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BEHIND THE SCENES
Do you ever sit and listen
to your favorite song wondering where the performe
PBS 39 is working on the finishing touches of our next big production called “How to Play the Guitar with Dave Fry.” Hosted by folk music veteran Dave Fry, this fun and informative program will premiere on March 8th at 7pm, and will be offered to public television stations across the nation in June.
The program was shot in our studio, where Dave and three volunteers completed an interactive lesson. The three volunteers—all novice guitar players--included a retired couple, John and Kit Cotton, and a fifteen-year-old- boy, Dan Rinkenberg. They all really enjoyed the experience. Rinkenberg said, “I appreciated Dave Fry’s sense of humor on the set. He made it relaxing and enjoyable to play the guitar. I own one, am currently taking lessons, and will continue to play for years to come,” he said.
John and Kit Cotton met in Vietnam during the war, when John was an Air Force pilot and Kit worked for the Red Cross. Back then, Kit noted, everyone had a guitar, but she never took lessons. John says that learning to play guitar had been a long-time goal for him and his wife: “It’s something we wanted to do back in the 1970s when everyone was playing folk music, but we never got to it because we were busy with raising a family. Now that we have some free time, we thought it was a good opportunity to get started.”
Kit said they were particularly excited to learn from Dave Fry. She noted, “We had heard Dave Fry at Godfrey Daniels and our granddaughter is a fan . . . With Dave it took on a whole new dimension.” She added, “At the end of the day, I came away with three good chords and the beginnings of calluses.” John agreed, “I thought he was a very good teacher, and it was pretty realistic. I liked that they wanted us to ask questions during the taping.”
While you learn along with Dan, John and Kit, you can find out how to get your own copy of the program as well as accompanying instructional materials. But that’s not all. Those who phone in during the show will be entered into a drawing for a brand-new Martin DX1 X Series guitar with case, valued at $649. When the program airs nationally, there will also be a drawing – this time for an Eric Clapton 000-28EC Signature Model valued at $3,719. Both guitars were generously donated by C.F. Martin & Company.
A native of upstate New York, Fry ventured to the Lehigh Valley in the early 70s to attend Lehigh University in Bethlehem. He graduated with two majors, Mechanical Engineering and Philosophy, but neither could replace his first love: folk music. He decided to take his life in a new direction and pursue this deep love for music. As a true aficionado for the guitar, teaching others the rich rewards of playing was a likely step for Dave.
In 1990, he produced an educational school assembly program called “RockRoots,” a kid friendly history lesson on American pop music, which aired nationally on PBS. It has been regarded as on of the most popular children’s school programs on the east coast. So, when Amy Burkett asked him to join the team of a new special teaching how to play guitar, he jumped at the chance. He noted, “I have a good deal of fondness for the Lehigh Valley, having lived there for close to 30 years, and I feel my audience is the PBS audience -- intelligent, inquisitive and outgoing,” Fry continued, “ I also wanted to continue to give back to the Lehigh Valley because of my love for the area, the people and its musical scene, all of which have nurtured my career in music.”
Of course, this is not the first or the last “how-to” program from public television – whether in the area of home improvement or cooking, public television has always been a home for programs promoting life-long learning. In fact, PBS 39 recently aired “Play Piano in a Flash” and it was a huge hit. PBS 39 Vice President of Production Amy Burkett was inspired by “Play Piano” to provide a new entry in the musical how-to category. Upon viewing other instructional guitar programs, she decided that the station had the ability to improve on what already existed. “Our efforts to serve the community are wide-ranging,” stated Burkett. “They have always included public affairs programming like TEMPO!, as well as historical documentaries. Now, we are excited to stretch ourselves a bit with a new challenge by adding ‘how-to’ programs to our production roster.”
Don’t worry--this special is designed for complete beginners. Using simple teaching methods, Dave will explain the chords, share his love for music, and by the end of the program you’ll have all you need to know to play the Woody Guthrie classic “This Land is Your Land!”
So, on Monday, March 8th at 7pm, tune into this special program on PBS 39 and start playing the guitar!
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How To Play Guitar
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r learned how to play
the guitar? Maybe they learned from a professional musician like Dave
Fry. They might not have been so lucky. However, now you can be
that lucky, right in your own home. 
