Addison Trail Music Department featured in fall 2025 ‘Illinois Music Educator’ magazine for strong guitar program

The Addison Trail Music Department was recently featured in the fall 2025 “Illinois Music Educator” magazine for its strong guitar program.

In the article, Guido Alejandro Sanchez Portuguez, Assistant Professor of Music at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, discusses enrollment concerns in guitar classes at the middle and high school levels. He examines the challenges and barriers that have led to the current state of guitar education in Illinois secondary schools and its impact on higher education guitar programs. These include a lack of qualified instructors, limited resources and funding, an absence of standardized curricula and more.

Sanchez Portuguez also highlights schools that have implemented successful models, including Addison Trail.

“Addison Trail High School has encouraged music participation through full-year guitar courses by providing school-owned nylon string classical guitars and harnessing technology like SmartMusic for practice and assessment,” Sanchez Portuguez said in the article. “… the success of schools like … Addison Trail … demonstrate that meaningful change is possible. If we prioritize teacher training, standardize curricula, integrate technology, and foster collaboration between secondary schools and higher education institutions, we can create a sustainable pipeline for aspiring guitarists.”

To read the full article, go to https://www.dupage88.net/site/public/files/?item=7784.