Name: Glenn Tinturin
Instrument(s): Guitar – all styles, but I prefer teaching classical, my specialty.
Location: Rancho Santa Margarita, South Orange County, CA
Background:
I began to study classical guitar at the age of seven with the acclaimed teacher, Guy Horn. At the age of ten, I gave my debut performance as a soloist with the Santa Monica Symphony at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, and by seventeen, I had won the prestigious national competition, Young Musicians’ Foundation Award. I have studied with the legendary Andres Segovia and Angel Romero, and have performed in masterclasses led by Julian Bream. I’ve also performed as a soloist, with symphony orchestras, and as a chamber musician to rave reviews around the world. My largest audience was about 6,000 people. I’ve always loved teaching, and have been teaching privately since 1967, having held faculty positions at The Music Nook in Pacific Palisades, The Leo Kostka School of Music in Hollywood, Abinante’s Music in Monterey, Monterey Peninsula College, and Cedu Schools in Running Springs. I am also a recording artist and have recorded a number of albums including Romancero Gitano, Fantasy, The Tinturin Duo’s Collector Album, and Tinturin Plays Tinturin, featuring compositions by my father, Peter Tinturin.
Greatest inspiration:
I used to perform on cruise ships as their “guest artist.” Now, I just like to travel and teach remotely from wherever I am.
Favorite place to perform:
After having done the big crowds and the outdoor bowls, I prefer the intimacy of a small salon performance in my or someone else’s home.
Performance:
Teaching Setup:
I simply use my HP laptop with its built-in wide-angle camera, internal microphone, and speakers. I may eventually get a better microphone. But for now, with Forte’s noise suppression switch, my students hear me very well.
What’s great about teaching on Forte?
Forte offers so many special qualities for online teaching and learning, the best of which is the sound! I also love the private student notebooks provided online, which are accessible by both the students and the teacher anytime. Additionally, the ability for me to upload material for the students is an excellent feature.
Tell us a bit about your teaching style:
I tailor my teaching to the needs of each student. However, I make sure that they learn how to read and write on the music staff, and that they learn rhythm, dynamics, phrasing, shading, and then most importantly, how to put it all together in order to express themselves through the music.
Tell us what you like most about your experience as a music educator:
I love it when the student has that “lightbulb moment” and realizes that he or she can do it, especially after they’ve been saying, “It’s too hard. I can’t do it.”
A piece of repertoire I love to teach:
Although I use a method book, I always supplement it with other materials based on the needs of the student. I also always like to push them ahead a little bit. A beautiful piece of repertoire I like to add is the Etude in E Minor by Francisco Tárrega.
A piece of repertoire I love to play:
A few of my favorite pieces to play include Torija by Torroba, Capricho Arabe by Tarrega, and Danza Espanola No. 5 by Granados.
Fun fact:
Many years ago I formed a duo with a pianist – a very odd and difficult combination since the piano is so much louder than the guitar. Yet, we were very successful, had music composed expressly for us, made CDs, and toured much of the world performing on cruise ships as their special “Guest Artists.” As such, we only had to give one concert per cruise, usually 7 or 10 days long, and the rest of the time was ours to enjoy (and practice, of course). On our first voyage, we found out we were not “musicians.” When the purser told us we, The Tinturin Duo, were not on his list, we said, “Hey, you just flew us out here first class.” When he looked further, he said, “Oh, you are our Guest Artists!” The difference is we got treated like a king and queen, were given a beautiful cabin with a view, and “had” to eat in the main dining room eating caviar, etc. with the guests so they could mingle with us. The “musicians”’ were the ones who played every day, were given inside cabins, and had to eat down near the bottom of the ships, cafeteria style, with the rest of the crew.
In the artist’s own words:
“You are never too old to learn. Studying music keeps your brain active and healthy. And, the guitar is an instrument you can take anywhere, from concert halls to campfires.”