February Students of the Month

Kaleigh Reed

            The piano student for the month of February is 7 year old Kaleigh Reed.  Kaleigh is in the 2nd grade at Ella Canavan Elementary

and started piano lessons in October,  2011.   In that short time

Kaleigh has progressed rapidly and is already playing melody/counter-melody pieces that are written for students who have been studying at

the very least 9 to 10 months. Because of her hard work both

at home and during her lesson time she is very deserving of Student

of the Month.

Brooke Loftis

Brooke approaches each week with excitement and a willingness to work hard, both in lessons and during her practice at home. She has progressed quickly and is now beginning to step into the world of fiddle music after only playing the violin for a short time. Her enthusiasm and upbeat approach makes her a pleasure to work with, and a blossoming player. I look forward to seeing where her talents will take her!

Meghan Burkhardt

Meghan has been studying with me since the August of 2011.  She is thirteen years old and is a 7^th grader at A.I. Root Middle School.  She started in 5^th grade band, took a year off and returned to band this school year.  Meghan participated in the annual Woodsy’s student recital and is looking forward to going to Solo and Ensemble contest.  She is a hard worker and makes time to practice in addition to participating in the jazz ensemble and concert band at school.  She looks forward to playing in the MHS marching band in two years.

Jurni Harmon

            Jurni is a freshman at Cloverleaf High School. She has being taking lessons since September of 2010. She is being recognized for her outstanding attitude and dedication that she puts forth in making herself a better trumpet player. She comes to her lesson eager to make the best out of every lesson. This has helped her in receiving consecutive “superior” ratings (the highest rating) at OMEA Solo & Ensemble Contest for the past two years. She was also chosen to play the trumpet solo during Cloverleaf’s competitive marching band show.  She is currently working on Sigmund Herring Technical Studies, the Clark Studies, and the Hornpipe duet.

 

Jack Kula

Jack's story is a common one and one that I experienced first-hand as a beginner 14 years ago.  He came to me with the intent of being a lead guitarist.  Many of the students who have that desire can be quite averse to practicing chords and strumming patterns.  Try as I might, it is difficult to impress upon these students the importance of developing really solid rhythm guitar skills.  Most of the fundamental techniques required to play great lead guitar are developed significantly through a thorough understanding and ability with the basics of rhythm guitar playing.  Not only that, but lead guitarists only fulfill their role a small portion of the time they are performing.  The rest of the time, they themselves are rhythm guitarists.

Once a student has developed some comfort with a certain aspect of their playing, they want to practice what they are already good at and it becomes even more difficult for them to develop the weaker aspects of their playing.  Jack seems to have had an epiphany recently.  He has shown a lot of interest in addressing the short comings in his playing.  This is an incredibly difficult thing to do, but is a common trait of great guitarists.  Not only has Jack been able to make progress on his rhythm guitar playing, but he has also shown an admirable interest in the theory homework that so few students are willing to take on.  Jack has displayed a passion for the instrument and the guitar culture since the moment he started taking lessons with me.  Now that I am recognizing his willingness to become a well rounded player, I am incredibly optimistic about the growth he will experience in the future and about what creative accomplishments he seems destined to have.

 

Corbin Cerny

As this is the first Student of the Month, I'd like to say that this program is not a competition, but rather a chance to acknowledge a student who has gone above and beyond to further  their own personal progress. 

February’s percussion Student of the Month is Corbin Cerny. Corbin never backs down from a challenge. Corbin chose a Class A (advanced- difficult) snare drum solo to play at this year’s Solo and Ensemble contest. The hours and effort Corbin put in to get his solo and rudiments ready were many. No matter what rating Corbin gets from the judge at the contest, Corbin gets a Superior rating from me, for the effort and perseverance it took to get his technique to a point where he could play his solo with confidence, and musicality.  Corbin Cerny is a freshman at Medina High School.

 Roy King,

Percussion Instructor

Madison Marple

My choice for student of the month this February is Madison Marple.  Madison consistently puts forth good effort and focus both in lesson and on her weekly assignments.  She is always prepared and has near perfect attendance. Taking lessons since only July she is already applying her studies to performance.  She earned the opening spot in her school's talent show in her first audition, choosing to play the Star Spangled Banner on the acoustic guitar.  I'm very proud of Madison's growth and know she will continue to do great things with her talent.

Artist Spotlight: The Blue Ribbon Bluegrass Band

1. You guys play a different brand of bluegrass, how would you describe and what other acts do you liken it to?
I guess we all come in with our own vision of what we consider the ultimate form of bluegrass. The band has a wide range of influences including Bill Monroe, Jimmy Martin, Flatt and Scruggs, Del McCoury, The Darlins, Chris Thile, Jerry Garcia, and Sierra Hull to round out the traditionalists, while more modern bands such as Milwaukee's .357 String Band and North Carolina's Chatham County Line offer some "new style" bluegrass insperation.

2. Who are the artists that inspired you to start playing? Is there any particular moment that sparked your fire?
"Because we are a newer bluegrass band I think we have all kind of had a moment in time that we can say sparked us to play bluegrass, and those moments are not that long ago (Matt) a parking lot jam at a dead show which kept me looking in amazement was my first exposure." Or their own moments when a Blue Ribbon song comes together and crowds go crazy, the sparks seem to keep flying.
3. What's the most memorable venue or event that you've played at?
Recently we played a show at The Spot, an independent art gallery in downtown Akron. "We had no idea what to expect, its an art gallery ya know, who knows what to expect man" (Adam) By the end of the first song there was artwork getting knocked off the walls and if people were not picking the art off the ground, it was their jaw they were picking up off the ground. "It was one of those moments where it all came together and everyone in the place was going nuts" (Jake) "We also had the chance to play a spur of the moment unannounced campground show over the summer, and to see people out there dancing around with their kids and just letting it all go was a moment for me, I think our form of bluegrass just tugs at peoples soul's and they just kind of forget about everything at the moment and do what feels natural" (Larry) As for Fiddlin Frank, "that first show at Nemeth's Lounge 2/24/2011 in Painesville was crazy, I did not know what to expect from the crowd, the roar from the fifty people in the bar that snowy night sounded like a freight train....crazy" "Playing Canton's Froth Fest on Jan 6th was kind of a moment for me, we showed up and had to make some on the spot changes as to where we were gonna play, we ended up playing on a tiny stage, running into one another and sharing a mic, it went amazingly well, and for me it showed that even though we can be set in our ways, we can break it down anywhere, because once the music takes over, whatever else is going on in life no longer exists...it becomes a blur man, and it is fun" (Adam)
4. For the gear geeks out there: What's your rig? Guitar? Amp? Pedals?
"When it comes to our current set up, it is an ever changing process" (Larry). Morgan Monroe and Andersen Mondolin's, Deering and Nechville Banjo's, Parkwood "hole and all" to Blueridge guitars, and whatever Frank can get his hands on to rip in half on the fiddle is just fine with him. And Larry, well he could make a cardboard box sound good, so the fact that he does not know the make and model of his bass comes as no surprise. For the guys, the rigs will forever change, but one thing is for sure....Fishman Amps are here to stay......
5. What advice do you have for the younger players that haven't had an opportunity to play out yet?
"Go slow, be precise" (Matt), "Play it like you mean it, from the heart" (Larry) "Jam with locals" (Jake) "Stick with it" (Frank) "Do what feels right, traditionalists will tell you we are wrong, but to me it feels right" (Adam). Being a newer band Blue Ribbon is still looking for advice, but now kind of understands that with the combination of the five current members, advice is something you have to take with a grain of salt sometimes. We don't feel like we need to impress anyone, because we are already doing enough of that on our own.

Artist Spotlight With Derek Pincombe of the band "Conceded"

I think Derek may have more guitars than most of us have t-shirts! I have had the distinct pleasure of repairing and setting up many of them.  He and his band-mates (including another regular of ours, Caleb Kirkpatrick) are some of a dying breed of youth chasing the rock and roll dream, and boy are they going at it.  They are always working hard whether it's practicing, recording, or promoting their upcoming shows.  Here's where you can check them out online:

concededrock.com

1. What guitar(s) do you play on stage?

I use my Jackson Dxmg with 81-85 emg's and floyd rose. I use this guitar because it feels  comfortable and it sounds really good and jackson has that name loyalty  in metal it just feels right.

2.What is in your amp/pedal set-up? 

My amp pedal setup is a Line 6 tube amp with behringer cabinets which i have to say line 6 is perfect for metal there so much you can choose from its endless. I also use a 

line 6 short board which is perfect it has a built in wah along with  other multiple effects.

3.What brand and gauge of strings do you play? 

I use ernie ball (Regular Slinky 46,36,26,17,13,10)strings i would trust my life with  these string best strings in the world i tried using DR strings but the  string broke on stage and after that incident i will never use another  string other than ernie ball strings.

4.How long have you been playing? 

I've been playing passionately for 4-5 years i got my first guitar in 2001 but i never really played over the past 4-5 years ive been playing almost non-stop.

5.Any advice for players that want to play out, but haven't tried/had  a chance to? 

My best advice is for your first show go with a battle of  the bands thats what conceded did we did a few of those till we felt  comfortable enough to play with bigger crowds. the trick is not to get  nervous, haha i know easier said then done but you have to focus and  have a good time. Also if your band is not ready to play live don't  push it you want to sound your best.

Artist Spotlight With Mike Gregory Of Local Band "Pilgrim"

What's your "go to" guitar when your on stage?
I primarily play an American Telecaster. I used to play a Les Paul, but after a brief stint with a country band I fell in love with the Tele. The Telecaster is a very basic, rugged, durable, guitar without a lot of moving parts. It's basically just a slab of wood with a neck bolted to it. The electronics and wiring are simple as well. Sonically the Telecaster seems to cut through all the madness on stage. I think Telecasters stay in tune better than most guitars also. Although the Stratocaster is a much more versatile guitar due to the pick-up scenario, the Telecaster can be used to play just about anything from jazz, blues, and rock to metal and country. (plus I just think that there is something very cool about telecasters!)

What's your rig like? What kind of pedals, effects, and amp are you using?
I never have been a big fan of using effects. Although I have went through stages where I have experimented with them. My rig is a Fender Telecaster played through a Fender Deluxe Reverb amplifier that has had some modifications done to it by Mike Perkheiser. I also have used a Roland JC-120 extensively over the years. As far as effects go I try to keep it simple. REALLY SIMPLE! I use a tuner of some sort and a Marshall Blues Breaker Distortion pedal. That's it. Every now and then I will buy a new pedal or effect and try to implement it in some form or fashion, but it never seems to last long. The older I get the more all those tricks and gadgets just seem silly to me. Plus the kind of music that turns me on doesn't require all that mumbo jumbo....

What kind of strings do you play? Why?
I have tried every kind of electric guitar string there is over the years. S.I.T., D'Addario's, Slinky, Ernie Ball, ect. ect. In my opinion DR makes the best electric guitar strings. PERIOD! They last longer without breaking. They stay in tune longer. They sound newer longer. Strings are very under rated. There have been times when I haven't been able to get my hands on DR's so I've had to use another brand and it was terrible! Such a big difference! I like to use 11 gauge strings because they sound better than those light gauge strings. I would play 12's or even 13's if I was strong enough too. Trust me I've tried. I'm not into tapping or playing supper fast so the added string girth doesn't bother me.

When did you start playing?
I didn't start playing the guitar until I was in my Twenties. I'm a late bloomer. I'm just grateful that I decided to start playing. Now it's such a big part of my life and so integral in my happiness. Never too late, Never too soon......

Any advice for the younger players?
My advise to anyone who is starting down there own guitar path would be to stay true to yourself. Don't follow any trend or fad. Do what makes YOU happy. If you want to play cover music and be in a Warrant tribute band then DO IT! If you want to write your own music then DO IT! If you want to hustle the bars and make a little cash DO IT! If you just want to hang out in your basement and record your own ideas and stuff THAT'S COOL TOO! There really is no Right or Wrong way to do this. Just remember that you are only going to get out of this what you put into it. If you aren't going to practice much then it will show. I have found that my happiness is directly proportional to my guitar playing. If I'm playing well and the band is doing good then I'm happy as a clam! When I don't practice and am not playing well I am miserable. In just a few short years anyone can learn to play well enough to be in a band or whatever. It's really all up to you......

What's on the Horizon for Pilgrim, and where can we check you guys out?
www.pilgrimband.com We are wrapping up our Second studio CD in Cleveland right now so we don't have to many shows booked. 2012 will begin to fill up shortly. On December 17th Pilgrim is playing at The Village Inn in Chippewa Lake. (my stomping grounds) And on December 23rd at The Winchester in Lakewood, Oh. Last year I think we had our busiest year and played Thirty Eight art playing?shows and I'm sure next year will get even busier.