"Everyone learns differently," maintains PrivateLessons.com Member and bass guitar teacher, Buddy Booker. Born in Harlem, Buddy received a rich cultural heritage from family members who were musicians, artists and medical professionals. He is an active performer. His work ranges from R&B, Hip-Hop and Reggae albums to commercial music for Oprah Winfrey's cable channel Oxygen. Living in New York gives Buddy the opportunity to work with musicians playing in the Soul, Jazz, Funk and Gospel genres. A dedicated teacher, Buddy Booker credits his students with a daily dose of musical inspiration.
Feeling at home with Classical, Jazz, Show Tunes & Rock
A loyal PrivateLessons.com member Janellen Farmer is one of the busiest singing artists. Graduated from The Curtis Institute of Music as an operatic singer, Janellen is equally at home in the pop, jazz and rock genres. As a result of a jazz concert at New York’s Carnegie Hall, she released "Lazy Afternoon," her first jazz CD. A dedicated private voice teacher, Janellen maintained a full teaching studio in the Valley Forge Pennsylvania area.
I met Alan Gilbert when he was a conducting student at Curtis. We worked on a Tchaikovsky opera and from the first few seconds of our conversation it was evident the guy is brilliant. If you are in New York today, go and hear Alan conduct his alma mater The Curtis Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall. They were superb last night at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia.
Collectively, the Curtis orchestra looks like a sweet sixteen party. They are so young. It is without a doubt a world class orchestra with enviable chops and youthful fire.
When the concert ended, Alan was so proud of his young colleagues that he went out of his way to shake hands with all the principals. If he had another hour to spare he would have gone on shaking hands with each player. It was real. It was an honest appreciation for the ensemble that helps him make great music. He stepped back for a bow, blending into the orchestra as one of the players.
Last June Alan Gilbert was named the music director of the New York Philharmonic, effective 2009-10 season.
Before I get to the never part, I am very excited to hear Alan Gilbet conducting his alma mater The Curtis Symphony Orchestra, today at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia and tomorrow in New York at Carnegie Hall.
Alan is a newly appointed music director of The New York Philharmonic. Talented, young and American born. He attended Harvard and Curtis. This is reminiscent of Leonard Bernstein who was and did all of the above. As a student at Curtis I once ran into a sour experience with an established contemporary composer. I vowed to never work with living composers again.
I was still a student at Curtis assigned to accompany the preparation of Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms”, which he was to conduct. Again, I prepared to be crushed, but he proved me totally wrong.
Working with Bernstein was human and fun. He was brilliant yet didn’t seem to wear it on his sleeve. Every time someone did a good job playing a solo, he exclaimed hired as he continued to conduct. That’s music making at it’s best.
Founded in 1996, PrivateLessons.com is an exclusive membership of professional musicians helping private music students discover the joy of music making.
