, incredibly fulfilling, incredibly....magical. And it stuns me every day to realize this has been my life for decades.
On stage, June 2023, Woodsongs.

And I never could have done it on my own. 

So cheers to YOU, everyone who has ever lent a helping hand (financially, emotionally, or let me crash on your sofa when my life was falling apart), put cash in my tip jar, shared my music, attended my gigs, recommended me to others for music instruction, gotten me a gig, trusted me to teach a loved one or to play on your record, hired me to compose music for your business or to play music at your event or to produce your recording, collaborated with me (music, teaching, events, etc), and the like.

Saying "thank you" seem inadequate, to say the least. But being less than gifted as a wordsmith, its all I can find to say, I'm afraid.

But I can say: Its been a wonderful life and I look forward to every single day.

Thank all of you for making my dream a reality.