Bob T  

5

  5.0 (25)

Instruments: Piano, Guitar, Organ, Synthesizer, Music, Keyboard, Electric Guitar
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Rock, Blues, Folk, Bossa Nova

I grew up in rural Connecticut and spent a lot of time practicing, wasn't much else to do. When I was 14 my Dad got me a paying job at a local restaurant playing organ. I started playing in bands for high school dances and parties. I narrowly escaped the daft and decided to go to Berlee College of Music, Berklee was an experience Ill never forget, total immersion in learning from the most talented people I know. When I left Berklee to study with John Mehegan I played in local blues bands but didn't work much. I heard that playing in so called society bands payed much better and the work was mor frequent. I did that for years. I played with an Elvis impersonator and got tons of work. The most lucrative thing was composing and writing radio and TV commercials for local banks and businesses, I even had a chance to arrange a jingle for Sunkist orange soda, as you probably know the Beach Boys got the job. I was sitting home minding my own business when a friend called me and asked if I was free that night. He had a job with Bo Diddly and needed a piano player. That was a real kick. After that I started a duo playing easy listening music in local restaurants. We got a lot of good paying work. I moved to Florida with my wife and started doing boat jobs on the intercoastal: New Years Eve I had to remove my Tux jacket because it was to warm. I always supplemented my income with teaching. When I got to Florida I started teaching in people's homes and built up 67 students. I played six nights a week and played in church's three days a week. I needed a vacation. We moved to the Adirondacks in upstate New York and went fishing for ten years, I did some teaching and playing there but not as much. Here I am in Florida again. I want to build up a part time teaching list. I don't play much anymore all that playing caused me to suffer from carpal tunnel issues, but I can still teach. I get along with children and have the references to prove it.

Anyone can learn to play music! I introduce the keyboard and mechanics of how an acoustic piano makes music. I show the student the musical alphabet and how that translates to written music, a line to a space is the next key up or down, skip a line or a space means you skip a key. One of the things that cause the most confusion is finding where the note is on the keyboard. I explain that middle C is the reference point, moving to the right you ascend the musical alphabet: CDEFGABC...moving to the left you descend the alphabet: CBAGFEDC...We have fun saying that backward fast. I then explain half steps and whole steps, sharps go up (to the right) one half step and flats go down one-half step. I continue this logic by explaining the formula for a major scale WW1/2 WWW1/2. I do major scales and fingering immediately clarify the students' knowledge of the keyboard. I take this knowledge and apply it to note reading: I introduce reading by distance as well as recognition. I can usually have student reading simple music in the first two lessons. I explain note values and how to count. I started drawing a picture of a boot and explaining upbeats and downbeats and segway into counting and playing eighth notes. I take the student through reading the roadmap of music: first and second endings, codas, repeat signs, key signatures, Clef signs, DSal coda. dynamics. I introduce the three parts of music: melody, harmony, rhythm. Since ive already discussed melody and counting rhythm I move unto harmony. I go back to the major scale and explain intervals and build chords on the notes of the scale in thirds. I will alter chords with them and construct some interesting chord progressions. Students' progress at different levels so I can't say where we are on the time line of learning.