Sometimes opportunity knocks at your door. Other times, it strums a guitar in your local community centers.
Sept. 2 brings the latter in the form of four, free guitar workshops, taught and attended by some of the best talent in the country as part of a weeklong festival and workshop from the Crown of the Continent Guitar Foundation.
“It’s for anybody,” said founder David Feffer. “People should bring their guitar, but if they want to just come and listen and enjoy they can do that too.”
The workshops offer a chance for valley residents to get a taste for world-class talent and to experience the passion and dedication that comes with it, Feffer said. They will consist of a live performance from the instructors, a hands-on tutorial and some tips on how to improve playing and practicing styles.
The first event takes place in Kalispell at Flathead High School from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Classical guitarist Andrew Leonard and jazz guitarist Jody Fisher will lead the workshop.
In Bigfork, jazz and blues specialist Mark Dziuba takes the lead from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the middle school’s music room. Grammy-award winning acoustic guitarist Doug Smith is scheduled to lead Whitefish’s workshop at the North Valley Music School from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Also from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., rock and blues guitarist Matt Smith will lead a workshop in Columbia Falls at Glacier Discovery Square. There will also be an afternoon performance at North Valley hospital for the patients and staff.
The free events are part of the foundation’s main festival and workshop, which runs from Aug. 29 to Sept. 5.
The weeklong event represents the realization of a long-shot dream from a group of local guitar enthusiasts who thought the valley needed more guitar exposure and culture, Feffer said.
The resulting Crown of the Continent Guitar Foundation came into existence earlier this year, scoring big names within the guitar community to teach during the main workshop. Jazz legend Pat Metheny is on board, as well as Alex de Grassi, one of the top finger-stylists in the world.
Students will get a chance to attend workshops on jazz, acoustic, classical, rock, blues and beginner guitar styles, Feffer said. Already, the foundation has a diverse cross-section of about 50 students signed up, with more expected.
“There will be everything from an 11-year-old kid to people of (Mission Mountain Wood Band lead singer) Rob Quist’s caliber,” Feffer said.
The foundation also gave 10 scholarships to the workshop. Recipients include local musicians and teachers, as well as young students, Feffer said.
The participants’ families will also have a full schedule, with activities such as hiking, golfing, horse riding or watercolor classes with renowned local artist Nancy Cawdrey at the helm. The week is designed to teach about guitar, but also to highlight the perks of living in Northwest Montana, he said.
“The idea is for people to come and absolutely have the time of their life and go out and talk about it,” Feffer said.
There will also be three public concerts during the week, beginning on Aug. 28 in Whitefish with de Grassi. He will perform at the O’Shaughnessy Center at 8 p.m.
On Sept. 3, Scott Tennant, one of the founding members of the Grammy-winning Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, plays at Flathead Lake Lodge at 8 p.m.
The week’s finale comes on Sept. 4 during the third public concert, called Guitar Extravaganza. This jam session brings multiple teachers and several students from the weeklong workshop to the stage, and it will take place on the lawn of the Flathead Lake Lodge.
“That’s going to be a blast,” Feffer said. “It starts at 8 p.m. and we’re saying it gets over when it gets over.”
As part of the extravaganza event, the foundation is raffling a Gibson J-45 guitar, valued at just under $3,100, Feffer said. There will also be other prizes, including weekend getaways, he added.
Though the foundation is only in its first year, Feffer said it has attracted national attention. Several guitar-based publications will have reporters present, he said, and the list of potential instructors and students is already growing for next summer.
“Already, some of the major (talent) managers in the country are talking about what we might do for next year,” Feffer said.
For more information on the concerts and online ticketing, visit www.cocguitarfoundation.org. Tickets can be purchased at Bigfork’s Electric Avenue Gifts and the Coffee Cellar, as well as all Montana Coffee Trader locations.