Tom's Guitar Show

Well-known in southeast Iowa as the witty, genial, talented, and philosophical star of a decade-long live call-in cablecast show, “Guitar Tom’s” popularity spans all ages and is especially evident on campus where he is admired for his virtuosity and sense of humor.

TOM’S GUITAR SHOW-LIVE

Repeatedly ranked as PATV’s most widely viewed program, TOM’S GUITAR SHOW-LIVE attracts a widely diverse audience who tune-in Tuesdays during the dinner hour to hear Tom's exceptional musicianship and nutty banter.

First cablecast on public access in 1990, the show began as an instructional program about guitar playing technique. During more than a decade of programming it has evolved into an interactive forum predominantly about guitars, but also—as one of PATV’s live cablecasts—a model of the participatory democratic process at the core of public access. The content of the show develops spontaneously through viewer participation usually along themes of musical requests, cultural commentary and casual conversation. Produced by a skilled and dedicated volunteer team, TOM’S GUITAR SHOW-LIVE cablecasts live Tuesdays from 6:00–7:00 PM Central.

BACKGROUND

Nothnagle is accomplished with a broad range of genres cumulatively illuminating the breadth of Western culture, Renaissance to reggae, polka to punk, rumba to rockabilly, and numerous instruments including flamenco, 10-string, 12-string, bass (electric and string), banjo and mandolin.

He pursued classical training at the San Francisco Conservatory and the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music with, and among others, Benjamin Verdery, John Hoffman, Michael Lorimer and Pierre Bensusan; although he believes the hundreds of shows performed in a wide range of clubs throughout the Midwest and beyond were the experiences that truly honed his versatility. Firmly rooted in European and Americana heritages, with a particular prowess for flamenco technique, Nothnagle continually surprises with unanticipated associations.

INFORMATION SHEET

• Over 1,000 performances in clubs, coffeehouses, concerts and conferences throughout the upper Midwest, and in California, Oregon, Boston, Manhattan and Paris

• Ten-year run as producer and star of TOM'S GUITAR SHOW-LIVE; musical score and solo performance for off-Broadway production, DARK LAUGHTER; voice-overs, scores and acting performances for numerous documentaries, commercials and public service announcements for radio and television

• Cultural and historical music demonstrations including flamenco guitar, fingerstyle banjo, Renaissance, and Baroque mandolin, and antique parlor guitar period pieces for arts festivals, corporate events and benefit concerts; musical score and accompaniment for ballet, flamenco and modern dance concerts

• Artist-in-Residence for the Iowa Arts Council 1990-present; All-Iowa Heavyweight Guitar Champion (1988); guest soloist at over fifty classical concerts throughout the central Midwest including Southeast Iowa Symphony, Eastern Iowa Classical Guitar Society, Grinnell College, Cornell College, Luther College, Coe College, Monmouth College, University of Iowa, Drake University, University of Northern Iowa, and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

• Product demonstrator for varied manufacturers including for Martin’s $35,000 “Tree of Life” guitar; founder and former owner of The Guitar Gallery; owner of an extensive personal collection including a Mattingly, Lowden and custom-built Sahlin 10-string guitar