Gary Norman
Waltons New School of Music Faculty
Guitar • Bass • Ukulele • Theory & Musicianship • Introducing Guitar for Adults • Introducing Ukulele for Adults • Outreach Programme • Music at Work Programme
Gary started to learn the guitar as a young child and soon began to explore bass guitar and ukulele as well. He began playing live with bands and vocalists in his early teenage years, enjoying everything from pub residencies to Aviva Stadium events, and playing a wide range of genres and guitar styles, including rock, pop, folk, metal, reggae, blues and jazz. Alongside cover gigs, Gary began writing his own music, and he was a finalist in RTÉ 2FM’s New Irish Music competition while still in secondary school; since then he has worked on a number of national and international projects. Writing and recording music developed Gary’s early interest in production, and he pursued this by studying at Ballyfermot College of Further Education, where he earned a diploma in music technology while working as a live sound engineer and recording EPs for local acts. He went on to study Music and English at University College Dublin, where he received a BA degree with First Class Honours. As well taking numerous advanced modules in tonality and musicianship during his time in college, he also studied Non-Western music and joined the National Concert Hall Gamelan Ensemble, with which he has performed at Electric Picnic, the National Concert Hall and Leeds University, as well as touring Indonesia, the birthplace of gamelan music. Gary is an experienced teacher of guitar, bass and ukulele, both privately and in groups; he has also taught Leaving Cert. Music and run workshops in venues as varied as the National Concert Hall and the International Bar. In addition to teaching, he performs regularly with a number of bands and vocalists, and is currently recording an album with the progressive rock act Myth. He has taught with New School since 2017. ‘Music is for everyone. It should be enjoyed by everyone, and learning music should be both an accessible and enjoyable experience. With this in mind, I combine an informal approach and effective teaching methods to create fun and productive lessons and classes. My emphasis is on practical application and structured lesson plans so that students can reach, and even surpass, their own personal musical goals.’
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