M-A’s Guitar class rocked their showcase with a well-prepared lineup of classics in the PAC on Thursday. Guitar teacher John Jordan’s Guitar I and II classes performed a total of 22 songs, split across the two periods, ranging from classic rock to Mozart.
Starting off strong, fourth period class opened the show with a gorgeous rendition of Cage the Elephant’s “Cigarette Daydreams,” performed by junior Kealy Bryman and senior Addison Andara.
They followed with an electric cover of Nirvana’s “Drain You” off their album Nevermind. The hard-rock performance was brought to life by sophomores Matthew Teeple and Eybard Cabrera Zeleya on lead guitar.
The night also included serene performances of Mozart’s “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik,” during both sets, capturing the talent and range within the class.
To conclude fourth period’s set, they performed a spectacular cover of “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” by Creedence Clearwater Revival. It was a unifying moment—the perfect finale for a wonderful performance.
The second hour began with fifth period’s renditions of Greenday’s “Brainstew” and Nirvana’s “About A Girl.” Both rock anthems were full of emotion, kicking off a strong slew of songs.
One highlight of the second half was freshmen brothers’ Daniel and Noel Duarte’s performance of “Flor Hermosa” by Los Cuates De Sinaloa. This heartwarming duet awed the crowd and lit up the stage with its rhythm and soul.
Next came a rendition of “Maria Maria” by Santana performed by junior Matt Nicholas on vocals and junior Joshua Carriel on lead guitar. “For me, what was most memorable was playing ‘Maria Maria’, because that’s my mom’s name, so I got to dedicate it to her. That was really special,” Carriel said.
The night concluded with a strong performance of the famous “Hotel California” by the Eagles, with a commanding vocal performance by Andara. This song closed the night off by highlighting both the talent and community through the lengthy guitar solo at the end.
The Guitar class creates a strong sense of community, fostered by a mutual love of playing the instrument. “What’s most important to me is cherishing the moment with those who are playing guitar with you. If you learn guitar, you become, as a person and musician, whole,” sophomore Filipo Maalo said.
“I really think everything is memorable about guitar. It’s really encouraging. You really get pushed by the program to be the best you can be. The moments that are most memorable are those when you’re being pushed, and that would be when you’re learning new songs,” sophomore Edgar Moreno said.
The start of this year’s Guitar classes was challenging, as Jordan couldn’t start teaching from the beginning. “Mr. Jordan wasn’t able to teach us until October, but the amount of stuff he was able to do for us from October to now was amazing,” Carriel said. “A lot of students actually improved their playing, no matter if they’re beginners or already an expert.”
As the curtain closed on this year of Guitar students reflected on what they’ve learned throughout the year.
“When you’re pushed by the teacher to learn more difficult songs, and you get to progress, those are the memorable moments. You have such a great payoff, both emotionally and when you get to perform them,” Moreno said.
Jordan spoke about the future of the Guitar program. “Our hopes are that we can get more kids. Next year, we have a dedicated Guitar II program, which is really nice. We have like 120 kids signed up for next year,” he said.
After a year of dedication, hard-work, and lots of progress, Jordan celebrates the work and success of his students. “Seeing the students progress throughout the year–that’s what we music teachers live for,” Jordan said.
