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Knox Guitar Box
Knox Guitar Box episodes
- Pat Corn: Playing It Forward
In this episode of Knox Guitar Box, host Andy LeGrand sits down with East Tennessee guitarist, composer, arranger, and educator Pat Corn for a wide-ranging conversation about a lifetime with the guitar.
Pat’s musical story begins in childhood, from a homemade cigar-box guitar and an early encounter with Carl Sandburg, who showed him his first guitar chord, to discovering Chet Atkins and developing a lifelong love of fingerstyle guitar. Pat shares stories from growing up around the music of Western North Carolina, performing as a young clogger, studying music, working in Nashville, playing sessions and shows, and discovering how music literacy and the ability to read a chart opened unexpected doors throughout his career.
Along the way, Pat talks about the musicians and teachers who influenced him, his experiences with Chet Atkins, Vassar Clements, Nashville recording sessions, custom guitars, alternate tunings, arranging, composing, and the instruments that have accompanied him throughout his career.
You’ll also hear Pat perform and discuss original compositions and arrangements, including By George, Last Rose of Summer, Wildwood Flower, and Autumn Leaves.
The conversation eventually comes back to what Pat continues to value most: teaching. He still works with students each week and shares his involvement with the Smoky Mountain Children’s Home Worship & Arts Academy, where music provides young people with an opportunity to create, grow, and discover something meaningful they can carry forward.
Also in this episode, Andy previews the opening concert of the 2026–2027 Knoxville Classical Guitar season, featuring Gladius on Friday, September 25, and introduces Resonance Sessions by LeGrand Music, a growing collection of online courses, live learning experiences, recorded sessions, and resources for musicians. Access to Resonance Sessions is included as a benefit of Knoxville Classical Guitar membership.
Knox Guitar Box is produced by FMX, with support from LeGrand Music and FlintMeryl Music. Proceeds from the podcast support Knoxville Classical Guitar and its work in performance, education, and community.
ASHOKAN FAREWELL by Jay Ungar
©1983 by Swinging Door Music. All rights reserved.Autumn Leaves” — Music by Joseph Kosma; French lyrics by Jacques Prévert; English lyrics by Johnny Mercer. Solo guitar arrangement and performance by Pat Corn. Used by permission.
Learn More & Connect
Knoxville Classical Guitar
https://www.knoxvilleclassicalguitar.com/Become a Knoxville Classical Guitar Member
https://www.knoxvilleclassicalguitar.com/support-kcg-become-a-memberGladius – September 25, 2026
https://www.knoxvilleclassicalguitar.com/Resonance Sessions by LeGrand Music
https://resonancesessions.legrandmusic.org/LeGrand Music
https://www.legrandmusic.org/FlintMeryl Music
https://flintmerylmusic.com/FMX
https://FMXHQ.com/Fountain City Art Center
https://www.fountaincityartcenter.com/If you enjoy Knox Guitar Box, subscribe, share the episode, and consider becoming a member of Knoxville Classical Guitar.
Until next time… play on.
59 min - Making Guitars Play Their Best: Bryan Parris
In this episode of Knox Guitar Box, host Andy LeGrand sits down with Bryan Parris, owner and luthier at Parris Guitars, to discuss the craft, technology, and personal attention behind a great-playing instrument.
Bryan shares how his home-based repair business grew into one of East Tennessee’s most trusted guitar shops. The conversation explores professional setups, fretwork, refrets, structural repairs, restoration, PLEK technology, and what musicians should know about caring for their instruments.
Andy also demonstrates “the spider,” a left-hand exercise he learned from his college instructor. The exercise helps guitarists develop finger independence, dexterity, and a stronger mental connection between finger movement and fretboard placement. A downloadable diagram is available on the Knox Guitar Box website.
Whether you’re a guitarist, music student, teacher, instrument enthusiast, or simply curious about the work that keeps guitars playing their best, this episode offers practical knowledge and a closer look at one of Knoxville’s respected musical craftspeople.
Knox Guitar Box is an FMX production with support from FlintMeryl Music and LeGrand Music.
Donate Here
https://parrisguitars.com
https://flintmerylmusic.com/pages/podcast
https://www.knoxvilleclassicalguitar.com/
https://www.legrandmusic.org/
34 min - Knoxville Guitarist Jay Manley and the Remarkable 21-String Guitar
What happens when a guitarist expands beyond six strings?
In this episode of Knox Guitar Box, host Andy LeGrand sits down with guitarist, composer, and educator Jay Manley for an engaging conversation about music, creativity, and one of the most fascinating instruments you'll ever encounter—a 21-string guitar.
Jay shares the story behind this remarkable instrument, demonstrates how it works, and discusses how the additional strings have influenced his playing, arranging, and composing. Along the way, you'll hear live performances and gain insight into the unique sound world the instrument creates.
The conversation also explores Jay's musical journey, his experiences teaching music in China, his work as an instructor at LeGrand Music Studios, his performances with the Knoxville Classical Guitar Ensemble, and the many projects that continue to shape his career as a performer and educator.
In addition to the interview, Andy highlights:
The FlintMeryl ONE Flex—an affordable 7/8-size nylon-string guitar designed for students and developing musicians.
FMX, a resource for music educators, studios, retail stores, and arts organizations seeking business consulting, retail partnerships, branding, marketing, podcast production, and music education solutions.
The Fountain City Art Center, home of Knox Guitar Box, featuring the current Jerry's Artarama Staff Exhibition.
The upcoming season of Knoxville Classical Guitar, including internationally acclaimed artists, concerts, and educational programs.
Whether you're a classical guitarist, fingerstyle enthusiast, music educator, or simply someone who appreciates great conversations about guitars and music, this episode has something for you.
About Knox Guitar Box
Knox Guitar Box is an FMX production, created with the support of FlintMeryl Music and LeGrand Music Studios, and produced to benefit Knoxville Classical Guitar.
Our mission is to celebrate the people, instruments, organizations, and stories that enrich the worlds of classical, fingerstyle, acoustic, and contemporary guitar while encouraging listeners to support their local guitar communities.
If you enjoy the podcast, please subscribe, leave a review, and consider supporting your local guitar society or arts organization.
Until next time... play on.
51 min - Knoxville Guitarist Jay Manley and the Remarkable 21-String Guitar
What happens when a guitarist expands beyond six strings?
In this episode of Knox Guitar Box, host Andy LeGrand sits down with guitarist, composer, and educator Jay Manley for an engaging conversation about music, creativity, and one of the most fascinating instruments you'll ever encounter—a 21-string guitar.
Jay shares the story behind this remarkable instrument, demonstrates how it works, and discusses how the additional strings have influenced his playing, arranging, and composing. Along the way, you'll hear live performances and gain insight into the unique sound world the instrument creates.
The conversation also explores Jay's musical journey, his experiences teaching music in China, his work as an instructor at LeGrand Music Studios, his performances with the Knoxville Classical Guitar Ensemble, and the many projects that continue to shape his career as a performer and educator.
In addition to the interview, Andy highlights:
The FlintMeryl ONE Flex—an affordable 7/8-size nylon-string guitar designed for students and developing musicians.
FMX, a resource for music educators, studios, retail stores, and arts organizations seeking business consulting, retail partnerships, branding, marketing, podcast production, and music education solutions.
The Fountain City Art Center, home of Knox Guitar Box, featuring the current Jerry's Artarama Staff Exhibition.
The upcoming season of Knoxville Classical Guitar, including internationally acclaimed artists, concerts, and educational programs.
Whether you're a classical guitarist, fingerstyle enthusiast, music educator, or simply someone who appreciates great conversations about guitars and music, this episode has something for you.
About Knox Guitar Box
Knox Guitar Box is an FMX production, created with the support of FlintMeryl Music and LeGrand Music Studios, and produced to benefit Knoxville Classical Guitar.
Our mission is to celebrate the people, instruments, organizations, and stories that enrich the worlds of classical, fingerstyle, acoustic, and contemporary guitar while encouraging listeners to support their local guitar communities.
If you enjoy the podcast, please subscribe, leave a review, and consider supporting your local guitar society or arts organization.
Until next time... play on.
51 min - Welcome Back to Knox Guitar Box!
Welcome back to Knox Guitar Box!
In this special relaunch episode, host Andy LeGrand reintroduces Knox Guitar Box and shares what's in store for an exciting new season.
Originally launched during the COVID pandemic to keep the guitar community connected, the podcast returns with a fresh audio and video format featuring conversations with local, regional, and internationally acclaimed guitarists. This season includes interviews with artists from Knoxville Classical Guitar's Main Concert Seriesand Artist Circle Series, along with educators, composers, fingerstyle artists, guitar builders, and other inspiring voices from the guitar world.
Produced by FMX and recorded at the Fountain City Art Center in Knoxville, Tennessee, Knox Guitar Box is proudly sponsored by FlintMeryl Music and LeGrand Music Studios. Any proceeds generated by the podcast help support the mission of Knoxville Classical Guitar, bringing world-class performances, education, and outreach to East Tennessee.
Whether you're a guitarist, student, educator, or simply a lover of great music, this is your invitation to join the conversation.
If you enjoy what we're doing, we'd certainly appreciate your support. You can learn more about how just $10 a month helps strengthen the guitar community, expand music education, and bring world-class performances to East Tennessee by visiting KnoxvilleClassicalGuitar.com.
To learn more about concerts, memberships, and upcoming events, visit KnoxvilleClassicalGuitar.com.
Welcome back to Knox Guitar Box!
4 min - ResonanceSeason 1 episodes were recorded in 2020 and 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic. Live music had come to a halt. Knoxville Classical Guitar created a podcast, Knox Guitar Box, to move through the challenging times. These interviews were conducted for educational and entertainment purposes.4 min
- A Conversation with Jess KerberSeason 1 episodes were recorded in 2020 and 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic. Live music had come to a halt. Knoxville Classical Guitar created a podcast, Knox Guitar Box, to move through the challenging times. These interviews were conducted for educational and entertainment purposes.34 min
- ResonanceA guitar instructor once said to me, "Each time you strike the string, you place something into this Universe. The things you create in life resonate somewhere and perhaps with someone eventually. So, I encourage you to keep your intentions pure and efforts at the highest level because Resonance - resound and echo - will return to you."
Resonance: Most often, when I hear the word, I consider sound, echoes, reverberations. When I tune my Navarro Guitar, the resonances that occur in the instrument's woods help me know when it is in or out of tune - a simple but beautiful moment. But Resonance is more than sound. Emotional Resonance occurs when someone feels another's pain or joy. Social Resonance is something that we often strive for in relationships with one another. Simply put, Resonance is the quality of being "resonant," which can mean "strong and deep in tone" or "having a lasting effect."
We all know 2020 and 2021 have been challenging years for individuals and organizations. These years will have a "lasting effect" in so many areas of life. And as I look back over this year, I am grateful for the presence of opportunities to more closely understand elements in my life and myself and how they resonate with one another.
This past year a resonance shifted. We've missed live music and the creativity that flows from artists when interacting and sharing with an audience. We've missed the "striking of the stings" while playing with and for others. We've missed seeing the faces of those in my community who enjoy watching and listening as musical artists perform. And with the lack of these things, Resonance shifted.
We are grateful. Knoxville Classical Guitar was able to present four concerts during this past concert season. We are thankful we have been able to continue providing music education to youth in the Knoxville Area. We appreciate the opportunity to create and maintain this podcast and share conversations and music with you.
At Knoxville Classical Guitar, we want to continue creating, educating, sharing conversations, and presenting music to serve you and our community. We've planned for an entire in-person concert season next year, we've arranged workshops and masterclasses with world-class artists, and we have plans to expand our youth and adult guitar ensemble programs. We desire to increase the amplitude of the things we do in our community. We want to build a resonance that will benefit those in our path.
We cannot do this without support from our community. We cannot do this without you. Whether you are listening to this episode abroad or in Knoxville, Tennesee, please consider a donation to Knoxville Classical Guitar today.
"The things you create in life resonate somewhere and perhaps with someone... Resonance - resound and echo - will return to you."
You can donate today online or by post with the information found on our website at KnoxvilleClassicalGuitar.com. If you'd like to mail a check, please send it to Knoxville Classical Guitar 213 Hotel Road, Knoxville, TN 37918.
https://donorbox.org/support-the-knoxville-classical-guitar-society4 min - A Conversation with Jess KerberListen to Andy talk with singer-songwriter Jess Kerber about her time a Berklee College of Music, song-writing, life, and more. Her songs "Lost in October," "Annabelle's Room," and "Carolina Girl" are shared in this episode! This episode also features Knoxville's own Ben Kreider's "The Marionette."34 min
- A Conversation with Ana VidovicSeason 1 episodes were recorded in 2020 and 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic. Live music had come to a halt. Knoxville Classical Guitar created a podcast, Knox Guitar Box, to move through the challenging times. These interviews were conducted for educational and entertainment purposes.28 min
About Knox Guitar Box
From the publisher's feed
Knox Guitar Box is a podcast dedicated to the people, stories, and music of the guitar world.
Hosted by Andy LeGrand, each episode features engaging conversations…
with local, regional, and internationally acclaimed guitarists, composers, educators, fingerstyle artists, guitar builders, and other creative voices who are shaping the future of the instrument. Together, we explore their music, creative process, careers, performances, compositions, and the experiences that have inspired their journey.
Produced by FMX and recorded at the beautiful Fountain City Art Center in Knoxville, Tennessee, Knox Guitar Box celebrates the rich and diverse guitar community while highlighting concerts, festivals, educational opportunities, and artists from East Tennessee and around the world.
The podcast is proudly sponsored by FlintMeryl Music and LeGrand Music Studios, with any proceeds benefiting Knoxville Classical Guitar, helping bring world-class performances, education, and outreach to our community.
Whether you're a guitarist, a music educator, a student, or simply someone who appreciates great music and meaningful conversation, Knox Guitar Box invites you to open the guitar case and discover the stories behind the music.
Please consider supporting Knoxville Classical Guitars mission. Learn more about what just $10 per month can do for guitar education, composition, community and more at www.KnoxvilleClassicalGuitar.com.
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