Pete M. TakeLessons Instructor Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Bass/fretless, Music Theory, Cello, Drum set,... S. 49th St., Philadelphia, PA

I’ve had a long and fruitful career, playing with some of the finest musicians in the world. But I’ve always been a kid and an artist at heart. When I first started taking lessons, playing the guitar was all I wanted to do. So, when I teach, I look for the things that my students have their own need to know. The technique, theory, reading, research and practice are really secondary –or supplementary—to what the student can have the most fun expressing.   

I have solid grounding in technique from my time at University of Southern California, where I studied and exchanged ideas with Bill Kanengiser, Andrew York, and Scott Tenant. I studied jazz guitar in Northern California with Jerry Hahn and Dave Creamer, and later spent some time in LA studying with the late, great Ted Greene. USC also provided me a conservatory training in Music Theory, History, and Composition, which I enthusiastically added to my ongoing jazz studies. But I must admit I found my heart and soul as a Rock ‘n’ Roller (albeit with a serious artistic thrust)! Later on, as my more radical artistic inclinations began to resurface, I began playing a multitude of various -and sometimes “weird”- instruments: cello, koto, harmonium, vibes, hammer dulcimer, native flutes, and found objects. The culmination of all this was that I found myself in a Music Education program as a rather mature “band kid”. I never dreamed I’d fall in love with the clarinet, especially after being an ultra-cool rock guitar player, but I did!

In my time in the Music Education Department at Sonoma State University I played guitar in the Jazz Big Band, cello in the Chamber Orchestra, and clarinet and percussion in the Symphonic and Chamber Wind Ensembles. I also managed to land leading roles as a baritone in Opera and Musical Theater productions. I think the stage is a magical place, and I hope all my students can have that experience! But I also know very well the simple enjoyment of playing just for oneself, or just with friends. Whether it’s grand and spectacular, rude or refined, or personal and private, I want my students to enjoy the music, as much as they can.

BANDS (partial listing)

Stan Ridgway (Wall Of Voodoo)

The Rembrandts (as cellist and mandolinist)

Peter Kingsbery (Cock Robin)

David Baerwald (David & David)

Gary Claxton (Jim Campilongo & The Ten-Gallon Cats, Mental Revenge)

Mr. Mister

Eddie Jobson (Zappa, Roxy Music)

Cory Wells (Three Dog Night)

VENUES (partial listing)

The Troubadour (LA)

The Roxy (LA)

The Palladium (Hollywood)

The Paradise (Boston)

Toad’s Place (New Haven, CT)

Park West (Chicago)

The Bottom Line (NYC)

Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club (London, England)

Lincoln Center (NYC)

Various Arena and Stadium shows around the US

  Numerous live TV, ‘lip sync’, and radio appearances—national and international,    including The Mark and Brian Show, Arsenio Hall, Merv Griffin, Midnight Special.

RECORDINGS (partial listing)

  Throwing Muses

  Kenny Loggins

Peter Kingsbery

Josie Cotton

The Coma Lilies

Gary Claxton

East Of Eden

Roach & The White Boys

Cory Wells

The Farraghers

The Busboys

Holly Penfield

Mr. Mister

Eddie Jobson

MUSIC SOFTWARE PROFICIENCIES

Finale

Reason

SONAR

INTERESTS

Tuning and temperament

Musical Instrument making

Painting, Drawing, Calligraphy, and Sculpture

Gardening

Mathematics & Physics

  Martial Arts, Meditation, Religion & Theology     

I take a very serious, professional approach to my music studies and my teaching, but with a very humorous, and free-flowing concept of how to get serious. I think any artistic work should be about the freedom of the individual to find their own expression, at least until they’re clearly pre-professional, or working toward a career in the arts. I have plenty of European-style conservatory training, and wonderfully so, but I’m also a huge fan of non-traditional, DIY, and non-Western musics.  

The first thing is to make sure the student is physically comfortable with the instrument. Then we address the physical challenges of producing the right sounds on the instrument. As soon as possible I try to get the student to self-teach by listening and copying by ear. This is not the same as learning tunes by rote, or learning to sight-read, although those things can certainly be useful and I heartily encourage them. Depending on the repertoire the student wishes to pursue, I will introduce theoretical and notational concepts. A modicum of theoretical knowledge is necessary for the student to readily imitate and articulate what they want to play, I think. But for those who just want –or need- to be “shown the moves”, I will do that, if it really gets them playing.

I have been exposed to many pedagogies, but I’ve found that it really comes down to the individual, which techniques are most effective. Especially for modern rock and pop styles, it can be very challenging to find graded lessons, because sometimes the simplest sounding things can be very demanding technically. And sometimes it’s necessary to find the right “traditional” songs that will capture the students’ attention, to get them on the technical path to what they really want to play. But I try to give them as much choice as I can in matters of repertoire, from the start.

I think the students can have a lot of fun and learn a lot from me in a very short time, but of course true proficiency takes a lot of practice, and for more than a few months. Still, if the student is willing and has time, I can start to prepare them for professional-level performance right away.   

Pop, Rock n Roll, Rhythm & Blues, Jazz, Blues, Classical.

Sonoma State University - Music Education - 2001-2007
Terra Linda High School - - 1969-1973

Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Bass/fretless, Music Theory, Cello, Drum set, clarinet, Voice.