LAMA Spring Quarter Special Announced

 

If you are interested in taking the next step towards your career in music, and learning from the best music industry professionals, we encourage our readers to take advantage of a discount LAMA  is offering through the end of the year.

If you sign up for a degree program in Music Production or Music Performance by January 1st, LAMA will take 10% off first quarter admission and will waive the $100 application fee. Visit http://www.lama.edu for more information.

-LAMA Staff

LAMA Drum Clinic: Aaron Spears

LAMA is very excited to welcome DW Drums, Zildjian Cymbals and Vic Firth artist Aaron Spears (Usher) for a drum clinic Sunday November 10th, from 4pm to 6pm. The Grammy nominee has an action packed two hour clinic planned for students and alumni in attendance; limited seating is available for the public (first come, first served). Check out this performance of Aaron at Modern Drummer Fest.

Interested in attending? Everyone must RSVP to be admitted. Email info@lama.edu and we will email you a confirmation shortly thereafter. We’ll see you Sunday!

-LAMA Staff

LAMA Instructor Spotlight: Dave Murdy

Dave Murdy!

At LAMA, it’s important to us that both student and teacher are connected throughout the musical journey. The LAMA faculty play a huge supporting role in the education process and often we’ll spotlight the instructors you’ll see on any given day at LAMA. Today we’re highlighting Mr. Dave Murdy.

Dave is a native Californian and received his Bachelors of Music in Jazz and Commercial Guitar from the renowned University of Southern California (USC) School of Music. Since graduating, Dave has gone on to lead a very diverse and successful musical career. He has performed both solo and with a wide range of artists that includes Jazz, Classical, Pop, Rock and Country genres.

Dave currently performs locally and internationally with one of Southern California’s most popular cover bands The Tijuana Dogs. He also performs with the Big Band Wartime Radio, Retro Pop and Soul Band The Class of 69 and freelances with numerous artists both locally and nationally.

Dave continues to be very active as a session musician playing on numerous independent releases, as well as arranging and writing. He has written, arranged and recorded original music for Universal Studios theme parks, as well as composed original music for “Muzak,” which is heard around the world. Dave continues to be involved with education, teaching the studio guitar course at Orange Coast College and several private students and has written his own guitar book.

For more info on Dave Murdy make sure to take a visit to his official website here.

-LAMA Staff

LAMA’s #LetsTalkMusic Series Continues with Glen Ballard

Recently we were thrilled to welcome Ziggy Marley to our inaugural “Let’s Talk Music” event (hosted every quarter at LAMA). The series continues November 6 at 8pm with six-time Grammy Award Winner Glen Ballard, the songwriter, lyricist and record producer probably best known for co-writing and producing Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill (winner of Grammy Awards for “Best Rock Album” and “Album of the Year”). He was also involved in the recording and writing of Michael Jackson’s Thriller and Bad, co-writing songs including “Man in the Mirror” and “Hand in My Pocket” and is the founder of Java Records.

Students, alumni and associates are invited tomorrow night to LAMA’s Performance Hall for the special evening, where Native Wayne Jobson will join us and interview Glen about his work and the state of the music industry. The event is open to the public — however, limited seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. All those who want to attend must RSVP by registering at this link. Can’t wait to see everyone tomorrow night — so get ready… #LetsTalkMusic!

-LAMA Staff

Art Alexakis Visits LAMA for an Evening with Students, Alumni

We’d like to invite all of the LAMA students and alumni to “An Evening with Art Alexakis,” taking place tomorrow night, October 30th at 8pm in the LAMA performance hall. Alexakis, who has a strong belief in the power and importance of music education, will discuss his approach to songwriting and offer his perspective on today’s music industry.

Alexakis is  best known as the lead singer, guitarist, producer and principal songwriter for the multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated Alternative rock band Everclear. The band has sold over 6 million albums in the U.S. and Canada alone, with 8 Top-40 hit singles on the Billboard Mainstream Rock, Top 40, & Adult Top 40 charts, including: “Santa Monica,” “I Will Buy You A New Life,” “Wonderful,” and “Father of Mine.”

He has also been a member of several notable bands, in addition to his own work as a songwriter for other major artists. Alexakis founded several record labels throughout his career, and has worked as an A&R representative for major record labels as well.

RSVP is required. Email info@lama (.edu) for more information.

-LAMA Staff

Dave Martone – “Top 10 Things You Need to Be Awesome”

We are happy to introduce an exciting new learning opportunity called LAMA Online! LAMA has combined two technologies to deliver a fully interactive learning experience. In the video below, LAMA Online guitar instructor Dave Martone gives guitarists a preview of his course, “Top 10 Things You Need to Be Awesome” (we love that Parker Guitar he is playing as well).

In this course, Dave will take you through his Top 10 list of things that will teach you how to be awesome, including picking, legato, combo meal deal, expression, phrasing, fingerpicking, sweeping, hybrid picking, tapping, tone and more! You will be guided through all of these topics with multi-cam video, printed music including tabs, and backing tracks. Guitar Online Enrollment is now open for six guitar courses, beginning January 6th, 2013. Interested in taking Dave’s course? Register here.

How does LAMA Online work?

Each course features ten video lessons. At the end of each lesson you will be asked to submit a video of yourself performing the weekly assignment. You can video yourself as many times as you like, and when you record “the one,” upload it for the teacher to review. The teacher will then video himself/herself critiquing your performance. You will then receive an email in your inbox letting you know that there’s a personalized video from your teacher awaiting your review (the video exchange technology is included in the lessons). There are no programs to buy or download. It’s very easy to use: all you need is a computer with a camera and microphone.

-LAMA Staff

You’re Invited! LAMA Halloween Costume Party

Trick or Treat! Students and staff haunt the LAMA campus…

We absolutely love Halloween! Get your ghoul on at this year’s costume party, where we’ll feature live music, a DJ and of course, tons of costumes! Students, alumni, staff and their guests are required to wear a costume in order to attend.

While you are there, take a tour of our brand new LAMA North Campus. If you have an October birthday, come celebrate your day-of-birth with fellow Libras and Scorpios including LAMA staffers Wilber and Charisse!

For more information about the evening, and to register to attend, click here.

When:

Saturday October 26, 2013 from 9:00 PM – 1:00 AM PDT

Where:

LAMA North Campus (Use Del Mar entrance)

10 E. Del Mar Boulevard

Pasadena, CA 91105

-LAMA Staff

LAMA Alumni Band “The Fetching” Open for Everclear Tonight

LAMA Alumni band The Fetching finish rehearsal in advance of tonight’s show with Everclear. (photo via The Fetching on Facebook)

We are so excited to see Everclear perform  tonight but even better, alumni band The Fetching will open the show! A big congratulations to Santiago Granados and Tahkus as the band was picked out of many LAMA student/alumni bands who submitted for the opportunity to play.

Tickets can still be purchased for tonight’s special evening benefiting music education. A limited number of VIP tickets are available which include premium seating, exclusive “meet-n-greet” with Everclear, a pre-show cocktail reception with open bar and catering provided by Tender Greens and Zona Rosa Coffee and a signed collectible Everclear poster. A portion of the proceeds from this concert will benefit The Playhouse’s Wells Fargo Theatrical Diversity Project.

American rock band Everclear was formed in Portland, Oregon in 1992 by lead singer and guitarist Art Alexakis. The band has gone multi-platinum with over 6 million albums sold in the U.S. and Canada alone, 8 Top 40 hit singles on the Billboard Mainstream Rock, Top 40, & Adult Top 40 charts, including: “Santa Monica,” “I Will Buy You A New Life,” “Wonderful,” and “Father of Mine.”

“When I look back at what Everclear has done, I see a lot of things that have changed and a lot of things that have stayed consistent. But at the end of the day, I’m still doing the same thing I’ve always done. It’s still guitar-based rock ‘n’ roll, and I’m still just telling stories, which is all I ever wanted to do,” said Everclear’s Art Alexakis. “I’m proud of what we’ve done and I still enjoy it. And, I feel blessed that other people like it, too. The band and I look forward to performing our music at The Pasadena Playhouse.”

For more info visit: http://www.pasadenaplayhouse.org/box-office/special-events/one-night-with-everclear.html

-LAMA Staff

LAMA Instructor Spotlight: Jamie Rosenn

Jamie Rosenn!

Here at LAMA it is important to us that both student and teacher are connected on the musical journey, and that the faculty play a supporting role to the student. That’s why we like to spotlight some of the instructors you may see while at LAMA. Today let’s meet Jamie Rosenn. From Jamie’s official website:

Jamie Rosenn is a guitar player committed to forging a personal sound that acknowledges the past but also points to the future. Trained at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, where he received a Bachelors Degree in Music, Rosenn studied with jazz luminaries Jimmy Giuffre, Ran Blake, Mick Goodrick, George Russell and Bob Moses. After completing his studies in Boston, Jamie moved to California where he attended the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) in Valencia. At CalArts Jamie studied with Charlie Haden, Leo Smith and Joe LaBarbera and was a featured performer and composer on the ’94 and ’95 CalArts Jazz CDs. Since receiving his Master Degree from CalArts Jamie has been an active member of the Los Angeles jazz scene. In 1996 Jamie was chosen by the United States Information Agency to be an artistic ambassador and perform in a duo that took part in a seven week tour of the Middle East and South Asia. In addition to performing, Jamie currently teaches at the Musician’s Institute, Saddleback College, the Los Angeles Music Academy, and CalState Northridge and has taught at the University of California at Los Angeles, and CalArts and Cypress College. Jamie performs as a member of the trio JoE-LeSs shOe with Jason Harnell and Matt Otto who released their self titled CD in 2007 as well as “Outsole” in 2010. Jamie also co-leads the organ trio Option 3, with Joe Bagg and Mark Ferber that released their debut CD “Points Subtracted” in early 2008.

For more info on Jamie make sure to give a visit to his website here.

-LAMA Staff

New LAMA Online Course: Advanced Chord Systems

It is time for another installment of #LAMATube ! This time featuring the great LAMA instructor Jody Fisher.

For guitar students who already possess a knowledge of basic diatonic harmony, and have a good vocabulary of extended chords, this class is the next step. The course dives into the theory and usage of altered dominant chords right from the beginning. Check out the video below:

-LAMA Staff