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The Fremont Music School | ||
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GUITAR
BASS DRUMS PIANO VOICE |
DON CLIFTON
Don grew up blessed and bored in McAlester, Oklahoma. Surrounded by country music, he vowed to become a tower sniper. His training was derailed at age 11 by rock and roll and his first electric guitar. He began studying the guitar with a piano teacher who bore a striking resemblance to Bozo the Clown. After a year of playing Olivia Newton-John songs and other things he hated, all the while wanting to learn some rock songs, he quit. He resumed his path of delinquency, which was once again interrupted at age 16. Under the influence of raging teenage hormones, Don believed resuming study of the guitar would "help him with the ladies". By the time he figured out it did not, it was too late. He was hooked on the guitar (he also had spent his every last penny on gear). Don learned rhythm guitar from a nearby backwoods preacher. For lead guitar, he turned to the only person of European descent in a low income housing project. An insane former Green Beret, the teacher was an excellent player. Don was forced to sneak to his lessons under the cover of darkness. If discovered it became necessary to outrun threats and pop bottles in a '66 Chevy. He thought it a reasonable risk. Don went on to study music composition with Frank Zappa's Peter Acaro in Junior College. After receiving his Associates degree in Music Composition, he went on to study at the University of Oklahoma. There he earned a Bachelor's degree in Music Composition with a minor in psychology. Believing he would starve to death slower in psychology, he went on to receive a Master's degree in the field. He began working as a child and family therapist, while writing and performing songs with the band, "The Restless Natives". He moved to Bainbridge Island in 1992 and joined the band "Where's Bob?" before eventually pursuing a solo career. Don then released his solo EP "Don Clifton", which received national recognition and accolades from both family AND friends. Recorded with producer Tom Hall and the rhythm section from Heart, it received regional attention and airplay. Don teamed up with another act "The Dips" and began performing regionally. Don and the Dips recently acquired three new members and a new name, "Ruby Darby". Ruby Darby released their debut, "130 Pounds of Pep", in the spring of 2000. They eventually grew tired of looking at each other and Don moved to Seattle. Don then joined an all male, hard rock Madonna tribute band named Mandonna, which Don loved while simultaneously referring to the project as, "profoundly retarded". Oddly enough, three fourths of the band went on to form a Southern rock band named Scattergun. The music is dangerously close to country, but is being monitored closely for hypocrisy in relation to Don's earlier statement's regarding country music. As a member of the Fremont Music School in Seattle, Don teaches guitar fulltime. He stresses applied theory and building on the strengths of his students. His primary styles are folk, rock, surf, classic rock, hard rock, blues, Southern rock, harder than hard rock and, yes, even country. However, he tries to help his students know how to get by in all styles. He encourages them to learn improvisation skills and to try their hand at creating their own material. He also enjoys teaching his students the songs that they like, and he prays these aren't by Olivia Newton-John. |
Don Clifton is the love child of a voodoo priestess and a madman, raised by wolves until about eight years ago. It was at that point he began teaching the guitar full time.| Special Events | |
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Private Lessons and Class Tuition Private Lessons Students of the Fremont Music School prepay a one month tuition fee for private lessons. Students will generally receive 4 lessons in a one month period. Some months will have 5 weeks others may only have 3 weeks due to a holiday closure but the monthly tuition remains the same. Private Lesson Tuition Cost Classes Students register by pre-paying for classes to the instructor. The Fremont Music School offers a variety of classes each quarter. Some classes will be offered every quarter while other classes will rotate throughout the year. Generally, our classes are one hour long once a week and run for 8 consecutive weeks unless otherwise noted. Quarters Class Tuition |
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Introduction to Music Theory Instructor: Randy Hathaway Introduction to Music Theory: Mondays (7:00 - 8:00pm) |
Rhythm 101 |
Our Address: |
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Call us: The Fremont Music School is 7 blocks south of the Woodland Park Zoo on the corner of Fremont Ave N. and N. 43rd st.(Red Brick Church) Students must enter through the door on 43rd st. where our schools name is posted. Please do not park on 43rd! Parking is available in the parking lot located 1/2 block north of our facility on the east side of Fremont Ave. | |
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Blues Explosion Band Class Fremont Music School teachers Ben Ireland (Sky Cries Mary) and Zach Stewart (Flowmotion, Goat) team up for the fifth time to present their exciting Blues/Rock combo/class - BLUES EXPLOSION!! |
Jimi Hendrix Ensemble Class |
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There are no ensemble classes scheduled at this time.
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Beginning Guitar Class Instructor: Randy Hathaway Beginning Guitar Class: Monday (6:00 - 7:00pm) Intermediate Guitar 1 Class
Instructor: Randy Hathaway 1. Students work on 2-3 rock/pop songs in their entirety. 2. Learn a 12 bar blues progression. 3. Learn a Spanish progression. 4. Work on improving scales with a partner. 5. Advance students reading skills. 6. Learn advanced right hand picking techniques. 7. Understand how to exucute rhythm patterns with strumming.
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GUITAR
BASS DRUMS PIANO VOICE |
PAUL FISHER Paul Fischer began playing the guitar at the age of 12, taking lessons with jazz and rock guitarists in his hometown of Philadelphia . He gained his first professional playing experience with local Philadelphia bands. Paul attended Goucher College in Baltimore , Maryland where he began a serious study of jazz and classical music. At Goucher, Paul had the opportunity to study with several world-class musicians including musicologist Fred Mauk, concert pianist Jeffrey Chappell, guitarist Steve Yankee, and West African percussionist Kwame Ansah-Brew. Paul graduated from Goucher in 2001 with honors in music and was awarded the Ruth Blaustein Rosenberg prize for creative potential. During this period, Paul formed the band Soft Shoe Shuffle, which performed throughout the Baltimore area. The band also enjoyed a month-long tour of France . During this tour, the band was featured at Le Bartloldi, Le Reservoir, and most notably, the world-renowned Jazz a Vienne festival. After graduation, Paul was a participant at the 2002 Banff Centre for the Arts International Jazz Workshop. At Banff Paul performed and studied with several luminaries in the modern jazz scene such as pianist/author Kenny Werner and his trio, Jazztimes artist of the year Dave Douglas, Jazzpar recipient saxophonist Chris Potter, and Jazzpar recipient composer Django Bates. Following this experience, Paul moved to Seattle and has become a part of its vibrant music scene both as a musician and teacher. Since moving to Seattle Paul has studied with Randy Halberstadt and performed in many styles with a variety of musicians and musical settings. Paul also has done improvisation workshops at Yenney music in Olympia , while teaching privately out of his home. Paul currently performs with The Nepottistas, Mixtape, and as a member of vocalist Kristen Woodbury's band. |
GUITAR
BASS DRUMS PIANO VOICE |
RANDY HATHAWAY Randy Hathaway holds a Bachelors of Music in classical guitar performance from Cornish College of the Arts and is the director of the Fremont Music School. Randy started professionally teaching guitar at age 16 and has accumilated over 23 years of experience in this field. His main studies have been in Rock, Classical and Spanish/Latin music but he has also studied a bit of Jazz and Blues guitar styles. Randy teaches both private and group guitar classes and an introduction to music theory class for all instumentalists. Randy's main objective in the pedagogy of guitar is to give his students the necessary tools to help them become independent, creative and confident musicians. In accomplishing this he gives his students the basic knowledge and fundamentals of music and guitar no matter where their skill level or musical interests fall. Then Randy introduces his students to a diverse amount of musical styles and thought so that it may help aid them in enriching their own musical expression. In doing this successfully, Randy shares his many years of music education and performance experience, a balance which can greatly benifit the student. In 1994, Randy was accepted through an international audition in New York to perform classical guitar duets and solos with the Rome Festival Orchestra in Italy. He has performed in various ensembles with members of the Seattle Opera, Seattle Symphony and Seattle Guitar Orchestra at various Universities, Concert Halls and Music Festivals in the Northwest United States and Canada. Randy has also been musically featured in newspapers and on radio and television. In recent years, Randy has moved from performing into composing solo and ensemble works for the Classical Guitar, Voice, Viola and Flute. His compositions have been performed in the United States and Japan along with performances by the renowned Minneapolis Guitar Quartet. His compositions have also been heard on KCMU and KING FM radio. Randy makes frequent apperances at various universities and colleges as a guest composer where he coaches students and faculty prior to performances of his works. |
GUITAR
BASS DRUMS PIANO VOICE |
STEVE SCHNEIDER
After college, Steve spent the next few years touring the Midwest, playing four sets a night in different Top 40 / Classic Rock bands. In 1989, a friend from Seattle played Steve a tape (one of those little analog thingies that you have to rewind) of Soundgarden. Inspired by this new music scene, Steve moved to Seattle in 1990. Steve and said friend formed the band Spoonbender, which became a strong presence during Seattle’s “grunge” years. Over the next 5 years, Steve was in “wood-shedding” mode, practicing his guitar for 8 to 10 hours a day and supporting himself by teaching music. After this "shredding" phase, he became deeply involved with the music of Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan. He researched their influences, learning everything he could about the blues. To date, the blues is still one of his favorite genres. In the mid-nineties Steve’s band morphed into Slow Gas Heater, and he also joined the band Get it Gurl. His musical tastes began to broaden. He fell in love with Sonic Youth, Chet Atkins, Stravinsky, The Beatles, Charlie Parker, Esquivel, Radiohead, and Sunny Day Real Estate – to name a few. Steve currently plays in the band Upwell. www.myspace.com/upwell Their CD “Replica” and EP "Number Nine EP" were recorded and produced by Jack Endino, who joined the band for a brief period. Upwell's their 3rd CD "$ELL THE SKY will be release in the spring of 2008. For the past 22 years Steve has been teacher, mentor, friend and therapist for aspiring musicians ranging in age from 6 to 60. He welcomes beginning to advanced guitarists and beginning to intermediate bassists. As an instructor, he focuses on reading, theory, chord / scale / arpeggio mapping of the guitar neck, modes, soloing, technique, song writing, ear training, rhythm and timing. He specializes in rock, alternative, country, blues, having fun, and making your guitar go “skrEEEEch warbley *sparkle* bOOm!”. *Steve can no longer be paid with eggs |
Steve grew up not far from the exact center of the continental United States. He first picked up the guitar at the age of 7, and began taking lessons at 9. By age 13 he was studying classical guitar at a local University, and studying rock and roll in his bedroom. During his teen years he became interested in Jazz, playing in various combos and entering countless competitions. At age 17, he played his first bar gig and had earned Master's Degrees in Van Halen, Rush and Led Zeppelin. Upon high school graduation he was awarded a music scholarship to Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. During this time, he started giving guitar lessons at a local music store, sometimes being paid with records or farm-fresh eggs.|
GUITAR
BASS
DRUMS PIANO VOICE |
JON MARKEL
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Jon grew up outside of Philadelphia. He played drums and percussion in school bands and took private lessons from age 9. Jon picked up guitar in his teens and eventually the upright and electric basses in college. He has studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston, has a BA in Jazz performance and composition from Goddard College in Vermont, and plays regularly with many different groups around Seattle. Jon teaches all styles, (jazz, funk, rock, folk, latin, classical) and concentrates on technique and musicality. Jon is a very patient teacher and can teach anyone from an absolute beginner to a professional. |
GUITAR
BASS
DRUMS PIANO VOICE |
STEVE NEWTON
Steve has been teaching for more than 13 years and has experience with all age groups. He is knowledgeable in computer music software and rhythm section techniques and offers private lessons on electric bass and beginning to intermediate guitar as well as music theory. He may also be induced to teaching music software applications. Steve offers both half hour and hourly private lessons. |
Steve Newton has been living in the great city of Seattle for about three years now by way of New York, Miami and Austin, Texas. Steve holds a degree in jazz performance from the University of Miami, Florida. Steve has been playing bass for over 20 years and has been involved in many musical projects including performing with many bands, composing and recording music for video games, performing radio plays, which are similar to rock operas, many personal compositions, private, personal instruction and is currently performing in the glam-rock musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch.|
GUITAR
BASS DRUMS
PIANO VOICE |
BEN IRELAND
Ben spent a year and a half touring with r&b legends the Platters. He also has played with the Drifters. Ben recorded and toured with Nirvana bass player Krist Novoselic's band Sunshine Cake. He worked as a show drummer in Atlantic City playing the most popular shows in the largest show rooms. In the early part of his career he played with various punk and glam outfits in New York and Seattle. Recent studio work includes playing bass and drums on Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossards solo album dedicated to Hank Williams. Bens musical education includes 2 years of classical snare drum lessons with Seattle Symphony percussionist Cathy Ramm. He has 9 years of teaching experience. Ben welcomes students of all ages. He teaches rock, blues, r&b, jazz and punk. His lessons are fun and informal. |
Ben Ireland currently plays drums for Seattles legendary space rock band SKY CRIES MARY. SCM has recorded albums for Warner Brothers and Capitol records, and has toured the US and Japan extensively.|
GUITAR
BASS DRUMS
PIANO VOICE |
ERIC EAGLE
Not interested in limiting himself to any one particular style but rather finding the common elements that exist in all his favorite music, he sought a wide range of musical outlets. He has performed and recorded with artists ranging from modern jazz (Tom Harrell, Wayne Horvitz, Victor Noriega, Kenny Kirkland) to avant-garde (Eyvind Kang, Aiko Shimada) to songwriter/ rock and roll (Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter, Nicolai Dunger, Lawnmowers, Laura Veirs). Recently he has been touring the US, Canada and Europe with Jesse Sykes, Wayne Horvitz and Victor Noriega. Eric also enjoys passing on his passion for music and drumming to others and has taught privately since 2002. |
Eric Eagle was born in Nashville, but was quickly transplanted to Redmond, WA where he started banging on Tupperware containers at age 9, graduating to a real drum set two years later. He hasnt stopped banging away since. In the mean time he has studied with some jazz greats (Billy Hart, John Riley, Rufus Reid, Bill Stewart, and Steve Turre) and attended the prestigious jazz school at William Patterson College in New Jersey.|
GUITAR
BASS DRUMS PIANO
VOICE |
AYAKO OKANO
Through her younger days, Ayako's main focus on the piano was classical music; she was one of the first graduates of Academy of Music Northwest and studied extensively with Michiko Miyamoto, in addition to her time spent at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois studying with Dr. David Kaiserman and Alan Chow. Ayako is an accomplished accompanist, with extensive experience in playing with and coaching soloists (both vocal and instrumental), small and large ensembles, and musicals - in many styles including classical, jazz, and gospel. She was a student accompanist with the Northwestern University Women's Chorus and University of Washington Chorale and even now lends her expertise to local schools and teachers for rehearsals and performances. Her performance experience ranges from the prestigious stage of Benaroya Hall to choral concerts in Korea and Japan in front of thousands to tiny clubs around town. Currently, Ayako is working on her own project, Cross-Eyed Kitty, an ever-evolving experiment in smashing classical, funk, rock, and retro Japanese pop styles together, that played the National Organization for Women benefit concert at Kane Hall in January 2007, while lending her love of rowdy rock and grimy grooves to funk based rock/hip-hop band Role:One. She is a very patient and thoughtful teacher to all ages and is committed to helping each and every student enjoy their musical experience, whether they are working on Bach English Suites or the Beatles' Let It Be. Fluent in both English and Japanese, Ayako is accepting students in both languages! |
Ayako Okano has played music since the age of four, starting way back with Yamaha organ classes at the kindergarten she attended on the outskirts of Tokyo, Japan. Though the organ classes did not last very long due to her family's move to the States in 1987, she began piano lessons soon after the move and her love for the instrument continues to grow everyday.|
GUITAR
BASS DRUMS PIANO VOICE
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ANDREW VAIT
Andrew now works in Seattle as a professional singer/songwriter, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist. He recently joined the Fremont Music School as a private vocal and instrumental instructor, where his goal is to give students the training necessary to “inspire confidence in musical and performing ability.” Andrew continues to write music for himself and other vocalists, record and produce his own music, and perform throughout the Northwest. For more information, please visit andrewvait.com. |
Andrew Vait is a recent Cum Laude graduate of the University of Miami Frost School of Music, where he received a Bachelor’s of Music in jazz vocal performance and was named the Outstanding Graduating Senior in jazz voice. At UM, he studied with world-renowned vocal and instrumental instructors on alto, tenor and baritone saxophone, flute, clarinet, and jazz piano. He sang in award-winning jazz vocal and chorale ensembles and was cast in numerous musical theatre productions in the Miami area, including Hair, Company, Baby, and Elegies For Angels, Punks & Raging Queens. Andrew has played across the United States in rock bands that have toured the Northeast and the Pacific Northwest; he has independently released two Cds; and he has composed and arranged music for saxophone quartets, big bands, jazz vocal ensembles and popular music horn sections. |
GUITAR
BASS DRUMS PIANO VOICE
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SARAH FLETCHER
Her aim through teaching is to take each individual students talents, interests, and motivations and turn them into a FUN, progressive, and dynamic learning experience. As well as focusing on Operatic Voice, Sarah has composed and performed in many genres, including Jazz, Blues, Musical Theater, and Electronic Music.Sarah continues her operatic training while teaching here in the Northwest. She offers instruction through The Fremont Music School in Operatic Voice, Classical Voice, Theatrical Voice, Jazz Voice Contemporary Voice, R&B Voice, Rock Voice, and More. A piano player herself, Sarah encourages musicians to be multifaceted and explore other genres and instruments. She will be team teaching an ensemble class for voice and piano in the spring, ask the Fremont Music School for more information… spots fill up fast! |
Sarah Fletcher, Lyric Soprano and Composer, has focused on music and education for over 20 years. With her Undergraduate Degree from The University of Puget Sound, Sarah has held leading roles in The Fiddler on The Roof, Guys and Dolls, The Sound of Music, The Marriage of Figaro, Dido and Aneas, and Patience, among others. Sarah is a Soprano soloist at Seattle First Baptist Church, under the direction of friend and colleague Vicky Thomas. A teacher for over 10 years, she has intensely studied Operatic Voice, Classical Voice, and Music Therapy through The University of Puget Sound, Music Works Northwest, and through private studies with acclaimed opera singers Katherine Weld and Marianne Weltman. She recently attended a Professional Opera Training Program Summer of 2007, AIMS in Graz, Austria where she performed and learned from other acclaimed professional opera singers, stage directors, and conductors from all over the world. In addition to operatic performance, Sarah has been featured at local clubs as a jazz and blues singer. 