Keith Urban Opens Free Guitar Academy in Nashville
Keith Urban has opened a free guitar academy in Nashville aimed at providing music education to young people who might not otherwise have access to formal instruction. The Keith Urban Guitar Academy, located in a renovated warehouse in East Nashville, offers classes in acoustic and electric guitar, songwriting fundamentals, and music theory to students between the ages of twelve and eighteen.
Urban, a four-time Grammy Award winner known for his exceptional guitar skills, said the academy grew out of his own experience learning to play as a young person in Australia. He recalled how access to patient teachers and quality instruments shaped his development and eventually led him to Nashville, where he became one of country music's biggest international stars. The academy provides instruments to students who do not have their own.
The program is staffed by professional musicians and educators, several of whom have toured or recorded with major Nashville artists. Classes are offered after school and on weekends, with scholarships covering all costs for enrolled students. Urban said he plans to be personally involved, visiting the academy regularly to mentor students and participate in workshops. The inaugural class includes forty students from across the Nashville metropolitan area.
Funding for the academy comes from Urban's personal foundation, corporate sponsorships from guitar manufacturers, and donations from the Nashville music community. The academy also features a small recording studio where advanced students can learn the basics of audio production. Urban expressed hope that the program will expand to other cities in the future, building a network of free music education centers connected by a shared mission.