This is why I Teach.
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Walter,
I attended berklee '94-'98 and you were my ear training 3 & 4 teacher. I'm a drummer, but I can pick out chords better than most of my guitarist buddies. In fact, for the past 2 years I've been doing local arrangements for big bands for the Houston Junior League. Your ear training class and Scott McCormick's Harmony were TOTALLY influential. I've been so proud to see your career grow over the years! Whenever I'm in a record store w/ my friends I always point to your albums and say"That Guy was my teacher and he's SUPER BAD!"
Thanks to myspace, I can finally thank you for helping me earn a living all these years. If you ever need a drummer, shoot me a message!
sincerely,
Travis "Tman" Foster
Mr. Beasley,
You are such an inspiration. THANK YOU! After reading Performance
Insight for Musicians my confidence, poise and outlook has improved
tremendously. You
gave the example of bringing a tune to live by feeling it ? if you are
playing My One and Only Love, you should be singing through your
instrument about your one and only love.?
I played that tune but after reading PIM I looked up the lyrics to the
tune, now the playing sounds real full, deep and meaningful, (as I think
about my mom who passed away when I was 20 over 18 years ago) Thank you
for such precious gift.
Also, I don?t understand or see how accomplished successful touring and
recording musicians are able to maintain a meaningful relationship and
be true to the many demands of the business and the time required
improving the craft.
You mentioned this and it has helped me to? "sacrifice" for the bigger
picture and to be honest up front about the unique life I have decided
to create for myself and / or wait for the right person taht can support
and handle the challenges and still be there.
Finally I was impressed to hear you perform jazz standards (somewhere on
the web) knowing of you as a smooth jazz performer. I experienced
something totally awesome, I performed with a smooth jazz group a week
ago and it was fairly easy for me to transition, using phrases and
improvise
styles that fit, yet the smooth jazz players that rarely or never played
and/ or had no knowledge of for example Blue Monk, or Don?t Get Around
Much Anymore seem to have difficulty playing bebop standards.
Was or is this just in my head? Or is there something to the way smooth
jazz players approach smooth jazz tunes verses straight-ahead tunes?
(Oh, I?m still chipping away at the Hip-Hop Improv DVD as I have time)
Thanks for sharing the wealth of knowledge and experience to help those
of us that, like many are self taught or could not attend college for
music.
You are truly a blessing!
Sammie Roberts
www.SammieRoberts.com
I commend you on your stated goal of sharing your knowledge and invaluable experience with others. Best wishes for your continued success in all your endeavors.
"Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life." ~ Ludwig van Beethoven
"... Just as Jesus created wine from water, we humans are capable on transmuting emotion into music..." ~ Carlos Santana
I attended berklee '94-'98 and you were my ear training 3 & 4 teacher. I'm a drummer, but I can pick out chords better than most of my guitarist buddies. In fact, for the past 2 years I've been doing local arrangements for big bands for the Houston Junior League. Your ear training class and Scott McCormick's Harmony were TOTALLY influential. I've been so proud to see your career grow over the years! Whenever I'm in a record store w/ my friends I always point to your albums and say"That Guy was my teacher and he's SUPER BAD!"
Thanks to myspace, I can finally thank you for helping me earn a living all these years. If you ever need a drummer, shoot me a message!
sincerely,
Travis "Tman" Foster
Mr. Beasley,
You are such an inspiration. THANK YOU! After reading Performance
Insight for Musicians my confidence, poise and outlook has improved
tremendously. You
gave the example of bringing a tune to live by feeling it ? if you are
playing My One and Only Love, you should be singing through your
instrument about your one and only love.?
I played that tune but after reading PIM I looked up the lyrics to the
tune, now the playing sounds real full, deep and meaningful, (as I think
about my mom who passed away when I was 20 over 18 years ago) Thank you
for such precious gift.
Also, I don?t understand or see how accomplished successful touring and
recording musicians are able to maintain a meaningful relationship and
be true to the many demands of the business and the time required
improving the craft.
You mentioned this and it has helped me to? "sacrifice" for the bigger
picture and to be honest up front about the unique life I have decided
to create for myself and / or wait for the right person taht can support
and handle the challenges and still be there.
Finally I was impressed to hear you perform jazz standards (somewhere on
the web) knowing of you as a smooth jazz performer. I experienced
something totally awesome, I performed with a smooth jazz group a week
ago and it was fairly easy for me to transition, using phrases and
improvise
styles that fit, yet the smooth jazz players that rarely or never played
and/ or had no knowledge of for example Blue Monk, or Don?t Get Around
Much Anymore seem to have difficulty playing bebop standards.
Was or is this just in my head? Or is there something to the way smooth
jazz players approach smooth jazz tunes verses straight-ahead tunes?
(Oh, I?m still chipping away at the Hip-Hop Improv DVD as I have time)
Thanks for sharing the wealth of knowledge and experience to help those
of us that, like many are self taught or could not attend college for
music.
You are truly a blessing!
Sammie Roberts
www.SammieRoberts.com
I commend you on your stated goal of sharing your knowledge and invaluable experience with others. Best wishes for your continued success in all your endeavors.
"Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life." ~ Ludwig van Beethoven
"... Just as Jesus created wine from water, we humans are capable on transmuting emotion into music..." ~ Carlos Santana