Alumnus Stuart Bahn left Birmingham with a degree in physics. He then decided to move to London to pursue a career as a professional guitarist. Now a successful guitar tutor and entrepreneur, Stuart shares his story.
Birmingham University Physics graduate, Stuart Bahn, turns to creating apps to help music students develop their skills whist waiting for the bus.
Former physics student, Stuart Bahn, left Birmingham with a degree in physics. He then decided to move to London to pursue a career as a professional guitarist. Now a successful guitar tutor and business entrepreneur, Stuart has combined his science background with music to launch the first in a series of Android phone apps to help guitar students learn about the fundamentals behind great music, during otherwise ‘dead time’.
“In my experience, it’s a lack of understanding of music theory, or ‘how music works’, that holds most guitarists back” Stuart says, “The problem is that the subject is seen as dry and some traditional teaching methods don’t appeal to young people drawn towards music. Failure to get to grips with basic music theory can prevent even the most talented students from achieving their full potential. The ubiquity of mobile phones makes them an ideal supplement to good quality teaching. My aim with this app is to give students a convenient and accessible tool that helps them develop an understanding of music, without seeming like hard work or cutting into their practice time. They can now work on gaining their edge anywhere, any time they choose without the use of the dreaded textbook”.
Although physics is unusual pathway to becoming a guitarist, music is surprisingly mathematical and what I learned in Birmingham has been put to good use in my music career. The ability to code applications is another happy spin-‐off from my time in Birmingham, even though I didn’t enjoy the I.T. job I had for a year. Funny how things work out sometimes!.
‘Music Theory Chords in Keys’ is distributed via several channels including the Google Play app store and is available now to buy for 59p or equivalent.
About Stuart Bahn
Stuart Bahn is a professional guitar educator in Ealing, west London and a former Course Leader for The Academy of Music and Sound. He is a memberof the Music Masters Association and UK Association for Music Education.
