Based out of Texas Tech’s School of Music, the Community Guitar Orchestra aims to explore and push the boundaries of what a guitar can do in a group setting open to all Tech students and Lubbock locals.
Jason Mullen, a guitar and music humanities lecturer, started the orchestra on campus from his past experience playing in one in high school and college. He said he thought it would be a great way to engage with both the Tech and Lubbock community while also pushing the limits of what the School of Music had to offer.
“We’re dedicated to the best music possible, but also dedicated to making it a good time where other guitarists can get together, meet each other and play and try something new if they haven’t before,” he said.
The group plays various music types, including classic, blues and tango, with the intention of resembling an actual orchestra with different instruments. Mullen said everyone has their own part to play to simulate styles such as alto, soprano, tenor and bass with their guitars.
“We have different sounds, different ways we’re trying to mimic the orchestra,” Mullen said. “Maybe sound like a bassoon in some places, and maybe sound like trumpets. It’s just a bunch of guitars getting together playing in different ranges.”
He said even though the ensemble started in October, the orchestra has seen good growth with Tech students and community members joining.
Will Herrington, a third-year performance major from Alvin, said he joined after talking with Mullen and finding out it was open to all of Lubbock and the student body.
Texas Tech student Abigail Avitia-Lopez performs a self-written song called “Not My Time” during the Guitar Studio Recital at Hemmle Recital Hall Nov. 19, 2025.
Cali Coiner
Although he has been a part of ensembles in the past, he said it was the group’s community focus that drove him to getting involved.
“I think that’s a really cool aspect of this ensemble, is that it’s involving community members,” Herrington said. “So there’s an opportunity for anybody who wants to play to be a part of it.”
After joining, however, Herrington said he began to realize how fun it can be to mimic different musical pieces and styles through a guitar. He said it’s great to see how versatile the classical guitar can be and see all the different things it can do.
He said it’s this aspect of pushing the instrument to its limits which teaches members to know their role and how they fit into the orchestra as a whole.
“There’s a lot more communication and listening that has to be done in an ensemble setting,” Herrington said. “It’s a totally different aspect of playing that I think is really interesting.”
Toni Meredith, a local guitar teacher from Lamb County, said she wanted to be part of the guitar orchestra because she thought it could be something to push her musically and be put in the position her students find themselves in when in her classroom.
A student strums the strings of an acoustic guitar during the Guitar Studio Recital at Hemmle Recital Hall Nov. 19, 2025.
Cali Coiner
“I’ve played guitar for a long time, but not in the classical style that the guitar orchestra is,” Meredith said. “When I heard about the opportunity … I honestly thought I should push myself outside my comfort zone and try to learn something new.”
Meredith participated in the Community Guitar Orchestra’s first performance on Nov. 23. She said she enjoyed seeing how students were able to perform different sounds all while using only the guitar.
“It was just really neat to see all of it put together,” Meredith said. “I really enjoyed being able to see most of the performance that the other performers put on.”
Mullen said he plans to have more performances in the spring semester and keep building the orchestra’s repertoire and community size.
He said students or locals don’t need experience to join, but knowing how to play and read music helps. He also said the School of Music can help students obtain a guitar if they don’t have one to participate with.
“If you have the interest and the desire to do it, we’ll find a part for you and get you going,” Mullen said.
Those who are interested can email Mullen to learn more about joining the orchestra or register through the School of Music website.