The Argyll School of Celtic Arts is pleased to announce an exciting expansion of the school into music and would like to welcome Andrew Mercer, lead singer and guitar player from Modern Celtic band “Cod Gone Wild” to the team. Andrew, who originally hails from Newfoundland, grew up surrounded by the rich culture and heritage that is so deeply rooted in the people of the province who have ancestry of major Celtic influence. Celtic and traditional, Irish and Newfoundland music has always been a huge part of Andrew’s life and he has been playing the music since he was 5 years old and formed his first professional band in high school. Andrew is an accomplished musician and songwriter and although only 26 years old has already released his second album, the latest with new band “Cod Gone Wild,” which he also produced. His first album was with band Ocean Skye, which was nominated for two 2003 Music Industry Association of Newfoundland and Labrador awards for Best New Group and Best Folk/Roots Group of the year. He was also selected as one of the winners of The Edge Magazine Songwriting Competition for the writing of song “I Remember.”

Now a full time instructor, musician, and producer; Andrew is very excited to be bringing Celtic music to a higher level in Vernon and the Okanagan. Andrew also has a Bachelor of Commerce Degree with a specialization in Marketing from Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Andrew will bring his talent to the school by teaching lessons is guitar, voice, and performance. Outlined below are the descriptions of the programs that will be available.

Introductory Guitar Lessons: These lessons are for people who have never picked up or played any guitar before. You will learn the basics of the guitar as well as all of the basic chords that you will need to be able to play songs on your own. This class is available as a private or a group lesson.

Intermediate Guitar Lessons: These lessons are for people who have played the guitar before, but want to play at a more advanced level. You will learn advanced chords and you will be introduced to picking, tab reading as well as advanced strumming and rhythm playing. This class is available as a private or a group lesson.

Advanced Guitar Lessons: These lessons are for people who have been playing the guitar for a while, but want to be able to put all their skills and talent to good use to perform to the best of their potential. This class will include learning alternate tunings for the guitar, advanced strumming, hybrid picking, tab, harmonizing guitars, and being creative with the guitar through improvisation. This class is available as a private or group lesson.

Vocal Lessons: Vocal lessons will be catered to the individual based on the skill level of the individual. Lessons can range from introductory to advanced. Introductory lessons will focus on the art of singing and developing your voice. Advanced lessons will focus on control, projection, performance and harmonies.

Performance Class: This class is meant for those people who want to learn how to perform on stage or how to play in a band with other musicians. You will learn the importance of dynamics while playing with others, how to act on stage and how to create and produce music. This class is intended for players at the intermediate level or greater, and who understands music on an individual level, but want to learn how to perform and produce music in a band setting. This class will involve musical production as well as writing/creating music and songwriting. This lesson is best suited for a group of players who play different instruments, however will be opened to solo/duo acts who want to learn how to perform better on stage and enhance their songwriting skills or even just how to play better in front of the family!

Performance Consulting: Already in a band or perform on your own? Want to learn how to make your band better and take the next step forward? Performance consulting is available. Andrew will work with your band to improve your sound, song arrangements and stage presence and help bring your music to a whole new level. Depending on the need of the individual or band, consulting could be one session, or could be a series of sessions over time.