Music Education
Larry Erny began working with his father when he was a very young boy, emptying trash and sweeping the floors in the store and traveling with him as he set up and created school band programs and music instruments all over Louisiana. Larry's dad was the first music teacher in the state and saw the...
Herlin Riley is a native of New Orleans and a continuing link in the chain of great jazz drummers. Herlin was raised in a musical household by his grandparents and originally played the trumpet in the family group, The Lastie Brothers Combo, as well as unknowingly playing in the same youth marching...
Chris Noyes began studying guitar at the age of 8, taking lessons at a Washington DC area music store. The bands he played in as a kid often included politicians, in fact one band played at Robert Kennedy's house! In 1972, he entered Berklee and remained until his retirement in 2018. Back in 1969,...
Stephen Webber is a professor at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and helped create the Music Production/Engineering program. After working at Mid South Recording Studio in Nashville, Stephen learned firsthand the need for serious studies on the subject. While teaching at Berklee he developed...
Neil Leonard began playing saxophone at a young age and it's no wonder, his father was a noted Jazz historian and author. After being greatly influenced by the Pink Floyd album "Dark Side of the Moon", Neil registered for classes at Berklee in Boston (1979). He fully embraced electronic...
David Mash studied guitar in much the same way his mother studied the piano. He was focused on the classical traditions and even took lessons from Andre Segovia. His mother was a student of a student of Chopin! His contributions to music education, which is vast in scope, began when David was 15...
Murray Grodner, along with his first wife Leah, formed Lemur Music, Inc., a catalog business that specialized in the needs of the Double Bassist. His impressive background as bassist, professor and author was perfect for launching a business career in providing needs of his fellow bassists. He...
Bruce Pearson developed his own methods of teaching students music, which became the center of his three successful book series for Kjos Music Publishing. He taught music in the public schools in Minnesota for over thirty years and began making note of what students at each level could and couldn'...
Newell Hardy had a life changing experience playing in the Youth Symphony on viola while in middle school. That opportunity lead to his love of guitar and later his passion for the pedal steel. Newell worked in music retail and worked his way up to store manager for Progressive Music in Utah. As a...
Bernie Williams is the former professional baseball player whose passion for music making led him to a role as a music advocate. Being a musician since he was a kid, Bernie perused a successful career as a baseball player for 16 years before gaining his degree in music at the Manhattan School of...