North Miami Beach, FL Songwriting Lessons

albums with various ensembles and bands. In college I already knew from my previous experience that I wanted to teach and pass on the joy that music brought to my life. I studied Music Theory and Jazz and finished my degree in Music Education. I have been teaching all in all for about 14 yrs. And I have enjoyed every minute I have spent with my students learning as much from them, as them from me. I am looking forward to meeting new and eager students who really want to bring their inner music out to share with the rest of us music aficionados! and develop their skills to the peak of their abilities.

*** Lesson Details ***
My teaching method ranges depending on the student. I believe in my experience that everyone learns differently, therefore everyone develops at their own pace. I try to find key strengths in each student and expose this to their advantage, using their abilities to further develop their skills, this method has shown the most promising results and students usually find themselves playing and performing just a couple of months after their first lessons. Part of my method involves a lot of performance and recital opportunities to help break any fears and inhibitions a student may bring with them. Music is about sharing, so an early exposure to this method helps to strengthen and stabilize a core acceptance of a students style and path, giving them and those close to them a very clear picture of their development and achievements.

*** Studio Equipment ***
Has all instruments at both his home and college studio

*** Travel Equipment ***
I provide lesson material, song charts and a progression scale. I require student to have an Instrument and recommended technique literature.

*** Specialties ***
My classical training began in High School with Influences in Segovia, and Romero I studied classical for 4 yrs. and trained in Jazz and Improvisation with performances In Big Band and group ensemble. Also sang and played in the school gospel choir.

****Personal Statement*****

If you needed a reason

There is no question that music touches us instantly and activates images, emotions and memories that linger with us throughout our lives. As a casual listener or an obsessive music elitist, there are times in our lives when we get blown away by a sound so unique our entire body vibrates and resonates with the touch of something out of this world. I can honestly say when this happens to me I feel as close to a spiritual connection than anything I have experienced otherwise. I believe it is these exact events that have triggered my need to be completely involved in the making, performing and consuming of music. The creative process, to me, is the single obvious reason we exist in this world. We create and share, learn and interpret, build on previous ideas and inspire others to perfect upon this process. It is no doubt a very humbling experience to realize you are part of it all. During this process you come to realize how important you are as an Individual, how there is no other vessel like you in this world, nor has there ever been or ever will. You are here now and your voice, your talent, your gift is an instrument to the great choir of the human spirit. No one but you can relate this, a reason to be, to create, to give.

ts up my students for long-term success.

*** Equipment ***
It is preferred that private students have a piano or full size keyboard.
I also provide games, piano accompaniment tracks, and other accessories to make lessons more interactive and fun.

*** Specialties ***
Jazz, Gospel, Pop, Blues, Group Piano

rriculum. A couple of years later in 1998, Frixos found his true calling … music composition, Jazz and the Saxophone. Frixos’ purple tenor sax goes everywhere he goes!

“Part of my love for the Saxophone is rooted in this instrument’s versatility for improvisation.” Moving into music composition seemed a natural course for Frixos to follow, culminating in his graduation in 2013 with a University of Florida Music Composition BA from The New World School of the Arts in Miami.

“I was fortunate to be selected to play in various collegiate and other Jazz bands and be mentored by great jazz performers and educators.” Among them was Ed Calle, twice nominated for the Latin Grammy Award; Joe Donato, one of the most active and innovative musicians working in the field of jazz who has performed with many of the greats including Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey, Carmen McRae, Nina Simone, Jack Jones, and Arturo Sandoval; Rafael Valencia where “I was honored to play for his Latin Jazz Big Band” says Frixos; the wonderful pianist Jim Gasior who has played with Ed Calle, Wendy Pedersen, Fernando Ulibarri and Aaron Lebos; the published and well decorated guitarist Dr. Mike Di Liddo, to name a few.

Of course there were lesser known people that had a profound influence on Frixos for which he makes it a point to say that he is “eternally grateful”. He adds, “My passion for composing was further affirmed thanks to Dr. Susan Epstein Garcia who showed me that there’s no limit to musical expression.” Dr. Ferdinando De Sena brought Frixos another dimension through his teachings of electronic music.

Frixos seeks to create variety in his compositions, by using worldly rhythms and sounds expressed through a multitude of instrumental expressions to create his own unique contemporary sound. “I look for connections between different music genres, from classical, rock, pop, funk, reggae, fusion, jazz etc. These connections are what I bring to my music” continues Frixos.

In October 2007 Frixos released his first CD titled “Cause Frixion” which was dedicated to fund-raising for The Epilepsy Foundation of Florida. This album included a tune he wrote earlier that year called “Freedom”. Other works have been published more recently on the internet, namely cdbaby, iTunes etc. and are played on internet radio stations.

Frixos continues to perform gigs with different musicians and bands in venues around the Miami and Ft. Lauderdale area, including recording sessions for Fourth Dimension and others. He plays multiple instruments including alto, soprano and tenor sax, flute and keyboards. His performances comprise events at the renowned Van Dyke Café on Lincoln Road; Avenue D; Crescendo Jazz and Blues Lounge; Churchill’s Pub, a bastion for local musicians; Tobacco Road, the oldest music bar in Miami; Blue Jean Blues in Ft. Lauderdale where Al Kanovsky for The South Florida Jazz Scene wrote on October 15 2012, “They continued, raucously on, with everybody, musicians and audience having fun. A young man walked in, sax case in hand. Joe (Donato) invited him up to jam. What can I say. His name is Frixos, (yes it's right) and this kid can blow.”

rn how to read basic music, but I can teach you how to play by ear too. Before we have completed our series you or your children will have basic knowledge of all these things and a desire to explore at least some of these aspects further.

For me, the most interesting music reveals the unique perspective and feelings of the person who makes it. Having conquered the essentials I will encourage you to be creative with your developing talents. I can teach you about song structure and I can teach you how to jam with your friends. If you are interested in writing and composing, I can help you with that too. We can take a look at your favorite artists and try to discover how they accomplished and perfected their sound. If you want to learn how to record I have a computer equipped with Pro Tools and would be glad to show you how to use it.

You'll spend time listening to me of course, but I hope to spend much of my time listening to you as well. If reading music doesn't inspire you we can focus more on learning by ear. It's up to you. You'll need your own instrument obviously, though you can leave it at home if you don't want to carry it back and forth. I have guitars here. I request that you purchase a book with text and exercises so that you can practice and study what you learn in the class. Even if you do not want to read music, you will need to know the neck and conquer scale formations and chords. We can choose the text based on your needs.

*** Studio Equipment ***
Six guitars, a keyboard, a computer equipped with Ableton and Reason, interface and MIDI controller.

Equiptment

GUITARS
Fender American Deluxe Telecaster
Fender 65 Mustang
Martin Koa Acoustic
Breedlove Acoustic/Electric cutaway
Gibson 12-string acoustic
Danelectro 12-string semi-hollow electric

AMPS
Fender Cyber Twin Deluxe
Line 6 Spyder III

DIGITAL PIANO
Yamaha YDP-141

RECORDING EQUIPTMENT
Saffire 6 USB Interface
Novation Zero SLMkII USB mixer
Akai LPK25 MIDI keyboard

SOFTWARE
Ableton Live 9
Reason 6

*** Travel Equipment ***
I can travel with any of my guitars and my Lunchbox amp is also easily portable.

actice. They are then empowered by experiencing the connections between inspiration, work, and pleasure.
He performs, as a solo entertainer, an unusually wide ranging repertoire because of his versatility on guitar, piano, and vocals. Being an accomplished arranger with a vast library of charts also allows him to lead a ten piece orchestra as competently as a trio or quartet. He has performed extensively in New York, Chicago, Cape Cod, and Florida.

*** Lesson Details ***
I always try to make lessons as comfortable and enjoyable as possible yet challenging enough to maintain interest. I build lessons around the student's individual interests (specific songs or styles) so that he or she can learn the technical fundamentals in a relevant context.
My own curriculum is supplemented by the following:
Guitar: Hal Leonard Guitar Method, Aaron Shearer Classical Guitar Method
Piano: Alfred's Basic Piano Course , John W. Schaum Piano Course
Voice: Jeffrey Allen's Secrets of Singing, Nicola Vaccai Practical Method

*** Studio Equipment ***
Hardman baby grand acoustic piano
OptimusMD1600 electronic keyboard
Crate TX50D guitar amplifer

*** Specialties ***
- Singing lesson time is generally divided 50/50 between voice building and repertoire. I accompany vocalists on both piano and guitar, teaching the melody notes as they are sung along with the piano. Then, once the melody is learned, I often switch to the guitar with just chordal backing. The acoustic guitar is also softer than the piano and lets the singer hear their own voice better. For voice building, I use my own concepts plus approaches of famous voice teachers like Jeffrey Allen, Seth Riggs, and Anthony Frissel.
- I am very experienced performing all styles of guitar and can cater to the student's specific area of interest, whether it be rock, folk, classical, or jazz.
- With piano, I work on fundamentals of reading and technique. Learning basic harmony and chord construction starting with triads (3 note chords), the student can soon read single stave lead sheets (a form of music notation widely utilized by professional musicians) as well as the grand staff. This approach trains the ear and makes learning how to play popular songs much easier.

y, piano technique, reading and writing notes, improvization, composition, and more. For us creativity is first. We constantly encourage our students to be creative from the very beginning. Our method is a complete system for learning the piano that includes books, rewards, teaching materials, musical story books, recordings and video tutorials accessible online. When you Join us, you will become part of a creative and dynamic studio! You will learn how to see the connections present in music and to transfer all that knowledge to other aspects of your lives. I hope to meet you soon to start a very exciting musical learning journey!

, paying to perform, falling short of budget, trading soul for fame and many other beauties of this industry in my journey to try to make a living out of expressing myself.

My goal today is to use my experience to shorten the learning curve of others. My scope is on keeping you focused on your craft and introducing you to technologic tools that will allow you to keep expressing yourself purely and make it a sustainable lifestyle or an empowering hobby by seeing progress and results.

Stay focused on your dreams

Rodolfo