Jim J
Instruments: Piano, Guitar, Voice, Drums, Bass Guitar, Electric Guitar, Classical Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, R&B, Gospel, Funk, Spirituals, Latin Jazz, Swing, New Age, Bossa Nova, Soul
Jim J
Instruments: Piano, Guitar, Voice, Drums, Bass Guitar, Electric Guitar, Classical Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
Styles:
Classical, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Blues, Folk, R&B, Gospel, Funk, Spirituals, Latin Jazz, Swing, New Age, Bossa Nova, Soul
Where I Teach:
Ages Taught: 6-80
MM, Aaron Copland school of Music, Queens College BM, Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University
2006 - Licensed my music to three television shows. My music has appeared on over 40 programs, 2 commercials and 2 indie films. 1998 - Wrote "The Joe Pass Collection" for the Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation 1998 - Performed at Lincoln Center with Jimmy Heath, Jeb Patton, Wynton Marsalis, Lew Soloff and Mike Mossman 1993 - Performed at the Brooklyn Academy of Music with Ted Dunbar and the Rutgers Guitar Ensemble
Thank you for visiting my page. I guess music found me. On a family trip to Mexico by way of Arizona when I was eleven years old I remember guitars seemed to be everywhere. I asked my mom and dad if I could have the toy. When we got home from the trip I registered for music lessons and the guitar soon became my favorite toy. Three things happened that changed my life - after a few months my lesson was "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and I remember that if I practiced it hard enough I could get it to sound right. Shortly after that I heard the virtuoso guitar of Jimi Hendrix for the first time. The other and perhaps most important thing that happened was my first teachers were amazing, wonderful guys, Hal and then Chuck and they gave me the skills I needed to play. If you study with me I'd like to do the same for you.
My teaching experience is rather diverse. I started teaching private lessons thirty years ago and I always loved sharing what I knew with others. I've never stopped teaching private lessons, but I've also taught group lessons and music classes in private schools, I've taught adult classes and I've taught college classes at two schools in New Jersey. I like to combine fundamentals of music with showing students what I'm currently up to with the main goal of getting the student to be able to play what he or she wants to as soon as possible. I say to my students when we start we try to do things : have some fun and learn music, because if it isn't fun why bother?
I do believe in the fundamentals of music and ultimately, no matter what you hear, learning music is not re-inventing the wheel. There is technique, reading music and understanding the basics of how the particular instrument works. I like the Essential Elements for Guitar or bass for guitarists and bassists and Alfred's Piano method books. Ted Reed's Guide to Syncopation is a good drum book. Ultimately I like to get the know the student as much as I can as soon as I can so I can help them get to what they want as soon as possible with a few laughs along the way.
Every student learns at a different pace and many students learn differently. Music is an aural art form and I've found that many younger students haven't always heard a lot of music. I like to incorporate listening and appreciation in those cases. I like to encourage creativity and share ideas that show the student they can create music of their own. I like to see the student enjoy what they are doing and I like to point out their growth, especially when they feel frustrated. I don't have a one-size-fits all approach to teaching and I think my students appreciate that.
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