Jay Albert is the Chief Music Officer and founder of Songdog Music. Jay understands music and music education in ways that will surprise you. This is because his background has a breadth and a depth that is quite unusual. His job is to show music learners new ways to think about music, along with teaching them how to play. Here is a very brief rundown of how he has gained this remarkable ability:
School
Lots of it, including private lessons and master class work with some of the greatest classical guitarists: John Holmquist, Loris Chobanian, Benjamin Verdery, Carlos Barbosa-Lima, Eduardo Fernandez, Julian Gray, Ronald Pearl. (He also occupied the same room as the immortal Andres Segovia. Once. And only for an hour or two. And Segovia didn't even look at him. But it was really cool nonetheless.)
Bachelor of Music, Performance: Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory of Music
Master of Arts, Music Theory: Kent State University
Doctoral Studies, Music Theory and Composition: Kent State University
Professional Work
MUSIC TEACHING
Writing, curriculum design, composing of pedagogic music, editing etc.
Subjects include Guitar, Ukulele, Electric Bass, Piano, Music Composition, Improvisation, Chamber Music, Rock Band, Electronic Music, Music Theory and Ear Training, Elementary Music Methods, Music History & Appreciation.
Settings include private lessons, online lessons, classes at every level: college, high school, elementary, pre K, adult professional training, community education.
*Songdog Music, and prior to that freelance for years and years
*Kent State University
*Baldwin-Wallace College
*Cleveland State University
*Cuyahoga Community College
*Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
*Beck Center for the Arts
*Several music stores, long long ago.
ARTS EDUCATION ADMINISTRATION
Program development and implementation at school districts, parks, community centers, and nonprofit agencies across Ohio. Management of logistics, budget, grant proposals & reporting, inter-agency collaboration, and up to 40 individual staffers and teaching artists at a time, in both music and in visual arts, theater, dance, & creative writing.
*Songdog Music
*Cuyahoga Community College
*Tri-C Jazzfest Cleveland
*Cleveland School of the Arts
*Young Audiences of Northeast Ohio
*Handel & Haydn Society
*Boston Philharmonic
MUSIC PERFORMANCE
*Myriad classical and several jazz ensembles, mostly collegiate
*Solo singer-songwriter, seems like from the day he was born, but actually was a bit after that.
*Rock Bands, nearly as long. Recently, and arguably most fun: playing the legendary role of Angus Young in Night Prowler AC/DC Tribute band.
A note from Jay:
Bios provide the facts that need to be out there. But they are kind of all me, me, me, and “fact-y.” What they can’t show you is the Who of how I teach music. This is, profoundly not about me; it is about the student, whoever that may be. Young or old, beginner or advanced player: I have to learn from you what you want to know and be able to do, what kind of music you want to play, what relationship you have with that music. All my teaching flows from that.
My job is not only to know all the facts but to also know which ones - which music skills - will serve you best, and also the order in which they are most easily learned. And I need to figure out how you learn best; we are all wired a little differently. Are you more visual, auditory, a feeler, a thinker, a doer? To make a vast topic simple, it requires vast knowledge. I'm endlessly fascinated by it; and I love to share that.