About Me
*Versatile in all styles of music*Specialization in Jazz and Classical and all contemporary art forms*Graduate of Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA 1991*Bachelor of Music Degree; Major in Performance: Jazz and Classical*Works/performs in all ensemble situations, e.g. solo, duo, trio, etc.in all styles of music*Parties-Weddings-Clubs-Restaurants-CasinosMajor Events;Venues-Television ABC, CBS, FOX studios-Radio(live WPST Philadelphia, PA) and pre-recorded programs*Piano/Music Instructor
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EDUCATION:Berklee College of Music Boston, MABachelor’s Degree in Jazz Performance, Graduate May 1991Other Major Studies include Classical and Contemporary Art forms in Performance, Large Ensemble Arranging & Scoring (big band and orchestral, etc.), Songwriting, Film scoring, Conducting, Composition, and all other general music and academic courses.
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///////////////////////////////PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:1989-PresentPiano/Keyboard and Songwriting instruction for all ages.Early beginners through very advanced levels in all styles of Music specializing in Jazz and Classical.1990-1991 Private Instruction, Boston, MA Self-Employed1991-1993 Private Instruction in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware: Self-Employed and Employed by Howard Herbert’s Music Center.1993-1998 Private Instruction in Tri-State area: Self-Employed and Employed through The Conservatory Without Walls, Anthony Casario, Director.1994-Present Self-Employed at Michael Leggerie Piano/Keyboard Instruction and Songwriting Studio, Philadelphia, PA.1989-Present Performing in many various settings for solo, small and large ensembles at casinos, clubs, concerts, restaurants, hotels, places of worship, museums, conventions, political rally’s and other public and private functions, including weddings, corporate affairs, parties/celebrations (anniversary, retirement, birthday, holiday, religious, etc.)1999-2002 Former Keyboardist/Backup Vocalist for original rock group on Bodyguard Records Music Label.
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///////////////////////////////ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES:Piano Instruction to hundreds of people, including professionals (or family of) such as: musicians, actors, artists, lawyers, police, firefighters, doctors (and many other people in the medical profession), people in professional sports, broadcasting, government, politics, education and many other occupations. (More on file)Piano Instruction to Special Needs children and adults.Recording Artist, Producer, Engineer, and Arranger on numerous records/CD's.Jazz Pianist, Bandleader of Jazz trio and other duo/trio/quartets performing in tri-state area of Philadelphia.Jazz/Classical Pianist with Philly local band "The Heartbeats" since 1990 (mainly private functions, i.e. Weddings, etc.)Singer/Songwriter and Performer of original pop/rock band currently working on recording/publishing deal.Songwriter/Co-Writer, Performer, Recording Artist with many musicians/bands in many various genres of music including country, folk, blues, jazz, and alternative art forms.Performed on Live Radio 97.5 WPST, Philadelphia, PAPerformed live on Major Television Networks ABC, CBS, and FOX (pre-recorded), and several cable networks along the East Coast.//////////////////////////////////////////////////////
/////////////////////////////////////PRIVATE INSTRUCTION: My goal as an instructor is to show the student the abilities that he/she has and guide them each individually and focus on their own unique needs/talents. Discovering or enhancing one’s own capability of playing music is an awesome and quite powerful gift. One should not be limited to just learning to play by way of notated music, but also understanding it at the fundamental level. By learning the rudimentary elements of harmony and melody and by applying that knowledge with little or no reading involved or without the use of arrangements, creates a foundation and instills a much greater diverse, and intellectual perspective with a more sophisticated knowledge, that will constantly enrich, influence, consistently build confidence and widely broaden musicianship throughout each’s own musical endeavors. Reading music should be an asset to someone who can play music without the need for notated music. Understanding music both intellectually and aesthetically and possessing the ability to read and interpret it through playing will put you at an advantage at a much higher level and give you many more options, both creatively and technically, without boundaries and limitations in all musical situations.
