Meet Dave Isaacs | musician, teacher, and writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dave Isaacs and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dave, what role has risk played in your life or career?
My father was against my pursuing a career in music because he thought it was too risky, and I would not be able to support myself. Thankfully, we were able to reconcile that before he passed in 1999. He came to recognize, as I already had, that music was a mission and a calling, and to ignore that is another kind of risk.

Risk has pushed me to work harder, to be creative in solving problems, to be aggressive in pursuing opportunity., and that sometimes a leap of faith is exactly the right thing even when you can’t see where you’re going to land. One of my business mentors used to say, jump and build your wings on the way down, and I’ve tried to live that.

Ironically, there are many other aspects of my life where I am highly risk-averse. But to risk taking my life down a path that took me away from something I do as naturally as breathing….and need just as much….that’s a risk I couldn’t take.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I am most proud of the fact that I’ve established a business and a brand in possibly the most competitive place in the world to do what I do. Nashville Guitar Guru is now a known local brand as well as a title I’ve earned for myself over the past fifteen years, and that’s a very proud accomplishment.

My approach is different in that over forth years of teaching I’ve continued to look for ways to be more practical and more effective. As a formally schooled musician I know the importance of vocabulary and skills. As a creative artist I understand the immediacy and urgency of wanting to be able to use what I learn. I have come to observe that too many people see this as a divide that one has to choose a side of, but I disagree.

Focused, deliberate study builds vocabulary and broad skills. Exploration and experimentation develop flow, creativity, and confidence, while cultivating the joy of discovery and accomplishment. My goal as a teacher is to bring those two approaches together in an accessible, effective, and well-balanced program.

One of my students said in a testimonial that “other teachers teach you to play songs, Dave teaches you to play guitar”. I love that, and think it’s one of the finest compliments I ever got.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Nashville is famous for the downtown honky-tonk strip, and everyone ought to see it for the pure spectacle. People-watching on Lower Broadway is an adventure in itself, but after running the gauntlet of bachelorettes and woo girls you’ll be ready for a drink/ So we’ll slip into Robert’s Western World, the only bar on Broadway where you can be sure to hear bona-fide honky-tonk music in a Nashville honky tonk. I have seen some of the most incredible guitar playing I’ve ever witnessed on that little stage, and you never know who might walk in.

It’s become a foodie town, which I suppose some people love….but I still love good ol’ Southern staples, and for that we’d head up to Puckett’s Downtown for a real Tennessee supper. I recommend the BBQ myself….

It’s a short walk from there to Printers Alley, where you can take in blues at Bourbon Street, jazz at Skulls, or rising country and rock artists at Alley Taps. It’s a cool little pocket of history too, and easy to miss if you only stay close to Broadway.

Everyone’s heard of the famous Bluebird Cafe, thanks to the show Nashville. Ever since it was regularly featured, it sells out every show and there are always lines out the door. It’s a great listening room, to be sure. But there are songwriter nights all over town, and while it’s a great experience to hear a hit sung by the writer, it’s truly amazing to see an unknown stop a room dead with a song and performance that is undeniably great. The humble Commodore Grille inside the Holiday Inn on West End has seen nights like this for over 20 years, with songwriter performances 7 nights a week.

For the capper, head across the street to find the Springwater Supper Club tucked behind a McDonalds. Don’t let the name fool you, Springwater is as divey a dive as you’ll find anywhere, the oldest continuously operating bar in TN with a cash bar serving cans, a hot dog cart in a back room, and a long history as a multi-genre music venue. You might take in a metal show, or some cool indie singer-songwriters….just be sure to let the blind dog sniff you before you try to pet him!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many, in fact I wrote my book “The Perpetual Beginner: a musician’s path to lifelong learning” to tell some of those stories. But I have to give a shoutout to jazz cellist and teacher David Darling. His Music For People workshops introduced an approach to improvisation that opened my eyes and changed my playing forever. Now almost 40 years later, I use these ideas every time I pick up a guitar.

Most essential to me – and most impactful – was the idea of “one quality sound”. In other words….make a pleasing aound, then another, then another. So improvising becomes a series of choices, an exploration in search of the lost chord.

Website: https://www.nashvilleguitarguru.com

Instagram: instagram.com/nashvilleguitarguru

Facebook: facebook.com/nashvilleguitarguru

Youtube: youtube.com/nashvilleguitarguru

Other: Online courses from TrueFire and Jamplay: https://www.nashvilleguitarguru.com/online-courses/

Image Credits
Andy Ellis, Barbara Potter, Lyn Stevens