ULM’s Guitar Festival of 2013 not only featured talent from the North and the South, but also from ULM’s School of Visual and Performing Arts.
The festival kicked off Monday with the Louisiana Community Guitar Orchestra performing in Brown Auditorium.
Local guitarists, old and new, were invited to come with their guitars to play together in a guitar orchestra.
Daniel Sumner, ULM’s assistant professor in guitar, separated 26 guitar players into four groups.
The groups were based on experience level.
Even people who had never picked up a guitar before were playing under his instruction.
“The first year I was at ULM we had a ‘guitar day’ and now we hold a festival,” said Sumner.
According to Sumner, the process takes a long time.
“I have to choose who is going to be the guest for that year, put together the budget, the schedule, how many people I can afford to have and who will play what. There are a lot of details,” said Sumner.
On Tuesday, New York City guitar legend Gene Bertoncini and bassist Ron Kadish performed for an ecstatic crowd.
New Orleans guitarist Steve Masakowski performed Wednesday with bassist Martin Masakowski and percussionist Louis Romanos.
On Thursday, Louisiana Tech professor Cain Budds performed and held a master class.
ULM’s very own guitar students and guests performed Friday.
According to Sumner, the festival is prepared two years in advance.
Keith Adams is a senior guitar major and a non-traditional student.
Adams started a music degree 20 years ago at Louisiana Tech University.
When he decided it was a good time to come back and finish his degree, he chose ULM for the “thriving guitar program,” which he is excited to be a part of it.
ULM currently only has five guitar majors.
Adams said they look forward to gaining at least three more in the fall, including a student from Hawaii.
He said there could also be some guitar minors joining them next semester.
“[Sumner] wanted all of his guitar majors to participate in the festival, but I also wanted to,” said Adams.
Adams said that he likes the guitar orchestra and hopes it can become a regular thing.
Adams played Friday with his fellow guitar majors and special guest guitarists from Louisiana Tech and the Monroe area community.
This was the third guitar festival at ULM.
