Bosnian guitarist Almer Imamovic is part of a new generation of progressive classical guitarists who inform their playing and teaching with influences from inside and outside classical music traditions. Like many contemporary classical artists, Imamovic understands the relevance of folk styles, jazz, flamenco, and even rock, integrating them into his arrangements and performance style. Imamovic’s musical diversity crosses many stylistic and international borders: he has performed with the London Mozart Players, the Sarajevo Philharmonic, Bosnian pop star Al’Dino; played solo jazz guitar in Paris cafes; and worked as a studio guitarist.

Imamovic’s teaching style reflects this diverse, multicultural approach. His broad range of experience has helped shape his teaching philosophy and the cultivation of open-mindedness, uniqueness, and musical expression in his students.

A DIVERSE MUSICAL UPBRINGING CREATES A DIVERSE TEACHER
Born in Foca, Bosnia, Imamovic began playing guitar at age seven, and later engaged in serious study under renowned teacher Mila Rakanovic. With Rakanovic, Imamovic received extensive instruction in the Italian tradition with a focus on musicality and artistic expression. Later, he studied at the École Normale de Musique de Paris and earned a master’s degree from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

Now living in the US, Imamovic is continuing his graduate studies at the University of Southern California under Scott Tennant, who taught him the importance of open-mindedness in becoming a complete musician. Imamovic credits Tennant and others with being part of a “new school of classical guitarists” who incorporate many different methods, in addition to classical guitar technique, to articulate their ultimate musical expression.

THE TIME DIFFERENCE
One difference between guitar pedagogy in Bosnia and in the US is the time devoted to lessons. In Bosnia, if a young person showed interest in an artistic discipline, he could enroll in a state-funded school that fostered arts education to a greater degree than schools in the US. Imamovic, who spent two or more hours of every school day studying guitar in Bosnia, wishes students in the US could devote more time to arts studies. Most Americans are accustomed to taking a single weekly music lesson. In that amount of time Imamovic finds it difficult to accomplish as much as he wants with serious students and encourages them to meet two or three times a week for a minimum of an hour. The fast pace of life in the US has moved Imamovic to caution parents of younger students against saturating their children’s schedules, since music demands a considerable amount of time spent practicing at home, not just at the lesson.

THE TEACHER AS ROLE MODEL
Many guitar teachers in Bosnia, especially before the war years in the mid-1990s, held state-funded, salaried positions at schools such as the one Imamovic attended. Imamovic points out how teachers acted as cultural role models throughout the war’s darkest days. He relates stories of how teachers continued lessons and student recitals, even during times of frequent bombing or sniper attacks. Under such conditions, Imamovic stresses the importance of art and music in keeping a community’s spirit alive.

Imamovic’s own guitar teacher, Mila Rakanovic, was once a victim of cross fire on her way to teach a lesson and sustained permanent arm damage. “Her bravery and care for her students above all was limitless and continues to inspire me now,” he says. “From her, I learned never to give up on your students.”

Imamovic once served a three-month residency in England teaching group lessons to people who had suffered serious brain trauma. As part of therapy, they could choose between two hours of art or classical guitar a day.

His residency culminated in a concert featuring patients in duo and ensemble formats—remarkable considering many had deficiencies in memory and communication skills. “I remember the joy in their eyes,” Imamovic recalls. “It was a fantastic day, and one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever been part of. I felt proud that I helped bring some happiness to them through music. As a teacher, it’s extremely important to support your students and let them know you’re always there for them.”