Preparing Music for Sarasota Beach Weddings
Ed Sheeran’s and Amy Wadge’s “Thinking Out Loud” is a great modern-day love song with a very soulful feel. It works as an instrumental in the original key (D). Couples are choosing this tune for weddings because it speaks of a lifetime of love. The melody is guitaristic in nature. The challenge lies in playing ……
Special Retirement Party
Special Retirement Party What a privilege to provide the music for a special friend, Kathy L, upon her retirement from the School District of Manatee County. I decided to keep the music light and upbeat for this special event. I played my Gibson ES-175 jazz guitar through a Roland BA-330 PA system. I was able ……
Practice Makes Perfect!
Keeping musical skills at their peek requires constant practice. As a wedding ceremony musician, I want to keep my traditional repertoire in tact, while I also work on new tunes. I play both jazz and classical guitar for my profession. This gives me the versatility I need to do two parts of the wedding event ……
Different Guitar Choices
Different guitars have different sound qualities. I am currently working on the song, “Over the Rainbow.” This song is a popular request for wedding ceremonies and wedding cocktail hour music. I am currently in the process of making a YouTube video playing the song using the guitar that I think is best suited for my ……
Wedding Music
The song “All of Me” by John Legend is quickly becoming a wedding ceremony favorite. Arranging the song as an instrumental for solo guitar is technically challenging but rewarding. The melody of “All of Me” is beautifully written and is embellished by a very frequently used chord progression. Because the song is immensely popular, the listener ……
Palm Island Beach Wedding Ceremony
What a pleasure to perform the wedding ceremony music for a delightful bride and groom from Boston! They selected the beautiful “Canon In D” for the bride’s processional and a jazzy version of “Over The Rainbow” for the recessional. The weather was perfect for their beach wedding ceremony on Palm Island, Florida. I’m always happy ……
O Som Do Jazz
Had a great rehearsal last week with members of O Som Do Jazz and am looking forward to performing tonight in St. Petersburg, and on Thursday at the SCF Neel Auditorium. O Som Do Jazz (the sound of jazz in Portuguese) recaptures the grace, energy and spirit of 1960s and ’70s Brazilian Bossa Nova, MPB ……
Just in Time at The Ritz Carlton Beach Club
Just in the nick of time! Played for a wedding at the beautiful Ritz Carlton Beach Club this evening. Thought we were going to get rained out, but thankfully the ceremony finished just as the first raindrops fell. Always a true pleasure to play at this venue, especially for such a lovely bride, groom and ……
The Devyn Grand Opening & Benefit for Greyhounds
I had the opportunity to play at the Grand Opening of The Devyn, Sarasota’s premier event venue last night. This was also a benefit for the beautiful greyhounds that are in need of permanent homes. A fun night filled with new faces, great entertainment, delicious food from several Sarasota vendors and many graceful and gracious ……
Busy!
I’m loving every minute of being this busy! I’ve been playing for weddings, public performances, directing students and performing at my recital! Learning new music for weddings requires time and lots of attention, but the reaction of the bride and groom makes it all a pure pleasure. Many beautiful venues, wonderful sunset ceremonies, and lots ……
Recital at State College of Florida
I had the pleasure of playing my annual recital at the State College of Florida’s Neel Auditorium last night. Joining me were my friends; Bob Lunergan on drums, George Mancini on trombone, and John Miller playing bass. Lots of fun playing with these professionals for an appreciative audience!
State College of Florida Jazz Bands
I had a great time directing my SCF jazz bands the end of March! I’m so grateful to work with such a talented group of students. The appreciative audience made every minute of every academic day worth it. Congratulations to my students for an amazing performance!
The Last Three Days
I had a really great time playing at the Bradenton Riverwalk on Friday night with my friends Bob Lunergan, George Mancini and Perry Orfanella! It was cold by the water, but the audience still seemed appreciative and we had a lot of fun! Yesterday I played at the Venetian Golf & River Club with Mark ……
FSU Visit with Bruce Holzman
I had a chance to visit with Professor Bruce Holzman in his studio at Florida State University. Bruce has one of the premier classical guitar programs in the world. I’m proud to be a graduate, and of course, proud to be a Seminole!
Playing with Rock & Roll History!
I had the true pleasure of performing with Jimmy Beaumont and the Skyliners during their Florida tour. Three nights, three different locations, and an amazing opportunity to play with these pros. So happy to have had this wonderful gig!
Friday Night – Bernadette Peters
I’ll be playing this Friday night (2/15) at Florida State University’s Ruby Diamond Concert Hall for Bernadette Peters! See the link below if you’re interested in coming up to see the concert. I know it’s going to be a very special event and a very special evening. http://calendar.fsu.edu/Lists/Calendar/DispForm.aspx?ID=275
The Last Few Days
I’ve been busy the last few days! On Thursday, I had the pleasure of playing for the Sarasota Opera Guild at a private residence on Siesta Key. Beautiful home, gracious hosts and just a very enjoyable event. Friday I played with a band that some of you may know, Jimmy Beaumont and The Skyliners, down ……