According to research at University of Zurich <www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/6447588/Playing-a-musical-instrument-makes-you-brainier.html> learning to play a musical instrument, such as the guitar, helps people develop better mental focus and increased memory. This benefit is especially promising for those who suffer from memory loss or ADD. The same study also showed music-making can improve one’s IQ by as much as...Continue Reading

Learning to play the guitar can be a bonding experience between parent and child, like playing catch or a board game. If approached as a connective personal exchange, music making together can be playful activity leading to an exchange of creative ideas. Like shooting hoops on a basketball court, playing an instrument can also be...Continue Reading

Learning to Play the Guitar Step by Step for Children and Their Parents The thesis of this book is children need help gaining the physical skill and conceptual understanding of music making. Who is better invested than you: their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles? If you are one of the 85% of adults who did not...Continue Reading

The introductory lesson (below is a sample portion of the video) teaches you how to hold the instrument, position your hand and the fingers for the best results. It includes enjoyable music-making pieces that also help the learner develop solid basic skills and play duets! The introductory courses are ideal for students of all ages....Continue Reading

After forty years of teaching and thoughtful consideration of why students struggle and sometimes fail to learn good playing habits (technique), struggle at note reading, refuse to count rhythms, adopt ineffective practice habits, and lose motivation to improve their skills PZ presents innovative and creative new approaches to address all the above-mentioned issues…and more. While...Continue Reading

Steve Rhodes, a Portland luthier, donated the guitar to CDZ Collegium Musica, to benefit young budding classical guitarists. Gracie Flowerday has been studying guitar with Peter Zisa for nearly two years. She received the guitar at the 11th Annual Season of Lights Concert, and performed two Christmas song arrangements. Pictures Gracie performance at SOL 2018,...Continue Reading

Dr. Peter Joseph Zisa was a featured artist on February 23 and 24th Guitar Festival at Vanguard University, located in Santa Ana California. The Vanguard Guitar Festival was organized by Michael Nigro, the university’s classical guitar director. Dozens of High School programs participated in the Festival. Opened festival performances Friday evening at Needham Hall. In...Continue Reading

The Portland Guitar Society recently gifted a guitar to Gracie Flowerday, a student of Peter Joseph Zisa. This high quality guitar was donated to PGS by Dawn Waugh which had belonged to her father who had recently passed away. Upon receiving the guitar, PGS added it to its Student Instrument Loan program and it quickly found a new home with Gracie.Continue Reading

This spring, Zisa returned to Japan to give the keynote address for the five-year anniversary 2011 Earthquake-Tsunami and premiere an original composition dedicated to the city of Hiroshima. He also performed works by Vivaldi, Carulli, and Ibert with classical guitarist Kazuhiko Yamada and flutist Naoko Hamamoto.Continue Reading

The Season of Lights free benefit concert returns for its third holiday season. This year the concert will feature the following performers: Amy and Jeff Shapiro: Singer songwriters John Dodge: Guitarist & composer Elizabeth Eklund: Mezzo soprano LeeAnn Sterling: Flutist Alton Chung: Story Teller First Christian Church Choir Thousand Waves: West meets East Kend’alin :...Continue Reading