It’s almost time for next year’s class selection. You’re probably wondering… what class should I take? Who teaches it? Will I get an A? It can be stressful deciding what you’re going to spend 135 hours on next year, not counting the time spent out of class on homework and studying. Magnet requires some classes, like the AP Capstone courses, that take up one of your electives junior and senior year. You still have some freedom to choose, however, and I believe Guitar 2 should fill that precious time slot.

You may ask, why? Well to begin, Guitar 2 with Mr. Grimshaw is a cool class. You get to play guitar at school. A lot of times, you can pick your own songs to work on. We do low-stakes class performances (of whatever you’d like) in the lecture hall at least once a month. (They aren’t stressful, promise.) Mr. Grimshaw’s motto for the class is “find your voice.” That can mean in your guitar style, soloing, or even getting the courage to sing in front of people. He makes it clear you are not required to sing at any time in the class (with the exception of the group Christmas carols), but at this point in the year everyone has sung by choice. Pretty much our whole class spends time in the guitar/lecture hallway during each grade’s respective study hall to play  as well, so if you want to hear what we’re working on feel free to walk through.

Yes, you could take AP Stats or AP Bio, but guitar is special. It’s a) free music lessons and b) teaches you a life-long skill if you so choose.

I didn’t play guitar before I took Guitar 1 my sophomore year. (I was mediocre, at best, on my baritone ukulele, so I did have a little knowledge of a fretted instrument, but trust me, it did not help past the first month of guitar 1.) Most of the kids in my current Guitar 2 class were in the same boat: no previous experience. Our one year of guitar got cut short by the Covid shut down, and that was that. Instead of never touching a guitar again, however, some of us turned to Youtube lessons or even just continuing to play the same chords we had learned, making them ring out a little better each time. After a junior year hiatus, BAM! we were back for senior year.

It’s not just a class for seniors, though. My sister, Junior Maysen Ronchetto, is taking it this year along with a few others. Noa Wallen, a sophomore, is also taking it this year because she had previous experience on guitar outside of Magnet.

As for the class itself, it usually consists of tuning and free play to begin, talking as a class (sometimes with new instruction), and then more time to play your own material or what we’re learning at the time. We get grades (usually A’s) for playing scales as a class, our performances (completion, not accuracy), memorizing Christmas carols, and preparing for our Guitar Symposium. In all honestly, the only way you wouldn’t get an A in the class would be if you never touched a guitar. Mr. Grimshaw wants to teach you guitar, not mess up your GPA.

If you have any questions about the class, go talk to Mr. Grimshaw. He can help you make sure you know what you need to know before coming into the class. If you’re a junior and it’s been a year since you took guitar, he can get you back up to speed. If you want a student perspective, come to the guitar hall during the beginning of 4A to talk to seniors who have taken or are currently in the class. It’s a fun, pretty chill class that I recommend you take next year!