GuitarCurriculum.com

03/23/2026

03/02/2026

At Austin Classical Guitar, we believe in the transformative power of music. We have witnessed firsthand how music can transcend boundaries, touch hearts, an...

03/02/2026

03/02/2026

The Student Portal was created by teachers, for teachers. Last week our Director of Curriculum shared the inspiration behind why we created the Student Portal, where we envisioned it heading, and how teachers can utilize it in their classrooms to give students agency. (Read that here: https://www.guitarcurriculum.com/news/problem-solved-the-student-portal)

We’ve heard from so many talented teachers about how they’re using the Student Portal in their classrooms, so this week we’re hearing from Jonathan De La Riva, a teacher in Houston, Texas who has seen firsthand the impact the Student Portal has had in his classroom.

Jonathan is in his second year of teaching classroom guitar in Texas and throughout his life, Jonathan found that experiencing moments of joy with other musicians was his biggest inspiration for becoming a classroom teacher. He wanted the opportunity to create those joyful moments for students just like him. Jonathan shared with me how proud he feels that his students genuinely have fun in his guitar classes and getting to see the friendships and community that guitar has built amongst them is incredibly fulfilling to be a part of.

“The Student Portal… has served as a major practice facilitator. It has changed my teaching in a way that I intentionally plan my lesson to directly align to the contents of the Student Portal.”

Getting students to practice at home has become essential to the success of Jonathan’s program, especially with the restrictions of the limited schedule at his school. As Jonathan lesson plans, he reviews the Student Portal, making sure his students are receiving the information from him. They rehearse these techniques as a class and he sends his students (and their parents!) home with the challenge of rehearsing on their own. Jonathan knows that he can trust that his students are practicing the techniques, notes, and musicality that he expects from them while they're in the classroom. And not only has this shown to be successful in his classroom, but parents have positively expressed a change in their students’ habits.

These are the kinds of stories that we had only dreamed of hearing when the thought of a Student Portal arose. Jonathan believes that the most important lesson for new teachers is to “have patience with themselves and realize that desired outcomes in a classroom will take time.” Lean on the resources you trust and be great.

If you’ve got stories or feedback about the Student Portal, we’d love to hear from you! Reach out to us at [email protected].

08/13/2025

We’d love to take a moment to express our gratitude to all of the amazing educators we met in engagements across the country this summer.

A common theme we notice in conversations with all of our teaching partners is caring. You care to create spaces where incredible moments of discovery and profound impact happen everyday, you care to treat each student as an important individual, and you care to be a part of a community that values music as a transformative power.

That kind of caring inspires us to continue the work that we do everyday.

The moments we share together also create new opportunities for support! The guidance we receive from this community gives rise to new approaches and new materials at GuitarCurriculum.

Two years ago, we responded to suggestions from teaching partners to explore published materials, and that summer we debuted the first ever GuitarCurriculum Method Book. This summer, it was with great excitement that we debuted the Level 5-8 Teacher Method Book at our trainings in South Carolina and Austin. This book was designed to make more advanced techniques accessible to a wider range of learners. Plus, it includes music that was inspired by our everyday feelings and relationships with people we love! Your participation and feedback made this possible. Thank you for all that you do.

Both Method Books are now available. Find them here: https://www.guitarcurriculum.com/method-books

Huge thank you to Calido Guitars, Strait Music Company, and Augustine Strings for supporting this years National Teacher Summits.

With gratitude,

The ACG & GuitarCurriculum Team

08/13/2025

Last month, members of our community came together for this five day workshop led by legends in the flamenco world! The workshop culminated in a group perfor...

08/13/2025

Interested in volunteering at ACG? We’d love for you to join the team! Complete the form below and let us know how you’d like to get involved. Name* First Last Email* PhoneI am interested in (select all that apply): volunteering at concerts (ushering, greeting, concessions, etc) hosting artists ...

08/11/2025

Meet Vijay Meunier, an ACG alum and incredible teaching artist who attended our National Teacher Summit last month!

08/07/2025

Meet Jahzeel Montes, a long time partner of ACG and an attendee of this year's National Teacher Summit!