Dreamcatcher Events and Steve Vai have announced Vai Academy 2015: "All About the Guitar," a four-day guitar-centric event featuring Vai, Eric Johnson, Sonny Landreth and several other guests.
It'll take place August 2 to 6 at the Arrabelle at Vail Square in Vail, Colorado.
As a bonus, we happen to have an exclusive message from Vai. You can check it out below, plus a video!
"If you were with us during the inaugural run in 2014, glad to see you again! If this is going to be your first year, I wanted to take this opportunity to give you the rundown.
“There were a few things we all loved about 2014. Every day offered an open forum and atmosphere for questions and answers during clinics and classes, and then at night we all jammed together.
"One of the wonderful things about Vai Academy is I get the opportunity to jam on stage with literally every camper. If you’re there, you’re jamming with me at some point! Once again, it’s all ages and skill levels. Whether you just picked up your first guitar for your 10th birthday or you’ve been playing for 40 years (since your 10th birthday), we want you here, plugged in and ready to play.
“This year, our master classes will be taught by two guitar giants—Eric Johnson and Sonny Landreth. You’ll have the opportunity to receive special attention from them. Those are the similar elements to last year.
“One of the main goals of Vai Academy is to do something different each year. Last year, our theme was Song Evolution. This year, it’s 'All About the Guitar'—literally.
“So besides all of the jamming, we’re going to focus on the actual instrument. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, but it’s even eluded me. We’ll be highlighting aspects of the guitar that even seasoned players are relatively unaware of. However, we all should be aware of them.
"This includes everything from how guitars are built, how different body shapes create tones, how different woods sound, how neck dimensions affect sound, how fretboards are built, how to properly string a guitar, how to set intonation and so much more.
“This was my train of thought: You have an attraction to the instrument. You pick it up. You start playing it. You can find your groove and your notes, but you might not really understand the tiny nuances and idiosyncrasies of the guitar itself. That’s what we’re going to show you.
“In keeping with this theme, we’ll have some of the world’s best luthiers and foremost experts teaching classes about every nuance of our favorite instrument. Ibanez is filming a video of a guitar built from scratch, and you’ll get to see that axe up close and personal.
“So, in between all of that riffing on stage, learning your instrument inside and out, and basking in the glory that is summer in Vail (or VAI-L), you’ll leave with some lifelong new friends. That’s what I love about this.
“I’m here to have a good time, share some knowledge, and learn a few things. I hope you’re there too—with your guitar of course!"
For more information, check out the video below and visit aiacademy.com. Registration begins January 27.
