Guitar Faculty

Studio: The Armouries
Email: mike.mcnamara@uwindsor.ca

 

Mike McNamara holds a Master of Music in Classical Guitar Performance from the University of Toronto, where he studied with Norbert Kraft. He is a very active and experienced teacher who began teaching guitar at 18 years of age and has been performing just as long. Mike has performed throughout Southern Ontario and in Michigan as a classical guitar solist and chamber musician, he enjoys composing and improvising as other musical activities.

 

Mike also holds a Bachelor of Music in classical guitar Performance from The University of Windsor, where his teachers were Dominic Bertucci, Jeffrey McFadden, and William Beauvais. He teaches guitar at the Ste. Cecile Academy of Music and is a Music Teacher with the WECDSB. He has participated in master classes with David Russell and Aaron Shearer and holds qualifications as a Suzuki guitar instructor.

 

Many of Mike’s former guitar students have gone on to careers as professional musicians in areas such as classical guitar soloists, rock/pop guitarists, university professors, studio musicians, music educators, guitar teachers, and composers. Many alumni of his studio tour parts of the world performing professionally on large stages.
 

A native of Toronto, Miles found an interest in music at the age of five through playing the piano and occasionally receiving lessons from his father. While attending Sir John A. Macdonald C.I., Miles performed in various ensembles and received numerous accolades for his work.

 

Following high school he completed his Bachelor of Fine Arts, Special Honours in Music at York University, where he was awarded the Douglas Menzie Philips Jazz Scholarship for excellence in jazz ensemble performance. He studied privately with Brian Katz, Lorne Lofsky, Mike Murley, and David Occhipinti, and performed ensembles directed by Mark Eisenman, Kelly Jefferson, Kevin Turcotte, and Jim Vivian.