LAMA Musicians Entertain VIP Crowd

LAMA’s Michael Alvidrez (bass) and Lorenzo Grassi (guitar) were the featured musicians invited to play Pasadena Museum of History‘s VIP reception (Aug. 17th) for museum donors and sponsors. The feedback from guests was overwhelmingly positive — great job guys!

We’re always working with our friends and businesses in the local communities. If you are interested in featuring LAMA musicians for your event in Pasadena or Los Angeles, please call Iris Alba, LAMA’s Director of Alumni Relations, at 626-568-8850.

-LAMA Staff

Peter Erskine App Features LAMA Drum Instructor Aaron Serfaty

New App!

We are very proud to announce LAMA drum instructor Aaron Serfaty, the go-to studio drummer for Afro Cuban and Brazilian drumming, is featured on the “Erskn Afro Cuban Essentials”, a brand new app from Peter Erskine (currently available in the App Store).

Here is how the App works:

Using the built-in mixer, the user can create their own combo: full rhythm section (trio), music-minus- piano, music-minus-bass, music-minus-drums, or solo tracks of drums-only, bass-only or piano-only PLUS any combination of congas, bongo and timbale percussion tracks. There are click-track and count-off options, too. 

This YouTube video showcases all the features of the app:

Want more from Aaron? Check out his quick tip videos from LAMA College for Music Professionals below:

-LAMA Staff

#LetsTalkMusic – LAMA Welcomes Ziggy Marley and Native Wayne Jobson

 

Students, alumni and associates are very much looking forward to the August 21st event at LAMA featuring five-time Grammy winner (and newly-awarded Emmy winner) Ziggy Marley and Grammy-winning producer Native Wayne Jobson. LAMA’s ‪#‎LetsTalkMusic‬ series is invite-only and hosted every quarter at LAMA. Jobson will interview Marley, a musician, actor, artist, activist and humanitarian, about his history in the music industry, journey as an artist, and aspirations to affect change with his music.

LAMA has also announced a new scholarship in Ziggy’s name, the Ziggy Marley Artist Scholarship. For more information, visit www.lama.edu.

-LAMA Staff

LAMA Gospel Choir Records “Roll Over Beethoven”

The choir in the studio!

You might remember an earlier blog post celebrating the LAMA partnership with The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance (London, England) and Academia de Música Fermatta (Mexico City and Guadalajara; Mexico) to create the International Association of Music Colleges and Universities (IAMCU). To celebrate the launch of IAMCU, the association announced it has partnered with UNICEF for a special collaborative project to mark the 50th anniversary of the seminal album, “With the Beatles.”

Recently the LAMA Gospel Choir was in the studio recording vocals for the Beatles version of the Chuck Berry song “Roll Over Beethoven”. (Track #1 on Side #2 of the original With the Beatles vinyl) The members of the choir are:

Choir Conductor : Dawn Bishop

Sopranos : Grace Park
Dawn-Charlott Thompson

Altos : Rannveig Amundsen
Mariela Arredondo
Tshegofatso Mhlongo

Tenors : Erik Kapernick
Elliot Steinwedell
Anton Söder
Nicolas Tinguely
Jesper Windmar

We are counting down the days to hear the finished album!

-LAMA Staff

LAMA’s Guitar Department Described by Student Andres Yepez

Andres plays in an ensemble workshop with LAMA’s Sandro Feliciano (drums) and Doug Ross (bass)

Andres Yepez, like many LAMA students before him, came from Ecuador to Los Angeles to study music at LAMA. Roughly half of LAMA’s student body comes internationally to study here. Andres talks about why he chose to study guitar at LAMA and what daily life is like in the guitar department. For more information, visit http://www.lama.edu.

-LAMA Staff

What to Expect at a LAMA Vocal Showcase

At the end of each quarter, LAMA hosts an industry showcase where students perform in front of a live audience and a panel of music industry professionals. These events are attended by students, faculty, grads and LAMA guests and provide invaluable experience to the participants. It’s one of the most anticipated events as students progress through LAMA’s vocal program. Vocal Artist Development Director Dorian Holley invited Nick Cooper, Scott Wojahn and Windy Wagner to judge. Watch the video highlights here:

-LAMA Staff

Ralph Humphrey’s Drum Clinic Tour in Germany

If you’ve never seen a drum clinic with LAMA’s honorable Drum Department Chair Ralph Humphrey, it’s a real treat for the mind and ears! Ask any of our drum students about the studio great and former Zappa drummer and you’ll see why. He’s currently touring Germany including Drumweek in Berlin for a variety of drum clinics through August 8th! Remaining dates and locations include:

• August 5th – Beathouse, Cologne, GERMANY

• August 6th – Kulturzentrum Schlachhof, Kassel, GERMANY 

• August 7th – Hamburg School of Music, Hamburg, GERMANY 

• August 8th – Music College Hannover, Hannover, GERMANY

Ralph, mid-drum clinic, at Musikhaus Schoenau – July 24th

Hope you’re having a good tour Ralph – can’t wait to have you back at LAMA!

-LAMA Staff

LAMA’s Austin Kolbe Sings Little Dragon’s “No Love”

Thanks to the power of #LAMATube  we can give you front row seats to our artist showcases. In this video, LAMA student Austin Kolbe performs Little Dragon‘s “No Love” during the Spring 2013 vocal showcase, which featured vocal judges Nick Cooper, Scott Wojahn, Windy Wagner, as well as Vocal Artist Development Director Dorian Holley. The song  might be called “No Love” but the way Austin sings, our hearts are filled with lots of love! Watch it here now:

-LAMA Staff