Three guitar greats are coming to SUNY Orange on Monday, November 26, to discuss their mutual profession at a master class entitled Guitar Summit: James Emery ~ John Stowell ~ Vic Juris. The class is free and open to the public and starts at 11 a.m. in Orange Hall, room 23.

Making a living as a professional musician requires genuine talent plus dedication. Each musician will give a glimpse of his journey as a musician. Then, together they will “compare notes” while sharing ideas on how to prepare, how knowledge of one’s instrument is of utmost importance, how to deal with the business of music, and how to make the best of one’s time and hard work and still have fun along the way.

Each of the three musicians has his own distinctive style which he will demonstrate: Emery on his James D’Aquisto hand-built acoustic guitar; Stowell with his Rossco Wright designed & built SoloEtte electric guitar and his John Stowell Signature Model Soulezza.

In addition to playing both in the United States and internationally, they share their knowledge and techniques through teaching individual students, as well as in colleges, and in music clinics. Emery has many private students and also directs the Jazz Ensemble at SUNY Orange. He received New York Foundation for the Arts and Guggenheim fellowships plus grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Cary Trust for his composing. Stowell teaches internationally and has been an artist-in-residence at schools in Germany, Indonesia, Argentina, and Canada. He is also an author and composer. His Jazz Guitar Mastery book and online video, is a creative process inspirational manual. Juris has taught at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, Lehigh University, and Rutgers University and has written instructional books for guitar.

At this “up close and personal” event, attendees have the opportunity to question and discuss with these experts their approaches, techniques, and perspectives as guitarists in jazz.

For more information, please be in touch with Cultural Affairs at 341-4891 or cultural@sunyorange.edu and through the website at sunyorange.edu/culturalaffairs.

Orange Hall is located at the corner of Wawayanda and Grandview Avenues GPS: 24 Grandview Avenue), Middletown.