About my guitar teachers
There are two categories of teachers:
1. Those who actually teach personally and guide a certain student during several years.
2. Musicians who guide and teach because of their exemplary musicianship as such.
Of course some teachers can represent both categories. Musicians who were only taught by the second category of teachers are the so called autodidacts. These people have the special gift of absorbing through eye and ear, without having to be taught.
I had – as is most common – teachers from both categories.
Besides some master classes here and there, I mainly had three ‘real’ guitar teachers. They were very different if not somehow each other’s counterpart both as musicians as individuals. I am conscious of the risk of describing someone as a teacher or person. Of course we can only describe someone from our personal observations, which are - of course – colored by our own perception. But I write about them out of honest respect, admiration and gratitude. When this intention is present, there never can be any harm, even if it lightens only a small spectrum of a certain personality.
Jacques Vande Ginste
Jacques was my first guitar teacher - at the age of 8 - who formed me during 9 years at the Conservatory of Bruges. Sadly, he is not among us anymore since 2011.
Jacques decided to become a professional at the relatively old age of 19. He made extreme progressions under guidance of his teacher Armand Coeck. Later he was also taught by Yoshi Iwanaga, resulting in a lifelong friendship. During the many talking sessions in his music room, Jacques told me he was also very inspired by Turibio Santos.
Jacques Vande Ginste was a real pedagogue who took his job with the most earnest integrity and idealism.
Very specific was his characteristic not to focus on a result in the first place; he rather aimed to develop his pupils in balance according to their personality. In this way, he was capable of keeping enthusiasm alive.
His profound knowledge and understanding of harmony offered his pupils an early sense of the syntax of music, but he never pushed us to ‘study’ it. Rather, by mentioning for example the beauty of a Neapolitan sixth chord or a deceiving cadence, he made us susceptible to details and harmonic color.
The music in itself was always more important than the instrument involved – something that was most obvious in the fingering he provided for us. He also often referred to other instruments and instrumentalists such as pianists Glenn Gould and Alicia Delarocha.
Being a painter, a philosopher and composer, he inspired his students in many aspects of music and life. Especially, his interest in Buddhism, and eastern philosophy in general, influenced his style very strongly and created a ‘Zen’-like atmosphere in the classroom.
Before everything, I will remember him as someone who always tried to search for the deeper meaning and essence of any issue, the inner truth that is behind all things.
Armand Coeck
Although Armand Coeck was the most important and first guitar teacher of Jacques Vande Ginste, I have rarely met two personalities as different as them.
I will never forget the few minutes before my diploma exam in June 1998 at the Conservatory of Bruges. When I saw my teacher Jacques Vande Ginste coming out the double door of the magnificent neo-classical building into the Conservatory’s garden, talking to Armand Coeck, the guest jury.
Deliberately, this scene made me instantly think of the Athenian School by Raphael, featuring Plato and Aristotle, in a similar setting discussing a different philosophy.
Jacques Vande Ginste gave me a lot of compositions by Armand Coeck, and I was totally entranced by them.
I also have a tape recording with Armand Coeck playing his own pieces. It is amazing to hear this playing: note perfect one-take recording (no editing), authentic interpretation and fabulous right hand technique; how is it possible that such a brilliant and authentic performer didn’t make a career as a soloist? The answer is that Armand was a composer in the first place, who couldn’t agree with repeating the same pieces all the time.
He was a tremendous improviser (also on the keyboard, Paraguayan harp and flute) and was at his best in a non-conformist environment. His genuine musicianship, immense charisma and sensitiveness provided a lifelong circle of committed dedicates – disciples if you like.
Much-telling is the fact that Armand Coeck doesn’t like to be named by pupils as ‘Sir’ or ‘Mr Coeck’. He soon wants you to call him ‘Armand’.
I will always be very grateful that I had the opportunity to know Armand personally, to learn from him. During many years I have quite regularly visited his house for rehearsals or a lesson.
My final project at the Royal Conservatory of Ghent in 2003 consisted of the Live recording of solo pieces and the Concerto for guitar and small orchestra (accompanied by fellow students) by Armand Coeck, who guided me personally all the way.
Armand has a great fascination for Medieval music, astrology, the ancient culture of the Indians and mysteries in all forms, all reflected in his mesmerizing music.
His music will always have a special place in my repertory and life.
Yves Storms
After my secondary school, I began to study Laws. But after winning the Dexia-competition in Brussels (I played La Catedral by Barrios and the Chaconne by Bach in the finals), I suddenly realized I wanted to dedicate my life to music. So, I broke with my academic ambitions and in January 1999 I went to the Royal Conservatory of Ghent and entered the classroom of Yves Storms, the head guitar professor.
He always reminds me of how we met: I told him I wanted to study guitar and he asked me to play something. Without taking off my long black coat, I took the guitar of a student and played some pieces.
That was it, I was allowed in his class.
Yves Storms is one of the most known guitarists in Belgium of his generation. He won the prestigious Andrés Segovia prize from the hands of Joaquín Rodrigo – a dream to be envied by any guitarist including myself.
He taught me the importance of a balanced, refined way of playing, with a great sense for phrasing.
I was not the easiest student; influenced by Paco de Lucía, I changed my playing position according to Paco’s and I kept this position until after my graduation in 2003.
At this time I was very focused on my own and I was only prepared to learn something that didn’t really interest me, being mostly Bach, Rodrigo (Aranjuez) Paco de Lucía and Armand Coeck.
Many times I have thought I would have been a better student, when I had no professor anymore!
The great thing about Yves Storms is that he lets his students take responsibility for their choices, stimulating the process of maturity. He also provides his students with a lot of possibilities to play concerts at various locations. This is beyond any question of great value for aspiring professionals.
Our concert as a guitar duo at the Bijloke (Ghent) in 2006 with Bach’s Goldberg Variations will always be a treasured memory.
There are two categories of teachers:
1. Those who actually teach personally and guide a certain student during several years.
2. Musicians who guide and teach because of their exemplary musicianship as such.
Of course some teachers can represent both categories. Musicians who were only taught by the second category of teachers are the so called autodidacts. These people have the special gift of absorbing through eye and ear, without having to be taught.
I had – as is most common – teachers from both categories.
Besides some master classes here and there, I mainly had three ‘real’ guitar teachers. They were very different if not somehow each other’s counterpart both as musicians as individuals. I am conscious of the risk of describing someone as a teacher or person. Of course we can only describe someone from our personal observations, which are - of course – colored by our own perception. But I write about them out of honest respect, admiration and gratitude. When this intention is present, there never can be any harm, even if it lightens only a small spectrum of a certain personality.
Jacques Vande Ginste
Jacques was my first guitar teacher - at the age of 8 - who formed me during 9 years at the Conservatory of Bruges. Sadly, he is not among us anymore since 2011.
Jacques decided to become a professional at the relatively old age of 19. He made extreme progressions under guidance of his teacher Armand Coeck. Later he was also taught by Yoshi Iwanaga, resulting in a lifelong friendship. During the many talking sessions in his music room, Jacques told me he was also very inspired by Turibio Santos.
Jacques Vande Ginste was a real pedagogue who took his job with the most earnest integrity and idealism.
Very specific was his characteristic not to focus on a result in the first place; he rather aimed to develop his pupils in balance according to their personality. In this way, he was capable of keeping enthusiasm alive.
His profound knowledge and understanding of harmony offered his pupils an early sense of the syntax of music, but he never pushed us to ‘study’ it. Rather, by mentioning for example the beauty of a Neapolitan sixth chord or a deceiving cadence, he made us susceptible to details and harmonic color.
The music in itself was always more important than the instrument involved – something that was most obvious in the fingering he provided for us. He also often referred to other instruments and instrumentalists such as pianists Glenn Gould and Alicia Delarocha.
Being a painter, a philosopher and composer, he inspired his students in many aspects of music and life. Especially, his interest in Buddhism, and eastern philosophy in general, influenced his style very strongly and created a ‘Zen’-like atmosphere in the classroom.
Before everything, I will remember him as someone who always tried to search for the deeper meaning and essence of any issue, the inner truth that is behind all things.
Armand Coeck
Although Armand Coeck was the most important and first guitar teacher of Jacques Vande Ginste, I have rarely met two personalities as different as them.
I will never forget the few minutes before my diploma exam in June 1998 at the Conservatory of Bruges. When I saw my teacher Jacques Vande Ginste coming out the double door of the magnificent neo-classical building into the Conservatory’s garden, talking to Armand Coeck, the guest jury.
Deliberately, this scene made me instantly think of the Athenian School by Raphael, featuring Plato and Aristotle, in a similar setting discussing a different philosophy.
Jacques Vande Ginste gave me a lot of compositions by Armand Coeck, and I was totally entranced by them.
I also have a tape recording with Armand Coeck playing his own pieces. It is amazing to hear this playing: note perfect one-take recording (no editing), authentic interpretation and fabulous right hand technique; how is it possible that such a brilliant and authentic performer didn’t make a career as a soloist? The answer is that Armand was a composer in the first place, who couldn’t agree with repeating the same pieces all the time.
He was a tremendous improviser (also on the keyboard, Paraguayan harp and flute) and was at his best in a non-conformist environment. His genuine musicianship, immense charisma and sensitiveness provided a lifelong circle of committed dedicates – disciples if you like.
Much-telling is the fact that Armand Coeck doesn’t like to be named by pupils as ‘Sir’ or ‘Mr Coeck’. He soon wants you to call him ‘Armand’.
I will always be very grateful that I had the opportunity to know Armand personally, to learn from him. During many years I have quite regularly visited his house for rehearsals or a lesson.
My final project at the Royal Conservatory of Ghent in 2003 consisted of the Live recording of solo pieces and the Concerto for guitar and small orchestra (accompanied by fellow students) by Armand Coeck, who guided me personally all the way.
Armand has a great fascination for Medieval music, astrology, the ancient culture of the Indians and mysteries in all forms, all reflected in his mesmerizing music.
His music will always have a special place in my repertory and life.
Yves Storms
After my secondary school, I began to study Laws. But after winning the Dexia-competition in Brussels (I played La Catedral by Barrios and the Chaconne by Bach in the finals), I suddenly realized I wanted to dedicate my life to music. So, I broke with my academic ambitions and in January 1999 I went to the Royal Conservatory of Ghent and entered the classroom of Yves Storms, the head guitar professor.
He always reminds me of how we met: I told him I wanted to study guitar and he asked me to play something. Without taking off my long black coat, I took the guitar of a student and played some pieces.
That was it, I was allowed in his class.
Yves Storms is one of the most known guitarists in Belgium of his generation. He won the prestigious Andrés Segovia prize from the hands of Joaquín Rodrigo – a dream to be envied by any guitarist including myself.
He taught me the importance of a balanced, refined way of playing, with a great sense for phrasing.
I was not the easiest student; influenced by Paco de Lucía, I changed my playing position according to Paco’s and I kept this position until after my graduation in 2003.
At this time I was very focused on my own and I was only prepared to learn something that didn’t really interest me, being mostly Bach, Rodrigo (Aranjuez) Paco de Lucía and Armand Coeck.
Many times I have thought I would have been a better student, when I had no professor anymore!
The great thing about Yves Storms is that he lets his students take responsibility for their choices, stimulating the process of maturity. He also provides his students with a lot of possibilities to play concerts at various locations. This is beyond any question of great value for aspiring professionals.
Our concert as a guitar duo at the Bijloke (Ghent) in 2006 with Bach’s Goldberg Variations will always be a treasured memory.