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raised money for a new sound
system.
He then went to teach at Peoria
Academy, but a year later was
back at Charter Oak. “Let’s just
say we weren’t meant for each
other,” he said of his time at
Peoria Academy.
But cutbacks in music
curricula at many schools caused
McDonald to teach privately
to make a living. He’d already
been supplementing his income
by teaching at Elmore Music
Warehouse and later at Don’s
Musicland.
McDonald decided to open
his own studio in order to be
his own boss and teach his way.
He chose the name Academy
of Fretted Instruments, he said,
because that’s what it is. “I
wanted an academic sounding
name because they don’t teach
fretted instruments in schools.
Somebody needs to,” he said.
He still helps some schools
and wants to grow that part of
his work, as well. For example,
he wants to do more children’s
albums and put focus on
vocal soloists, while hoping to
develop a scholarship program
so they then can learn to play
instruments on which they can
accompany themselves, such as
guitar or piano. That, McDonald
said, is often an overlooked part
of music but is the best way for a
musician to support themselves.
McDonald also plans to open
the Peghead School of Music
within AFI, with drum and
piano lessons at the outset. “It
will be for instruments that have
timing pegs,” he said. He will
have other instructors for those
instruments.
Ideally, McDonald wants to
get to the point where he and
his other instructors are teaching
only a day or two at AFI and
spending more time going to
various schools giving lessons.
“Eventually we may be able to
turn our place here into just a
recording studio,” he said.
He believes there is a future
in teaching students at schools
that have, because of money,
been forced to abolish or curtail
music curricula, if the schools get
creative. “Music curricula can
be too restrictive at times. If you
are passionate about what you
are doing you can come up with
a million different ways to teach
the same thing. Giving them the
chance to learn is the key,” he
said.
More than anything he wants
the art of teaching music to keep
a personal touch. So far he has
resisted becoming an online
teacher, even though he knows
more and more people are
turning to the Internet to learn
to play instruments because of
convenience and cost.
“I sense the changes coming in
technology in the music world,
but to me there will never be
anything like learning from and
getting answers from a person,
face-to-face in the same room.
Subtle, little things can make
such a difference, like when I
see a student using too much
tension when fretting their guitar.
Email can’t see that, email can’t
teach the importance of muscle
memory by demonstrating it.
“I know the Internet can be
very informative but it would
be so easy to be consumed by
electronics that you forget about
personal contact, like being able
to see their face when they get it,
or to be able to congratulate them
on the spot.”
In what spare time he has,
McDonald will still play the
occasional concert or plan events
such as Bluesology, a concert he
sponsored the last two years at
which he has played with some
of his students as well as with
other bands. He will continue
building a life with his partner,
Leah, and her two daughters.
And, he’ll keep learning.
“You’re never too old to learn,
whether it’s a new instrument
or just some subtleties with a
guitar or banjo. I learned banjo
from Dick Applegate, had lessons
from him right up until he passed
away. I’m learning something all
the time and I hope I never stop,”
he said.
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