Michael Glick, the main keyboard instructor for the music school, is a professional keyboardist and has been making his living playing music since the age of 16. He was offered a job playing friday and saturday nights at a jazz club in downtown Sacramento, his hometown, after performing a single song for the proprietor. He began classical piano lessons in the sixth grade. He discovered his true roots about two years later in the improvisational nature of the blues and rock n' roll. From this point on, his self-guided education has taken him through classical, blues, rock, funk, latin, reggae, gospel and of course, jazz. In addition to his experience composing and arranging for many different ensembles and groups, he has, since high school,performed with professional bands between Sacramento and the Monterey Bay area. For the last four years, he has offered private and group lessons in keyboard instruction. He is currently based in Santa Cruz. Some of his current projects include composing, arranging for and performing with local Santa Cruz groups Out of Io, a progressive world fusion group (www.myspace.com/outofio) and Organasm, a hammond b3/guitar/drumset jazz trio.
Michael's style and perspective are based on personal creativity and improvisation, showing students how to experiment and make music their own, while still adhering to the fundamentals like theory, technique, dexterity, ear training, practicing habits, etc. The beginning student will be formally introduced to the practice and study of the piano, and will begin learning about scales, chords, reading music, music theory, and easy popular piano music. Even the beginner will be improvising from their first few lessons! For the intermediate or advanced student with some background in piano, whether classical or jazz, a typical lesson plan might include instruction on soloing, the right notes to play over a chord progression, motific development, general strategies for improvising, left, right and both hand comping, playing left hand bass, voicing chords, building chops and dexterity, correct fingering and technique, composing, arranging, both jazz and classical theory, specific riffs, licks and songs that are good to know and learn, or on showing the way around keyboards including the hammond b3, fender rhodes, or hohner clavinet. If a student is interested in a specific style, he might divulge his knowledge and experience in playing those light jazz and blues melodies, rich hard driving gospel chords, fiery afro-cuban montunos, old time stride, or that chunky funk sound or maybe he will work through a students' favorite tune. Input from students in determining the curriculum is strongly encouraged! All ages, levels, musical backgrounds and styles welcome.
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