I'm one of those musicians who sleeps until noon, so when I got to Ross Bolton's Funk Guitar Ensemble Workshop at 10:30AM, I was still a little groggy. Fortunately, funking out is like a natural amphetamine, so my enthusiasm gained momentum pretty quickly. Any music student here will tell you their favorite part of the experience is the intimacy, support, and encouragement among each other. Sure enough, the casual, jovial vibe of the class was energizing. These were third quarter students, which means they had already spent half a year together, and by now were pretty close-knit. Everyone seemed to be enjoying his or herself, and since I've never particularly associated fun with classroom education, this was quite refreshing. So, still waking up but happy to be here, I began my day of Ensemble Workshops in the LA Music Academy's Guitar Department.

The first thing I heard as I walked into the funk workshop was Ross Bolton quoting - poorly, but it's the spirit that counts - some of his favorite Seinfeld gags, waiting as a student readied himself to play for the class. After a brief group discussion comparing The Larry David Show to The Simpsons, the student performed a series of rhythm guitar phrases with a professional drummer and bass player backing him up. That alone was an obviously invaluable experience. The professional rhythm section provided the guitarist a totally solid yet responsive groove for him to both guide and follow. Ross periodically stopped the band to give feedback to the student, and his comments were useful to the entire class. He demonstrated the hand techniques that work best for him, which I found admirable: He wasn't preaching scripture from some sort of universal rulebook on proper guitar playing, but speaking from a career's acquisition of styles he finds most useful. He knows that one's individual musical personality ultimately takes precedence over standard practice. He pointed out how the player's body motion, in addition to helping the hands really groove, helps the listener feel the pocket also. "Once you get into the groove, it's like exhaling." Most useful to me - aside from his tips on beard trimming - were Ross's suggestions on tone. I've never mastered the art of the ideal pickup setting, and his comments increased my understanding of how to achieve the right balance of neck and bridge pickups to suit various styles of guitar playing.

I hoped Frank Gambale's Modal Ensemble Workshop would offer as much fun and enlightenment as Ross Bolton's class, and I had a hunch I wouldn't be disappointed. I admit I was a little nervous about meeting one of my formative guitar influences. I wondered if his students get intimidated having a famous guitar hero scrutinizing them as they play, but there's a reason Frank teaches here, and it certainly isn't to scare anybody. This guy has genuine enthusiasm for graciously and patiently imparting musical wisdom. Oh, and there's the guitar-maestro thing, too. The students in this class were a week into their first quarter and this was their first day with Frank. I thought about how well the third quarter students played in Ross's class and I marveled at how much these new guitarists would improve in only a few months time.

The students took turns performing a simple chord progression with the hired professional rhythm section, standard in all the Ensemble Workshops. Two by two, the students alternately played rhythm guitar and took solos. When both had finished, Frank was ready to make them better players. Playing the wrong note is "as clear as the blue sky on a day without clouds," Frank said as he coached one of the guitarists. He demonstrated how to outline the chords within the solo melody, to prevent the dreaded "sour note." Without straying from this first week's mode of focus (the basic major scale) he played a solo that was mind-blowing yet completely graspable. He loves to play! He demonstrated optimal wrist positioning and talked about pick gauges. The class shared a good chuckle about how the use of distortion seems to increase the player's confidence (or help cover up mistakes? Nah!). I really appreciated the conversational freedom between the teacher and students that kept the lesson plans focused but loose. By the end of the workshop, Frank had floored us all with a spot-on rendition of "Little Wing," and, after leading a sing-along of Steely Dan's "Kid Charlemagne," he concluded the class. "Good job today guys, I really enjoyed listening to you all." And he meant it.

Frank Gambale's mantra is "you're only limited by your imagination." At the day's end, I drove excitedly home, ready to plug in my guitar and get unlimited.