study

Alex has performed in venues from Manhattan to Japan and Europe. He is a two time MAC award nominee and has been featured in clubs such as the Friars Club, Cafe Pierre, Danny's Skylight Room and concert venues such as Jazz Interactions Village Gate Concerts, St. Peters Midday Concert Series, National Arts Club and the Snug Harbor Jazz Festival.

He has arranged and conducted for groups appearing in Radio City Music Hall, Off Broadway, Atlantic City and the Manhattan cabaret circuit. Alex's CD recordings have received national airplay and wonderful reviews from major publications such as Show Business, Jazz Now, Cabaret Scenes, Cadence and All About Jazz.

While attending The City College of New York, Alex studied under jazz greats John Lewis and Ron Carter. During this time he also studied piano with Barry Harris at The Jazz Cultural Center in New York and privately with Jim McNeely. Other Manhattan studies include classical piano technique with Boris Gerazimov and vocal technique with Carlo Menotti and James Carson. He has studied acting at The Atlantic Acting School and improv at Chicago City Limits in New York.

After graduating cum-laude from City College he received a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies from The College of Staten Island. His master's essay was entitled Bebop: A Musical and Social Exploration. This paper explored technical aspects of the music as well as the cultural challenge to mainstream hegemony. He received a MALS faculty award for Outstanding Scholarly Achievement.

As well as teaching privately in homes and at his Staten Island studio, Alex has been on the Faculty of Arcadia University in Glenside, PA and the Staten Island Conservatory of Music. He has conducted many performance lecture/demonstrations in colleges and throughout the NYC public school system, private schools, libraries and other centers in and around the tri-state area. Alex has been interviewed on national media and a featured guest on Bloomberg Radio's The Business of Show Business.

Taught by recording/performing artist with BFA/MA degrees

Piano Instruction - Voice - Vocal Coaching - Theory

Located on Staten Island in New York City

Read and interpret lead sheets

Unlock the mystery of improvisation

Learn proper classical technique

Suggested Reading:

Sandor, Gyorgy. On Piano Playing. MacMillian Publishing/Schirmer Books 1981

Werner, Kenny. Effortless Mastery; Liberating the Musician Within. Jamey Abersold, 1996

Herbert-Caesari, E. The Voice of the Mind. Cresendo Pub. 1951, 1978

Herbert-Caesari, E. The Science and Sensations of Vocal Tone; A School of Natural Voice Mechanics. Crescendo Pub, 1977

Salmon, Paul G. and Meyer, Robert G. Notes from the Green Room; Coping with Stress and Anxiety in Musical Performance. Lexington Books, 1992

Hofmann, Josef. Piano Playing; with Piano Questions Answered. Dover, 1976 (orig. Doubleday, 1909)

Lhevinne, Josef. Basic Principles in Pianoforte Playing. Dover, 1972 (Orig. Presser 1924)

Gieseking, Walter. Piano Technique Dover, 1972 (Orig. Presser, 1938)

Schweitzer, Albert. J.S. Bach (Two Volumes).Dover, 1966 (Orig. German, Breitkopf and Hartel, 1911)

"an important mainstay of the Big Apple" - All music Guide

"one of the finest jazz pianists performing today" - JazzReview.com

"a class act"... "superb piano playing" - Show Business

"a polished musician with complex, thoughtful, yet accessible interpretations" - Cabaret Scenes

On Voice:

Singing is much more a mental activity then most people realize. In practicing it is most important to mentally form the exact sound and placement in our mind BEFORE we vocalize. Eventually, the mental concept and production of sound will seem simultaneous. Other issues, such as breathing technique and range, will fall more easily into place when we imagine, in our 'mind's ear', the exact quality and sound we want to produce. Although we can hear our voice as we sing, we do not want to focus on the sounds we produce. Instead, we want to concentrate and focus on that voice within our head.

As in speaking, our brain and vocal mechanism appear to work simultaneously. No one would put forth however that it is our mouth that is doing the thinking. The thought comes first. In singing, the vocal tone and thought will appear to also act simultaneously. When we practice however we need to highlight and focus on mentally imagining the tone before it is produced so that it will become the habit as we sing. This applies to piano performance as well.

On Practicing:

How to practice is just as important as finding the time to practice. Too many students find music a frustrating endeavor. This is not because music is difficult but because they do not understand proper practice technique.

Making "mistakes": How often to you say, "oops" when you practice? The reason for 'making mistakes' is tackling too much material beyond your comfort level at a tempo that is too fast. Adjust one or both of these elements and you are on your way to success. What seems a simple and obvious technique however is so often overlooked and not applied with the proper discipline.

It is often necessary to shorten the amount of material being worked on and/or slow down the tempo. We cannot let our desire and impatience to perform a piece interfere with taking the time to truly immerse ourselves in the material. When you practice a lot of material, moving quickly on to the next study, it may give you the illusion that you are making progress, but it is only an illusion.

The goal is to perform whatever it is - COMFORTABLY. It is your comfort level with the material, a very personal, internal gauge that measures your progress.

promusicstudy@yahoo.com

Hear the sound IN YOUR MIND