Guitarist Candice Mowbray
Guitarist • Educator • Scholar
LESSONS & CLASSES
Private Lessons
Dr. Mowbray teaches all levels of classical guitar performance including absolute beginners. Adult beginning hobbyists as well as aspiring and professional musicians are welcome. Bring your love for music and sincere desire to learn, even if you don't have quite enough practice time :)
Regular weekly lessons as well as once-in-a-while sessions are available. Lessons can occur online via Zoom or in-person at a private studio in Hagerstown, Maryland and on the campus of Shepherd University, West Virginia. Most lessons take place in the morning or afternoon but please inquire about options.
Tuition is $80 per hour for once-in-a-while or irregularly meeting sessions. Tuition for lessons which meet each week at a regular time slot for the duration of a semester (13 weeks) are $65 per hour, $50 for 45 minutes, and $40 for 30 minutes. Payments are accepted through Zelle (preferred), Venmo or cash.
Have questions? Email cmowbraymusic @ outlook.com. An informational Zoom call may be scheduled for potential students who are haven't been referred by a friend or fellow teacher.
*In addition to classical guitar, Dr. Mowbray offers lessons in the fundamental principles of the Till Approach as applied to plucked string instruments. Visit www.tillproject.com for information about the approach.
Community Classical Guitar Ensemble
The Spring 2026 Ensemble Is Forming — and You’re Invited. Come make music in a welcoming, supportive environment where players of varying experience levels can grow together, refine their craft, and enjoy the rich beauty of classical guitar ensemble repertoire. Whether you’re a seasoned player or just rediscovering your passion for classical guitar, you are invited to join.
Let’s create something beautiful—one string at a time. 🎵
Class limit: 12 players
Meeting Time: Select Saturday mornings from late January through May, 11am to noon.
Tuition: $150 for approximately 10 meetings
Registration: Email cmowbraymusic @ outlook.com to inquire.
*For persons who live outside of the Hagerstown, Maryland area, a special Out-of-Towners Club has been created in which those players join the main ensemble for just the first rehearsal of each month. Tuition is $80 for 5 sessions.
Why Join?
✨ Play Beautiful Music — Explore pieces written and arranged for multiple guitars, from Renaissance to modern works.
✨ Build Community — Meet fellow guitarists who share your passion and enthusiasm.
✨ Improve Your Skills — Learn from a very experienced instructor and develop your ensemble skills and overall musicianship.
Who Can Join?
This an adult continuing education class. Minimum guitar skills include reading open position notes on six strings up to 2 sharps and flats. If you have any questions about skills, please contact Dr. Mowbray for information: cmowbraymusic @ outlook.com.
New to the idea of a classical guitar ensemble? Here are some examples:
Kitchener-Waterloo Guitar Orchestra plays "Joy to the World"
Special Topic Workshops
Special Topic Workshops are one-time, online sessions in which participants learn about a specific aspect of guitar playing. These themed sessions can be a great supplement to your private study.
Next Workshop: Practical Chords for Beginning Jazz
In this workshop, guitarists who have strong playing experience in other styles but are new to jazz will learn practical shell voicings for chords that can be used to accompany standard jazz tunes such as "All of Me" and "Take the A Train."
Meeting Time: TBA
To register, email cmowbraymusic @ outlook.com with the subject "ST Workshop" and a Zoom and payment link will be sent to you.
A Musician's Meditation
This guided meditation series has been created especially for artists and musicians. Sessions are offered live online the second Friday of each month at noon EST and last 30 minutes. There is no fee to participate although attendees who would like to support the offering are welcome to buy Candice a "coffee" on her Ko-fi site.
Email cmowbraymusic @ outlook dot com to join the mailing list and receive the Zoom link to join.
Courageous Crescendo: Promoting Positive Performance Experiences
This 8-week live online aims to provide a space to practice performing and supporting others, and includes presentations about performance tools, nervous system regulation, mindfulness, and artistic critique.
Class Limit: 10
Meeting Time: TBA
Tuition: $225
An informational open house is being planned for a Spring 2026 session. Join the mailing list to receive announcements.
An in-person session in Hagerstown, Maryland is being considered! Be in touch if you would be interested.
New Class Coming Soon!
Wait... When Do I Clap?
In this fun and light-hearted 5-week class for music appreciators (as opposed to players), participants will learn how to read a concert program, how to distinguish Bach from Beethoven, basic music terms and other fundamentals of classical music in an effort to deepen understanding and enhance the concert-going experience. If you have ever wondered when to clap or what exactly a concerto is or why Pachelbel had a 'canon', this is a great chance to learn and explore!
Now Forming! Please email cmowbraymusic @ outlook.com to express interest in participating.
Shepherd University Guitar Program
Dr. Mowbray will return to the lead the guitar program at the Shepherd University School of Music for the Spring 2026 semester. In addition to her undergraduate students, she will teach in-person community lessons for adults. If there is enough interest, a community ensemble may also be formed.
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To learn more about SU, please visit www.shepherd.edu/music
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To inquire about community guitar lessons, contact cmowbraymusic @ outlook.com
Guest Teaching and Adjudication
"Thank you so much for being such an integral part of our festival. Your presentation was fantastic and one of my students...said that he wants to play some of the music that you shared with us... mission accomplished! Your passion is contagious!”
–Dr. Kevin Vigil, Loudoun County Public Schools
"You were a wonderful addition to our adjudicator team. Thank you for jumping right in and making meaningful comments for our students."
–Reading Music Foundation
Dr. Mowbray has been a guest artist and adjudicator for numerous events where she has presented workshops on music fundamentals, technique, mindfulness, performance, and music history in addition to giving masterclasses, directing guitar orchestras, and offering thoughtful, positive, and constructive feedback to participants in youth and professional competitions. Organizations with whom she has been a guest include:
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Guitar Foundation of America
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Philadelphia Classical Guitar Competition
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Southern Guitar Festival and Competition
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Reading Music Foundation
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Virginia Music Educators Association
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Mid-Atlantic Guitar Ensemble Festival
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Northern Virginia Public Schools
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Washington County Public Schools
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Performing and Visual Arts Northwest (PAVAN)
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TESS Guitar Festival
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Aguado Guitar Competition
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Lonestar Guitar Festival
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Marlin-Engel Solo Competition at the Levine School of Music
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Shenandoah Conservatory Arts Academy
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Shields Music Scholarship Awards
About Dr. Candice Mowbray
Candice Mowbray (DMA Classical Guitar Performance) has been a dedicated teacher for more than 20 years and has served on the faculties of Shenandoah Conservatory, Frederick Community College, Hagerstown Community College, Mount Saint Mary's University and Shepherd University, where she taught courses in guitar, music history, music theory, and pedagogy, and directed guitar and chamber music ensembles while also enjoying a fulfilling career as a performer.
Dr. Mowbray is a perpetual learner and believes that taking classes and keeping herself in the role of student greatly influences her own teaching and understanding of the learning process. She is an advocate for musician wellbeing and is currently pursuing a pedagogical certificate from The Till Project, an approach to performance combining the laws of physical movement with the laws of the instrument itself in service of the music. She completed fifteen hours of training in trauma-informed practice for teaching artists with the Bartol Foundation, studied with Musicians Wellness of North American and Mindfulness Sussex, and is sharing ways to foster positive learning and performance experiences through use of tools such as mindfulness, meditation, and formal critique models.