When Jim McCutcheon goes on vacation, he鈥檒l most likely bring his guitar along. Not simply as entertainment for when there鈥檚 downtime, but because it鈥檚 an extension of who he is. Jim鈥檚 been a musical fixture in Dayton since 1978 -- he teaches guitar classes to people of all ages, he鈥檚 released two children鈥檚 albums, and has several awards to his name. On May 17th he鈥檚 adding another one -- the Governor's Award in the Arts for arts education. Culture Couch producer George Drake, Jr. spent time with him to find out what keeps him going.
Jim McCutcheon is known locally as the guitar man. Each week he teaches guitar at three colleges, educates hundreds of kids about different types of guitars at numerous school systems in southwest Ohio each month, holds private lessons at his own educational facility McCutcheon Music, and even hosts a local radio show on Dayton Public Radio. He says for him, a 40-hour work week is light.
鈥淥ne of the reasons I can do this is that there鈥檚 a lot of variety in what I teach. I鈥檒l teach everything from Bach and the classical guitar repertoire, to some jazz accompaniments for kids in high school, to little kids classes of kids who are, like, 5 to 8 or 9 years old. Teaching them 鈥楬ot Crossed Buns鈥� or 鈥楾winkle Twinkle.鈥欌��
Jim started playing when he was 11. As he entered high school, he made a deal with his parents that they would keep paying for lessons if he practiced an hour every day.
鈥淚 could quit whenever I wanted," he says. "And I quit often because I had other things I was doing like tennis team, when tennis team was in... I couldn鈥檛 have that hour a day. And i was working pretty hard on my studies.鈥�
He kept playing through his time studying Physics at the University of Dayton. But he had a decision to make after graduation: Go to medical school or sign his band with an agent and go on the road.
鈥淗ow often does that happen? Well, the medical school gave me a two-year window, and what they said was, 鈥榃hen you decide what you want to be when you grow up, you can come to my school.鈥� And I guess I never grew up because I got more energy out of it than I put into it. And I figured that is something to listen to.鈥�
That鈥檚 when he started down the path to becoming the guitar man. He came back to Dayton and got a music degree at Wright State, 鈥淎nd then they hired me. And UD hired me. Antioch hired me. Sinclair hired me. And it was just like, 鈥極kay, I鈥檝e put together all these part time jobs, and I can make a living.鈥欌��
Jim鈥檚 roots in the community run deep. Each year he has a float in Centerville鈥檚 4th of July parade, he鈥檚 been hosting his radio show on a volunteer basis for over 30 years, and he鈥檚 played for people in retirement homes around the area. But more importantly, he鈥檚 building a community of his own.
鈥淧eople are valuing the arts highly, I think," says Jim. "And realizing how important it is, say, for the development of the children. Also for opportunities to interact with their children. I have one 7-year-old whose mother and grandmother are taking guitar lessons along with her. It鈥檚 a family thing.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檝e actually done a recital with all three of us. [Laughs] My mom, and me, and Sonya. Three generations," says Amy Wert. Her daughter, Sonya, is Jim鈥檚 student. 鈥淪o that was all because of Jim鈥檚 encouragement. He鈥檚 so good at what he does, but he makes you feel, like, accepted and welcome at any level that you are playing.鈥�
In a time when arts funding is in question, he uses this analogy to explain how important it is: If you consider a car -- the design, the shape, the sound system -- everything has an artist鈥檚 touch. Art is all around us, he says you just need to be open to it.
鈥淎nother thing that people don鈥檛 realize sometimes is that the arts make us more human. And these are things that bind us together, and the world needs more of that,鈥� says Jim.
Although Jim is known locally as the Guitar Man, the lessons he teaches the community are much bigger. All you have to do is take the guitar away.
鈥淚 want to present someone who鈥檚 doing what they really enjoy and having a good time doing it, learning more about it, doing it better, working at it, doing it better, and just continually developing their skills along with their enjoyment of their craft.鈥�
He admits that he鈥檚 at an age when many people he knows are retiring. But he says he鈥檚 having too much fun to put down his guitar.
鈥淚 feel like I鈥檝e really hit my stride. I think I know what I鈥檓 doing. Finally!鈥�
Copyright 2021 WYSO. To see more, visit . 9(MDA5NTM4MTIyMDE0MTg3NDc2MTVlZjdmNQ001))
