Jon Bloomer – Guitar Noize Founder
Having started learning music at an early age I soon wanted to follow in the footsteps of my new musical heroes and rock out on an electric guitar. When I was 12 my parents bought me my first electric guitar and it soon became apparent that I had a natural gift for guitar and music. By the age of 16 I was a competent electric guitarist winning a Dudley Schools Scholarship for my performance of Vivaldi’s guitar concerto in D Major arranged for electric guitar which I used to buy my first Classical Guitar. That year I also moved on from School to Kidderminster College in England where I studied A Level Music and Performing Arts. I also began Classical guitar lessons and in 2 short years managed to attain a Distinction in my Grade 8 guitar exam and then a Trinity College Performance Diploma.
At the age of 18 I began my music degree at Birmingham Conservatoire (England) studying Classical guitar with Simon Dinnigan, Jazz with Fred Baker and Composition with Prof. Andrew Downes. During my time at the Conservatoire I also studied Sitar, took part in a 120 person choir performing music such as Mozart’s Requiem Mass and eventually helped create a new Music Technology & Composition course that I also taught in my final year to 1st and 2nd year students. I graduated 4 years later with a 1st Class Bmus (hons).
Fast forward to the present day and I have now been playing guitar for 21 years, crikey I don’t feel that old?! I continue to enjoy both playing guitar, listening and watching others play guitar and teaching guitar with the same passion that I had as a young teenager hungry for fame and fortune as the next Joe Satriani or the next Megadeth guitarist. I have a broad musical knowledge and believe that everyone is capable of learning music that they enjoy. From my years teaching and being taught I have realised the importance of good instruction in order to develop as a musician. Simple technique problems if not caught early can hinder the progress and lead to frustration and in some cases a student completely abandoning an instrument, also retaining interest is as much about encouragement and learning music that the student loves. Probably the most important aspect of learning guitar that I encourage is performance, playing either for fun with friends or aspiring to play paid gigs.
I have been running this website, GuitarNoize.com, since June 2007 which keeps me abreast of the latest guitar products, news, instructional DVD’s and Albums through my reviews and the press releases I receive. More importantly it also encourages me to actually pick up and play my guitar and to share my knowledge where possible through my YouTube videos.
