The first time a student strikes a chord, it can feel fragile, almost fleeting. Hours of practice are spent in quiet rooms, fingers pressing strings until they ache, repeating the same measure over and over again. Guitar can be an isolated experience, a world contained between fingertips and frets. But in Guitar Ensemble, individual notes become conversation, practice becomes collaboration, and the music becomes alive.

Guitar Ensemble instructor Andrew Meehan described how the group transforms that solitary experience into something shared.

“So the guitar ensemble has become a voluntary group. It’s sort of like a quasi club where students with experience playing the guitar come in and we learn a different style of playing,” Meehan stated. “In the ensemble format, you have multiple parts playing together to create songs differently than in a rock or pop situation. Everyone isn’t just playing chords.”

He added, “It stems more from the classical side of guitar, but we do popular tunes as well, and students can help pick.”

Rather than everyone strumming the same progression, the music is divided into layers.

“You’ll have a group of students that have one specific part of a song, and another group has a different part,” Meehan noted.

Meehan started the ensemble as a small after-school gathering.

“I started this as a small group in 2022, my first year here, with three students,” Meehan said. “Each year we’ve been getting together once a week after school. This is the first year it’s officially a club. We have about fifteen to sixteen members, so it’s starting to grow.”

As the group grew, so did the opportunities.

“And then we’re scheduling things like playing at events, field trips, and things like that,” Meehan added. “It’s kind of like a performance club.”

One of the most exciting plans is a visit to a renowned guitar manufacturer.

“Martin Guitars is a pretty big guitar company. They make acoustic guitars and they are in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania,” he shared. “We’re planning a field trip there this spring. You get a tour through their factory and see how guitars are turned from trees into instruments.”

Although the ensemble welcomes a range of players, some experience is helpful.

“There’s ranges. We try to stay away from a complete beginner because there’s a lot to do in the class,” Meehan said. “Most students either came from one of my guitar classes or have played before.”

One of the group’s most distinctive aspects is learning to read traditional sheet music.

“I teach students to read traditional music on guitar, which not a lot of guitar classes do,” he noted.

The songs the ensemble plays are wide-ranging and constantly changing.

“I try to be pretty eclectic,” he said. “Last year we played things from Bach to Camila Cabello. We did Havana. So literally all over the place.”

Even familiar pop songs are transformed.

“If it’s a pop song, I take it and rearrange it to be played sort of like in a classical manner,” Meehan added. “It’s pretty cool because students are like I know this song, but this is a new way of doing it.”

The group also performs throughout the year at school events.

“We do the art show every April,” he stated. “We are part of the prelude for the winter concert and the spring concerts, playing in the hallway when people are coming in and out.”

The club is open to students in grades ten through twelve. Instruments are provided, but practice outside of rehearsal is encouraged,

“No, students don’t need to bring their own guitar,” he said. “But I do hope that if students are interested, they play regularly and have one they can work on outside of class.”

For students who are unsure about joining, Meehan said it’s all about enjoyment.

“If they like guitar and like meeting new friends, and learning a different way to play, I think they would have a lot of fun,” he exclaimed.

Before signing up, he encourages a conversation.

“Just the basics of guitar, how to play chords, how to make a good sound,” Meehan expressed. “If they can read music, that’s a huge plus, but it’s not necessary. I like to talk to them first and see if it’s a good fit.”

What started as three students meeting after school has grown into something alive. In Guitar Ensemble, the guitar becomes a voice, a thread that connects students. Each note carries intention, each chord carries connection, and together they create something greater than themselves. Students leave not only having learned music in a new way, but having felt the quiet magic of creating something beautiful together.