NEW YORK – Guitar coach, Guitar Guide Guru founder and motivational speaker Mike David Papapavlou spoke with The National Herald about hosting virtual music events via Zoom.

He told TNH that “I’ve been busier than ever since I shifted my Guitar Coaching Business, Guitar Guide Guru, to completely virtual.”

Papapavlou continued, “I now am exclusively teaching virtually on Zoom, both 1-1 lessons, group classes, school programs and corporate classes!

“To make things easy I have rebranded the two weekly events to, Weekly Virtual Open Mic for Guitarists on Fridays, 6-7:30 PM and Weekly Virtual Open Mic for All on Sundays, 4:30-6 PM.”

When asked about the decision to host the Open Mic Series online, Papapavlou told TNH, “I decided to host this Open Mic Series during the quarantine as a way to socialize with other musicians and give them value. I wanted to find a way to help.”

He noted that “the Open Mic For Guitarists has been going on for the past 10 weeks and the Open Mic For All just started last Sunday [June 28].”

When asked about the most rewarding and most challenging aspect of hosting the virtual events, Papapavlou told TNH that “the most rewarding aspect has been seeing how much JOY music making brings to people.

“The most challenging aspect has been the amount of work it requires to consistently invite people, both the ones that have been on a few times, only once, or haven’t even heard about it.”

Papapavlou, originally from Cyprus, came to the U.S. for his studies, earning his MA in musicology at Queens College, and found his passion for teaching guitar. The testimonials alone on the Guitar Guide Guru website are a clear indication that Papapavlou along with a team of top instructors provide a valuable service for those eager to learn how to play the guitar.

More information about the Weekly Virtual Open Mic for Guitarists and Weekly Virtual Open Mic for All is available on Facebook and online: www.guitarguideguru.com.