John Haynie is majoring in guitar performance at Maranatha Baptist Bible College.
A: I've been playing guitar...well, I got my first guitar when I was ten and I played for a little while then. And then I stopped playing for about a year, but then I picked it back up in junior high and I've been playing ever since. So, almost ten years.
Q: What kind of guitar did you start with?
A: The guitar I started with...I don't even remember what brand it was, it was some off-brand but it was a three quarters size guitar. Just a little guitar that my parents found in somebody's attic or something.
Q: What kind of guitar, or what model do you use now?
A: For modern styles, I have an Ovation Celebrity CC-11 and for classical guitar I have a Clarita, it's hand made in Spain.
Q: What is you dream guitar?
A: You know, there are so many guitars that I would like to have...I don't own an electric guitar and I wouldn't mind owning one because it would complete the circle of guitars that I need. Plus, it's a lot of fun to do sound effects with. As far as actually playing music, I'm not sure that I would use it that much but it's fun for little clips. If I were to have to choose, a specific guitar that I would pick...I would have to go with a newer model of the Gibson Les Pauls, just because they're extremely versatile, they're a classic instrument, and they're also a very powerful instrument. So it's a good guitar to have, I think anyone who plays electric guitar should have at least one Les Paul somewhere along the line. You can't really go wrong with a Les Paul.
Q: How many guitars do you own right now?
A: Three
Q: Did you start out with lessons or did you teach yourself to play?
A: I started out with lessons and I have lessons and several years where I was self taught. I would definitely say that having lessons is better. It is possible to self-teach, but it's best to at least start with lessons so you know what you're doing. If you start being self-taught, you can end up with poor technique that will end up crippling you as you get into more advanced stages.
Q: What do you hope to do with your guitar playing or see yourself doing?
A: I would like to teach and use guitar to teach people about music. I would also like to perform in various ensembles and Celtic music. I want to serve with guitar playing, definitely use it for ministry. And also arrange music for guitar, both sacred and folk tunes. I think there's a lot of music that needs to be arranged that hasn't been because there's not a lot of people with the knowledge to do it.
