Music Time Academy
UPCOMING HOLIDAYS
February 14th:
Valentine's Day (OPEN)

February 17th:
President's Day (OPEN)

March 31st-April 6th:
Spring Break (CLOSED)

May 4th: 
Spring Concert
CALENDAR
Wondering about our studio schedule? Please download the Student Calendar HERE.
MUSIC TIME ACDEMY AROUND THE WEB
SEE LIVE MUSIC
Our teachers are avid performers in the San Francisco Bay Area (and across the world)! Check them out live with their bands/ensembles at these upcoming gigs.

Thursday, February 6th: Timmy G at Tiki Tom's in Walnut Creek

Thursday, February 6th:
West Grand Boulevard, featuring Anna & Alex @ Boom Boom Room in San Francisco

Friday, February 7th: Timmy G's Dueling Guitars at Winemaker's Pourhouse in Livermore

Saturday, February 8th: Timmy G's Dueling Guitars at Eight Bridges Brewing Company (Grand Opening) in Livermore

Friday, February 21st:
The UnOriginals, featuring Tim at Johnny Foley's in San Francisco

Saturday, February 22nd:
La Gente, featuring Mario, at Elbo Room in San Francisco

Thursday, February 20th:
Chuchito Valdes, featuring Mario, at Yoshi's in Oakland

Saturday, February 22nd:
Felsen, featuring Andrew at Fox & Goose in Sacramento

Wednesday, February 26th: 
Felsen, featuring Andrew, at The Nightlight in Oakland

Saturday, March 1st:
Timmy G's Dueling Guitars at EJ Phair in Concord

Thursday, March 6th:
West Grand Blvd, featuring Anna & Alex, plus Kuckaw!, featuring Adam at Boom Boom Room in San Francisco

Every Sunday at 6:30pm: Alex at Cafe Striche in San Jose
INSTRUCTORS' BANDS
(Anna, drums)

(Tim, guitar/vocals)

(Xavier & Nick, vocals & guitar)

(Alex, saxophone)
 
(Anna, drums)

(Xavier, guitar/vocals)

(Mario, trumpet)

(Mario, trumpet)

(Anna, drums)

(trumpet)

(Adam, bass)

(Stewart, guitar/vocals)

(Adam, bass)

(Andrew, guitar/vocals)

(Mario, trumpet)
 
(Dave Lockhart, bass)
 
(Chris Mahon, guitar)

Welcome to our February Newsletter!
 2014 is treating us well so far, and we hope that the same is true for you and your family. 
 
If you haven't been in the studio lately, we are excited to have added a brand new wall in the front portion, completing a total of 8 teaching studios. HOWEVER - 8 is just not enough during our regular hours, so:
 
 We are expanding our lessons to Sundays for the first time ever
 
A few of our current instructors are now available for lessons on guitar, piano, saxophone, clarinet, flute, ukulele, bass and voice. Ask us for details on timing and how to sign up.
 
Also, please note: WE ARE OPEN ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17TH
As always, you can find our Calendar on the left side of this email, or at:
 
And now for the fun stuff...
WE WANT YOU...to join a band!
One simple question: are you ready to rock?
After great success with our teen rock band (as seen at the past few concerts), we are now forming new, all-student ensembles. If you're interested, just let us know and we will place you or your child in an age-appropriate band that will rehearse weekly at a time that works with everyone's schedules. Performances will be at our Spring and Winter Concerts, with potential other showcase opportunities in the community. Playing music with your peers is the best way to apply the material covered in private lessons, plus (who are we kidding) it's just a TON of fun for everyone. Join us, won't you?
 
All ages and instruments (we especially need singers, guitarists, and bassists) are welcomed to apply! Call, email, or stop by the office to get on the list.

...and space is still open in our other group workshops! Interested, but can't make these times? Ask us about additional options!

TODDLER CLASS (must be accompanied by adult): 
Tuesdays at 11:30-12:15pm 
$60 per month 

 

PRESCHOOLER CLASS: 
Mondays at 3:00-4:00pm 
$60 per month Music Class
 

Ukulele Club

Class Meetings: Mondays at 7:30pm

Cost: $50 monthly membership ($15 per single class), $80 for ukulele & one month membership

Call or email us today to register! anna@musictimeacademy.com

35% Off Concert Tickets!
Guitar Passions hits the Bankhead Theater stage in Livermore on February 25, an evening of Latin-inspired jazz unites multi-GRAMMY winning Sharon Isbin's contemporary classical technique with iconic jazz master Stanley Jordan and Brazil's leading guitarist Romero Lubambo.

"Elevates classical guitar to a whole new level... captures what's unique about each performer's personality and style and melds it into a new guitarified creation." / GUITAR WORLD

GUITAR PASSIONS
Tuesday, February 25 at 7:30PM
35% off adult tickets* with PASSWORD RIFF adult tickets $36/$45/$55
$15 student tickets

BANKHEAD THEATER
call 925.373.6800, click www.bankheadtheater.org,come by 2400 First Street / Downtown Livermore / Where parking is FREE!
Student of the Month
Congratulations to Rushil Chemudur!
Rushil will receive (along with priceless glory and endless bragging rights) a $30 Gift Certificate to Music Time Academy, as well as a $20 gift card to the Cinema West Theater in Livermore!
 
Instrument: Guitar
Teacher: Michael Solomon
Age: 7
Grade: 2
Student at Music Time Since: February 2013
Hobbies (besides practicing):  Swimming

This month marks Rushil's one year anniversary of taking music lessons with us! Back in December (after fantastic performance at our Winter concert), Rushil's teacher, Michael, nominated him as our Student of the Month for practicing very hard and making tremendous progress on the guitar. We think that Rushil is quite the model student and very deserving of this award based on all of his hard work. Great job, Rushil!
 
Do you know a current Music Time Academy student with a newsworthy musical story or accomplishment from the past month that should be featured? If so, please fill out our online nomination form by following this link:  STUDENT OF THE MONTH NOMINATION FORM
Teacher Feature

For February, we would like to feature Andrew Griffin, our Saturday drum and guitar instructor.

 

To say that Andrew Griffin comes from a musical family is a bit of an understatement. The youngest of twelve children, Andrew is one of ten siblings who are accomplished musicians, including one who plays in the Chicago Symphony. "Four or five of us have degrees in music, and two of us make a living at it. Being the youngest, I was surrounded by music growing up - my dad played trombone too. But unlike my classically trained siblings, I was into rock and roll. I was way into the Beatles by the time I was four years old." At ten, Andrew attended a summer camp at a military academy in Indiana where he grew up, playing in the drum and bugle corps. He started on tenor drum, then moved to snare. By thirteen he started playing drums in a rock band, and played in bands all through high school and college. After earning a degree in History from from Valparaiso, Andrew studied drums at the highly acclaimed Berklee College of Music in Boston. He then moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1998, and has grown his career as a professional musician ever since. 

 

In addition to being an in-demand session drummer, Andrew has taught private lessons to hundreds of drummers over the years. He has also taught junior high band, kindergarten music classes, grade school music, rock band workshop classes, and master classes at the Jazz School in Berkeley and for the California Percussive Arts Society. In addition to being a multi-instrumentalist, Andrew is also a singer/songwriter and producer. He currently fronts Oakland based Indie rock group Felsen who have just released their third album. His impressive credits as a touring and session drummer include: CAKE, Camper Van Beethoven, Luce, Vince Welnick (Grateful Dead, Tubes, Todd Rundgren), Kenny Margolis (keyboards Cracker), Jonathan Richman, David Immergluck (Counting Crows), Roger Rocha (4 Non Blondes), Nate Query (bassist the Decemberists), Eric Holden (Bassist with Josh Groban, the Bodeans), Chris Xefos (of King Missile), Duane Jarvis (guitarist & co writer for Lucinda Williams), Jimmy Prescott (bassist G Love and Special Sauce), Steve Fisk (producer Nirvana, Soundgarden, the Posies, Soul Coughing).

 

"If I have an identity as a drummer it's, always play for the song," says Andrew, "I get more satisfaction out of a band sounding really great than just me sounding good." 

 

For more information about our many instructors, please CLICK HERE!
Thank you for your continued support in music education! 

Sincerely,





Anna Cucciardo (Director) & Monica Lind (Manager)

Music Time Academy
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