Cary Guitar Lessons

03/26/2026

CGL co-owner/instructor Mike Krause coincidentally (or not..? 🌬️🧘‍♂️🏔️🇮🇳) just recently got back from a two week trip through the state of Tamil Nadu in India. Great story and connection to that very same place and its literary traditions right here in the Triangle!

"'Feel the Spark': Apex music producer says he's shocked his music video went viral

The “Feel the Spark” music video, produced by Apex resident Raleigh Rajan, was viewed more than 4 million times on YouTube in less than 10 days. Rajan said most of the views come from Europe, the United States, South Korea and India.

By Ashley Rowe, WRAL anchor/reporter

An Apex-based composer and music producer says he is shocked to see the viral popularity of his latest song, “Feel the Spark.”

“We were shocked, we don’t know why, what’s happening,” said Raleigh Rajan, who produced the song for the Livingtamillitfest, a Tamil literature festival scheduled for April 3-4 in New York City.

The “Feel the Spark” music video was viewed more than 4 million times on YouTube in less than 10 days. Rajan said most of the views come from Europe, the United States, South Korea and India.

“It has somehow, somewhere a global appeal,” said Rajan.

The pop tune is a sort of love letter to literature, one of Rajan’s great passions. Much of his music incorporates famous literary prose, including one of his earliest hits, “Love is Not,” which uses classic quotes from Mark Twain. That song was included in the Indian film 4 Seasons in 2025.

“Feel the Spark” aims to celebrate the achievement and impact of Tamil modern literature. Rajan says he reached out to festival organizers with the idea of creating a song to promote the event, which started the journey of producing it.

“I am taking some of the great work, some of the great names in literature to the world. So from that perspective, I feel I’m lucky,” Rajan said. “I’m able to do something to take it forward, take it to a wider audience."

The vocals of the song come from North Carolina-based Ciera Dumas, who was a contestant on “The Voice” in 2019. Rajan says he often uses North Carolina-based artists in his music, often string musicians with the Durham Symphony Orchestra, Inc. and North Carolina Symphony.

Rajan hopes his big hit “Feel the Spark” will open the door for more people to learn about Tamil modern literature – and literary greats.”

The “Feel the Spark” music video, produced by Apex resident Raleigh Rajan, was viewed more than 4 million times on YouTube in less than 10 days. Rajan said most of the views come from Europe, the United States, South Korea and India.

03/18/2026

A feature from Raleigh’s Walter WALTER Magazine on local businesses that included Cary Guitar Lessons! There are some minor errors; incorrect dates, mis-credited credits (as outlined on his website Mike Krause has done session work with the wonderful original bassist of Ben Folds Five, Robert Sledge, but has never played on their records), Blair Linthicum actually teaches all ages, not only kids, etc but, as the saying goes, any press is good press! :) Enjoy! 🙏🎼🎶🎸

https://waltermagazine.com/community/people/hitting-its-stride/

Hitting its stride by Jessie Ammons

illustrations by Emily Brooks

“Consider Cary. “Everybody thinks there’s Raleigh and then all the other towns and cities outside of it. That’s really not the case,” says the town’s downtown manager, Ted Boyd. “Cary has exponentially grown.” According to the latest statistics, he’s right: The town’s population is three-and-a-half times larger than it was 25 years ago and has grown 13 percent in the past five years alone, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

With its growth have come various “best of” accolades, many in the same vein as the Oak City’s – best place to live, number one city to get a job, top place for technology jobs. But growth and top rankings aside, Cary’s many planned suburban developments and its proximity to RTP and downtown Raleigh have long given the town the reputation as a bedroom community, a suburban traffic jam. “I thought Cary was a place to get lost,” admits Alisa Huffman, president of the Heart of Cary Association. A self-proclaimed former “Raleigh snob,” Huffman moved to Cary in 2000. To her delight, the move was a breath of fresh air. “People here are friendly and welcoming, through and through. It really is a small town.” Finally, the small town’s downtown is catching up with its growth, rising to meet the expectations of its true believers and newest fans. Chatham and South Academy Streets are in the midst of major revitalization efforts that combine the restoration of historic buildings and the construction of trendy new haunts. Here are a few highlights.

Familiar tune

Across the street from Pharmacy and The Cary is an unassuming shopping center where, if you look closely, humble signage indicates the location of Cary Guitar Lessons. It has no need to be obvious. “Our schedule has been full ever since we opened,” says Cary Guitar Lessons teacher and co-owner Mike Krause. He founded the school with business partner Blair Linthicum in 2011. The two met teaching at a now-defunct nearby instruction center and decided to strike out on their own, but both men say the positive reception has been continually humbling. “There’s no better compliment than to have our name passed along to another person, which is where a majority of our business comes from,” co-owner Linthicum says.

What sets Cary Guitar Lessons apart is a comprehensive approach. “We merge an enormous amount of practical real world experience with an academic background,” Krause says. He went to Berklee College of Music in Boston before embarking on a solo guitar career, including playing on the albums of North Carolinians Tift Merritt and Ben Folds Five. Linthicum is a lifetime musician who began playing at age 10 and today divides his time between teaching and directing contemporary youth worship at Edenton Street United Methodist Church in downtown Raleigh. His Cary students are mainly children, and Krause’s are mainly teenagers and adults.

From their Chatham Street vantage point, Krause and Linthicum have seen downtown change enormously in the past 16 years. Students used to drive in for their lesson and leave: Now, they meet friends afterward to hang out. They’re excited to plug into The Cary Theater's open-mic nights and live performance programming, and they’ll continue to welcome hopeful musicians. “We’re going to keep on keeping on,” Krause says. “There’s a thriving situation in Cary, and this teaching gig is totally great. We love it.””

by Jessie Ammons illustrations by Emily Brooks Consider Cary. “Everybody thinks there’s Raleigh and then all the other towns and cities outside of it. That’s really not the case,” says the town’s downtown manager, Ted Boyd. “Cary has exponentially grown.” According to...

03/02/2026

Hi all, just an FYI that (after 26 years; workin' on that curve 😄) Cary Guitar Lessons (Mike Krause & Blair Linthicum) finally made an 'official' Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/caryguitarlessons/. We're going to be promoting anything and everything guitar/bass related, special area shows and just generally musically superior stuff on it. We'd really appreciate your heading over there and following us! 🙏🎼🎶🎸

03/02/2026

Spring is starting to spring and we're enjoying welcoming new students to the fold! The first feature on the studio (from 11 years ago (!)) by the Cary News branch of The News & Observer. 👍🎼🎶🎸🌻

https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/community/cary-news/article19338210.html

Cary Guitar Lessons instructors see payoff with student success By Cindy Schaefer Correspondent
Updated April 27, 2015

Photo: Blair Linthicum, left, and Mike Krause operate separate businesses under the banner of Cary Guitar Lessons. Their studio is on East Chatham Street in downtown Cary.

"The payoff for guitar instructors Mike Krause and Blair Linthicum is when they see their students advance to a larger stage. “Nothing is more pleasing to me than to teach this material and then see them do something with it,” Linthicum said.

Krause and Linthicum, who have known each other for 20 years, operate Cary Guitar Lessons. They had been working at a space at a local shop until three years ago. When that business closed, they decided to join forces and operate under the same name. Each has his own space and clients in the one-time motel on East Chatham Street in downtown Cary, but they are quick to say the setup is mutually beneficial. “He is the first one I refer students to, and vice versa,” Linthicum said. Adds Krause, “You have to work with people you trust, and we trust each other.”

Both men are seasoned musicians and are well-known on the Triangle music scene. Krause, 51, studied at Boston’s famed Berklee College of Music and is in Crush, a cover band that performs regularly at local venues. His students tend to be adults, though he teaches all ages. His oldest student was 92.

Linthicum, 41, is also a professional on guitar and vocals. He directs the contemporary youth worship at Edenton Street United Methodist Church in Raleigh. “Blair has played with heavy-hitters, but never talks about it,” Krause said. “He has played with the bass player for Sheryl Crow.” Linthicum specializes in teaching children and teens, but also has adult students. “My youngest student is 3 years old,” he said.

Cary Guitar Lessons serves a healthy mix of beginners and those with a musical background. Their approach varies with each student. “We custom tailor our program according to people’s interest,” Krause said. Students often stay on for five to 10 years and more.

“We are teachers and performers,” he said. “Our game doesn’t stop when we go home. We’re still learning, and they are, too. “Every person’s perception is different,” he said. “So we have to hit them with four or five approaches until the light bulb goes off. That’s learned by teaching over time.”

Corporate professionals often schedule lessons on their lunch breaks as a stress reliever. Krause said they know when those students have passed the acid test. “They come in and say, ‘My wife says I’m improving.’” Krause said.

The range of material is diverse, from Brad Paisley instrumental solos to classical and jazz. “I get kids who want to join the jazz band at school,” Linthicum said. “I’m a vocalist, and I can work with teens who want to sing and play at the same time.” Both instructors say they make it a point to go see their students play outside of their lessons. “I’ve seen quite a few jazz band performances in the mall at Christmas,” Linthicum said.

Seeing their students progress serves as affirmation of their success, Krause said. “We want to give to our students what we believe in ourselves," he said. “As musicians, you should never get comfortable. You should constantly try to better yourself. I couldn’t keep it fresh if I wasn’t excited about it every day.”

About Cary Guitar Lessons
LOCATION: 139 E. Chatham St., Cary
CONTACT: 919-949-5134, [email protected] (Mike Krause); 919-815-9457, [email protected] (Blair Linthicum)
ONLINE: www.caryguitarlessons.com
HOURS: 3 p.m.-8 p.m., Monday through Friday; by appointment

Read more at:

https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/community/cary-news/article19338210.html =cpy

11/20/2025

At the studio we always talk about how music is simply another language. Lots of parallels here to get on board with!

“Speaking several languages continuously exercises multiple systems. It forces you to manage attention, inhibit interference, and switch between linguistic rules, all of which strengthen the networks that tend to weaken with age.”

An enormous analysis of data from a broad array of participants found an association between multilingualism and cognitive aging

11/02/2025

In from CGL co-owner/instructor Mike Krause; hope to see some of you there!:

"We had a blast at the 'Psychedelic Sunday' we did in August (https://www.instagram.com/reel/DM6RuK8PHac/) and looking forward to 'reduxing' tonight from 6-8pm! This shindig is fantastic shot in the arm for the local scene thanks to the Berkeley Cafe & Eye Level Events! 🎼🎶🎸🥁🎸🌬🌊🐠🏄🏽‍♂️☀️🌈🏝

10/13/2025

From CGL co-owner/instructor Mike Krause: "No. 5 in the “What kind of guitar playing do ~you~ like?” series instigated by my students at the studio (Cary Guitar Lessons & online); The Official Albert Lee’s blistering break on the Rosanne Cash number ‘My Baby Thinks He’s A Train’. This was the first solo I heard that that knocked me out per wanting to get into the country/Tele stuff. As much as the technical aspect of guitar playing has elevated in recent years with the advent of Youtube, no one ~thinks~ like Albert; he’ll always inhabit his own rarified sphere."

10/09/2025

The great Wynton Marsalis explicating in depth on the journey of the dedicated musician, with observations and insights that include elements that extend into all the arts. 🎯🏆🎼🎶🎺🎸

Wynton On Give & Take of Jazz & Paying Dues. ❤️❤️❤️❤️SUBSCRIBE: If you like this video, let me know by subscribing to this OLD School channel; WE ARE AT 7388...

09/29/2025

From CGL co-owner/instructor Mike Krause: Pink Cadillac: "No. 4 in the “What kind of guitar playing do ~you~ like?” series instigated by my students at the studio (Cary Guitar Lessons & online), a stellar, seamless lead break by inimitable country jazz virtuoso Jimmy Bryant. ‘Pink Cadillac’ was the A-side of the 1956 single release “Some Like It Hot" (featured last week with its crazy opening run) by rockabilly singer Sammy Masters on 4 Star Records. Masters was also a songwriter and his tune "Who Can I Count On?" was covered by Willie Nelson and released as the B-side on Nelson's original recording of "Crazy”. Jimmy Bryant only did about five or six tracks at these sessions and his exemplary work on these sides is tossed off like it was nothing (for him anyway..). One more from this series of recording dates in the pipeline…"

09/23/2025

From CGL co-owner/instructor Mike Krause: "Just finished up some backfill prep on an all time favorite, the John Knowles arrangement of the Chet Atkins recording of Scott Joplin's classic 'The Entertainer'. This is for my seventh grade student Olivia who's been simply crushing multiple genres; classical, fingerstyle, rock, etc. Go Olivia! 🧑🏻‍🎓👍🎼🎶🎸