Tag Archives: Jazz

Review: Coursera Introduction to Improvisation

I’ve completed the second week of Gary Burton’s Intro to Improvisation online course through Coursera. The lessons progressed from the first week’s discussion of parallels between language and music to a more theoretical description of ten of the commonly used … Continue reading

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Review: Coursera Introduction to Improvisation

I’ve just completed the assignments for Week 1 of Gary Burton’s introductory improvisation class. I think it’s off to a good start, and he really throws you right into the thick of things. The first lectures address music as a … Continue reading

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SoundCloud Page

I just set up a page on SoundCloud where I’ll be uploading my music. Feel free to check it out, follow my stream, and see what I’m listening to. The address is http://soundcloud.com/mikeopmusic

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Review: Coursera Introduction to Improvisation

Today I had my first glimpse of the online Introduction to Improvisation course offered by Berklee College of Music. It is a five-week class presenting some of the fundamentals of jazz improvisation. I’ll be giving a week-by-week review as a … Continue reading

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Fabrizio Sotti EPK

Here is the full length EPK for Fabrizio Sotti’s upcoming album, Right Now. I’m finishing up my feature on Sotti for Guitar International, to be published mid-May. Check for it then to hear the story behind the artist and the … Continue reading

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Debashish Bhattacharya Interview and Streaming Audio

A new album released  by Debashish Bhattacharya featuring John McLaughlin is available for streaming on the CBC music blog. This album is a departure from Bhattacharaya’s previous albums, which featured traditional Hindustani classical music. I’ll be reviewing the new album, Beyond … Continue reading

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Music Lessons in Koh Samui

I am currently teaching from two locations on Koh Samui. I am available every day in Ban  Lamai and every Wednesday and Friday in Ban Maenam. I teach private guitar, banjo, and mandolin lessons, as well as music theory, jazz … Continue reading

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A Link Between Country Music and Jazz

A couple of recent articles / reviews from The Atlantic and All About Jazz touch on some of the interesting overlap between country music and jazz over the last century. Skip Heller’s review of Chet Atkins’ and Les Paul’s album Guitar Monsters and Noah … Continue reading

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Michelle Video

This is a video slideshow for my chord melody arrangement of the Beatles’ classic “Michelle.” A transcription of the chord melody is available here.

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Jazz Guitarist Fabrizio Sotti

I just finished a great interview with jazz guitarist Fabrizio Sotti for Guitar International. He is a unique artist and a pleasure to speak with. We talked about guitar, jazz, the music business, creativity, the artistic experience, and his recent … Continue reading

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