What do all those lines and squiggles and dots mean? Basic Music Theory takes you through the sometimes confusing world of written music with a clear, concise style that is at times funny and always friendly. The book is written by an experienced teacher using methods refined over more than ten years in his private teaching studio and in schools. Lessons are short, well-paced and enjoyable. Whether you're a beginner of any age, whether you're an experienced player who wants to bone up on your theory, or whether you teach music and need a fun way to do it, you'll find this book valuable and will refer to it again and again.
Welcome to my Amazon page. I'm a musician, writer and educator living and playing in Chicago. For the last five or six years I've focused on playing jazz and absolutely love exploring the unlimited possibilites of free improvisation, in jazz or any other music. Swang is my current jazz combo; we play gypsy jazz.
I'm at work on my next two books: "Basic Jazz Theory, book 2" and another on music practice titled "The Practice of Practice: How You Become a Musician." I'm interviewing master musicians about practice and you can listen to some of the interviews on my podcast, The Practice of Practice (IntentionalPractice.wordpress.com). I'm about to earn a PhD in music education from Northwestern University and my dissertation research is on, you guessed it, practice.
My instruments are a Monette Bb trumpet (#504) with a B2 mouthpiece (also a B2SL); I also play a LeBlanc F357 flugelhorn, the Arturo Sandoval model. I love mutes. I also love to play guitar and own a Gretsch hollow-body electric and an acoutstic/electric Martin (EMP-1). I own and play four didgeridoos, a sack full of small percussion, a soprano trombone, and other instruments too exotic to mention.
I have several degrees in music education: a bachelor's degree from University of Oregon, a Master's degree from Northwestern University, and I'm currently finishing off my PhD in music education, also at Northwestern, a leading institution in music performance, research and teacher education. My primary research interest is in practice, especially how masters learn to do it. Check my blog on the topic: The Practice of Practice.
I'm currently living in the U.S. in Chicago with my wife Michelle, and dog Skwirl and I can be found at music venues around the city as both listener and player.
