Musical Education

Survey of education and influences

Although I am mainly self-taught, I have had some help during the years. My first "teacher" was my father, who taught me to always play in "position". Later on I learned that alternated picking was another way of mastering the fingerboard of the guitar.

My first official teacher was a Dutch radio guitarist called Thymen Hoolwerf (http://www.freewebs.com/thijmenhoolwerf/).

I took only about four lessons from him. Later in life I have taken part in several guitar workshops in the UK Hull (Guitar Summer School  in 1995), Wrexham and Huddersfield, France (Maussane), Norway (Bolærene, Beiarn & Søgne), Germany (Ettlingen, Darup, Kerpen-Sindorf & Schloss Wissen), Italy (Ferrare, Palermo and Pisa), Austria (Mayerhofen) etc.

But the most important “education” was and still is seeing and listening to great guitarists live. My former day job in the travel industry has given me ample opportunities to do just that.

This way I have come across: Kenny Burrell, Tal Farlow, Barney Kessel, Joe Pass, René Thomas and many, many more jazz guitar greats.

Playing music means a never ending learning

Teachers I have had during various workshops through the years, in alphabetical order:

Howard Alden (US), Sheryl Bailey (UK), David Becker (US), Roni Ben-Hur (US), Petere Bernstein (US), Gene Bertoncini (US), Les Bolger (UK), Paul Vernon Chester (UK) ,  Corey Christiansen (US), Darren Dutson-Bromley (UK), Christian Eckert (D), Jacob Fischer (DK), Bruce Foreman (US), Mimi Fox (US), Wesley Gehring (D), Joe Giglio (US), Adrian Ingram (UK), Neff Irizarry (FIN), Jim Hall (US), Randy Johnston (US), Vic Juris (US), Peter Leitch (US), Mundell Lowe (UK), Alessio Menconi (I), Staffan William-Olsson (S), Øyvind Nypan (NO),  Trefor Owen (UK), Chico Pinheiro (Brazil), John Pisano (US), Hallgeir Pedersen (N), Michael Sagmeister (D), Roy Sainsbury (UK), Dave Stryker (US), Bjørn Vidar Solli (N), Pat Sprakes (UK), Jamie Taylor, Knut Værnes (N), Ulf Wakenius (S), Susan Weinert (D), Jack Wilkins (US), Andreas Öberg (S). 

Tonnie playing at a student concert with excellent bass and drums in Wrexham, Wales 2010

Jazz Guitar Weekend in Germany

Tonnie in Darup (Germany) Feb. 2017 holding his Forsberg 7-string. Photo: Thomas Pricking

Samba Meets Jazz

I participated in the Samba Meets Jazz Workshop in Ferrara, Italy in April 2017. We had two wonderful teachers; bassist Nilson Matta and guitarist Chico Pinheiro, both hailing from Brasil, but living in New York. 

Again in April 2019 I participated in a Samba Meets Jazz Workshop this time in Palermo. Teachers were Dave Stryker (guitar) and bassist Nilson Matta.

Tonnie and his 7-string Foster guitar rehearsing with some of the other students and teacher Nilson Matta (bass). Photo: Alive Schiller

North Wales Jazz Guitar Weekend - May 2017

This time we had no less than three guitar teachers:

Corey Christiansen (USA), Adrian Ingram and Trefor Owen, both UK. The Wrexham Jazz Guitar Weekend was proceeded by a Jazz Guitar night at the Bijou in Cheadle.

Was again in Wrexham in May 2017 and took part in the student jam-sessions.

Din overskrift

On 15-16 June 2019 I participated in a Jazz Blues Workshop in Kerpen-Sindorf, Germany. The teacher was Wesley G. and it was a really worthwhile workshop!

Wesley (L), holding his "Sonntag" guitar and Tonnie (R) holding his C B Hill 7-string guitar.

Din overskrift

In 2019 I participated again in a Jazz Impro summer course in Søgne (in the south of Norway). 

We were divided into combos and performed two concerts for the other pupils. A picture of "my" combo can be found below. Our instructor was a wonderful jazz pianist from NYC, called Randy Ingram.

Tonnie in white, all the way to the left. Our instructor Randy Ingram is standing next to me. Photo: Eirik Lie (our bass player)

Din overskrift

During a jam session at Jazz Impro Norway 2021 in Søgne, Southern Norway

We were playing Stella By Starlight. The woman on bass is bass instructor Ellen Brekken, all the others (including myself) were course participants.

At the jam session 2021