Piano Lessons in Walnut Creek, CA

Francesco A

Instruments: Saxophone Music

Does music run in your family? Tell us a little about your musical family members.
No it does not. I am the first one.

When did you decide to become a professional musician? Was it a gradual decision or was there a defining moment for you?
Since I started laying my hands on my first saxophone.

If you weren't a musician what do you think you'd be doing instead?
I would have been a Chef. Cooking is a journey between creativity and flavors, in which everything is possible. It also has many similarities to the world of music in that is has a lot of creativity to it.

What is your favorite style/genre of music to play and why?
My favorite Style is jazz music, swing to bebop and everything in that box that we call Jazz!

If you play more than one instrument, how did you decide to start playing the second? (Or 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc)!
I began to study the piano in order to better understand music and have a more complete approach to improvisation. I discovered then that I really likes writing. In the future, I would like to study Bass Clarinet and The Drums.

If you have a Music Degree, what is it in (Performance, Education, Musicology, Theory, Composition, etc) and why did you choose that degree?
My Music Degree is in Jazz Music and Modern Music. I also studied Piano and Composition. I have always played live since I was 16. I first played Rock music and then Funk and R & B music. Later I fell in love with swing and jazz and all its contaminations.

What is your dream piece to perform and why?
I love all Jazz standards and all Originals. In particular the songs of Theolonius Monk and W.Shorter. I love the tradition, it is very difficult to choose just one thing, every author has something I would like to learn or have, both from a compositional and a soloist point of view.

What does a normal practice session look like for you?
The daily practice is directly proportional to the level of the student and their interest and end towards the music and the instrument. A student starting from scratch or one who plays as a hobby should practice at least one hour a day every day or six days a week. An intermediate student should practice at least two to three hours a day. The higher the level, the more hours are needed to practice.

Why did you choose your primary instrument?
I chose the saxophone because I was fascinated by the sound, I listened to Sonny Rollins and I wanted to play like him.

What musical accomplishments are you most proud of?
Honestly, there have been many goals achieved, always with so much effort and much study. For all the stages of my life, from when I was 16 I started playing music. I remember the Concerts in Siena jazz, when I was a student, in a Big band with Paolo Fresù and Enrico Rava. Or my first Master Classes with Eddie Enderson, Bob Franceschini. Or the emotion of being a guest on the stage during a concert by my Maestro, Barend Middelhoff, with whom I graduated in Bologna. I remember the emotion during the presentation of my first album in various jazz festivals in Europe, as a composer and leader, the squares were full of people, who had come to listen to my compositions in silence. I also remember the embarrassment of my first autograph. Honestly, The only thing that comes to mind is "Well now, what can I learn? What the next goal or the next project!"

Do you use specific teaching methods or books? (Ex: Alfred, Bastion, Suzuki, Hal Leonard) Why did you choose them if you did?
It always depends on the type of student I have in front of me. For the technique, for example, I draw from classical music and after having given the usual exercises for the study of the scales, I prefer to give the sonata of Bach to develop the technique, and the cleaning of the sound. Then I always add just one of Charlie Parker's pieces for jazz and swing language. The study of the piano and ear training are equally important. There is definitely no book but so much music to listen to and learn. However, during each lesson, I provide teaching materials to supplement the lessons and help the student at home in his practice

What do you think is the hardest thing to master on your instrument?
One of the most hardest things is definitely to set the student on the right track from the start if they start from scratch. Producing the first sound can be frustrating, and the student can get discouraged right away. But if the student listens to so many records and has in mind an idea of the sound or a model to follow, then all the difficulties will be overcome. Listening is essential. The teacher also serves to guide the student in this phase.

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