Comments for Ben Waltzer http://benwaltzer.com Thu, 15 Mar 2012 22:30:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Comment on Contact by Jonathon Furer http://benwaltzer.com/?page_id=7&cpage=1#comment-16421 Jonathon Furer Thu, 15 Mar 2012 22:30:27 +0000 http://benwaltzer.com/?page_id=7#comment-16421 Hi Mr. Waltzer, My name is Jonathon Furer. I am 16 years old, in the 11th grade, and I live in New Jersey. I am writing you to find out if you available for private piano lessons. Chris Washburne at Columbia University referenced me to you after a I met with him during a college tour. It would be an honor to learn from you. I am a very passionate music student with a deep interest in the subject of jazz. I have been studying piano since I was 5 and teaching since I was 10. My focuses include jazz, improvisation, composition, arranging, and classical performance. I have studied with Fred Hersch, Brandon McCune, Joe Kurasz, Bruce Williams, as well as some other teachers. In our lessons, I would like to focus primarily on jazz, but I am open to anything that you would have in mind. Thank you for your time and I hope to hear from you soon. Kind regards, Jonathon Furer (908) 577 8764 Hi Mr. Waltzer,

My name is Jonathon Furer. I am 16 years old, in the 11th grade, and I live in New Jersey. I am writing you to find out if you available for private piano lessons. Chris Washburne at Columbia University referenced me to you after a I met with him during a college tour. It would be an honor to learn from you.

I am a very passionate music student with a deep interest in the subject of jazz. I have been studying piano since I was 5 and teaching since I was 10. My focuses include jazz, improvisation, composition, arranging, and classical performance. I have studied with Fred Hersch, Brandon McCune, Joe Kurasz, Bruce Williams, as well as some other teachers. In our lessons, I would like to focus primarily on jazz, but I am open to anything that you would have in mind.

Thank you for your time and I hope to hear from you soon.

Kind regards,
Jonathon Furer
(908) 577 8764

]]> Comment on John McNeil's Backbone by Despite their lack of pianos and guitars, these discs strike a chord with me I (CD reviews) | Ottawa Citizen Blogs http://benwaltzer.com/?p=132&cpage=1#comment-8500 Despite their lack of pianos and guitars, these discs strike a chord with me I (CD reviews) | Ottawa Citizen Blogs Fri, 22 Jul 2011 19:53:07 +0000 http://benwaltzer.org/?p=132#comment-8500 [...] trumpeter with a raw sound but lots of heart and bristling intelligence. (I must point you to this excellent profile of McNeil that gives insights into McNeil’s health issues, wry humour and dedication to music.) [...] [...] trumpeter with a raw sound but lots of heart and bristling intelligence. (I must point you to this excellent profile of McNeil that gives insights into McNeil’s health issues, wry humour and dedication to music.) [...]

]]> Comment on Gig Tonight by richard watts http://benwaltzer.com/?p=1585&cpage=1#comment-1502 richard watts Sat, 13 Nov 2010 21:31:33 +0000 http://benwaltzer.com/?p=1585#comment-1502 hi i'm from menorca the metiterranean sea I was at that concert its been one of the best i've seen thank you. ben ,dwayne, otis . fantastico , if u come to spain i'd like to ear u play that piano again hi i’m from menorca the metiterranean sea I was at that concert its been one of the best i’ve seen thank you. ben ,dwayne, otis . fantastico , if u come to spain i’d like to ear u play that piano again

]]> Comment on Ben Waltzer Quintet, 4/30 by admin1 http://benwaltzer.com/?p=249&cpage=1#comment-1229 admin1 Fri, 29 Oct 2010 02:51:03 +0000 http://benwaltzer.com/?p=249#comment-1229 Neil's doing great. Great guy and student. I come by Portland from time to time; I only played there once, under the aegis of Paul Lichter. Thanks for you note and please keep in touch!! Neil’s doing great. Great guy and student. I come by Portland from time to time; I only played there once, under the aegis of Paul Lichter. Thanks for you note and please keep in touch!!

]]> Comment on Ben Waltzer Quintet, 4/30 by Gay Pearson http://benwaltzer.com/?p=249&cpage=1#comment-1221 Gay Pearson Thu, 28 Oct 2010 12:44:23 +0000 http://benwaltzer.com/?p=249#comment-1221 Hello Ben, I"ve heard about you through your student Neil Pearlman. HOw is he doing?? I haven't seen or heard him for at least 2 years, since he performed with his family at the Portland conservatory. I was amazed at the reharms he was using for celtic tunes, and have their CD "On the Edge". Also I know you know Vardan Ovsepian (my teacher) from teaching at the Maine jazz camp. I have been with Vardan for almost 3 years, and he has saved my musical life. He has introduced me to topics and conceptsI not only had never thought of , but never imagined I would be able to execute and apply to improvisation... especially with vamps and pedal points as a tool fro developing new techniques, without having to think of alot of changes I've grown to love them, and now am making up my own. Now that i have heard Vardan perform a few times, and have all his releases, it is such a treat to begin to hear a lot of what he is doing. I receive Jim Eigo's Jazz Promo services, most of which I can't begin to keep up with as far as really listening and learning from, but since I just came across yours, I want to listen to your music. I understand from Neil that you are a very different player and teacher from Vardan. My Latest release is on CDBaby.com, but i am well beyond that now. I teach at Portland conservatory, where Ed Pearlman used to teach.. Do you ever stop in Portland to or from the camp?? I will listen to whatever is on this site, shortly. Gay Pearson Hello Ben,

I”ve heard about you through your student Neil Pearlman. HOw is he doing?? I haven’t seen or heard him for at least 2 years, since he performed with his family at the Portland conservatory. I was amazed at the reharms he was using for celtic tunes, and have their CD “On the Edge”.
Also I know you know Vardan Ovsepian (my teacher) from teaching at the Maine jazz camp. I have been with Vardan for almost 3 years, and he has saved my musical life. He has introduced me to topics and conceptsI not only had never thought of , but never imagined I would be able to execute and apply to improvisation… especially with vamps and pedal points as a tool fro developing new techniques, without having to think of alot of changes I’ve grown to love them, and now am making up my own. Now that i have heard Vardan perform a few times, and have all his releases, it is such a treat to begin to hear a lot of what he is doing.
I receive Jim Eigo’s Jazz Promo services, most of which I can’t begin to keep up with as far as really listening and learning from, but since I just came across yours, I want to listen to your music. I understand from Neil that you are a very different player and teacher from Vardan.

My Latest release is on CDBaby.com, but i am well beyond that now. I teach at Portland conservatory, where Ed Pearlman used to teach.. Do you ever stop in Portland to or from the camp?? I will listen to whatever is on this site, shortly. Gay Pearson

]]> Comment on Big Easy, or Treme, after John McWhorter by mattsak http://benwaltzer.com/?p=1202&cpage=1#comment-408 mattsak Thu, 20 May 2010 13:59:26 +0000 http://benwaltzer.org/?p=1202#comment-408 Thanks for this... John McWhorter can only inspire primitive rantings from me, and here you've come up with a balanced and nuanced take. Thanks for this… John McWhorter can only inspire primitive rantings from me, and here you’ve come up with a balanced and nuanced take.

]]> Comment on Big Easy, or Treme, after John McWhorter by Luke http://benwaltzer.com/?p=1202&cpage=1#comment-407 Luke Mon, 17 May 2010 13:51:22 +0000 http://benwaltzer.org/?p=1202#comment-407 Great post, great tying together of the narrative threads. For the most part I agree, but I'm not sure the false notes are as fully intentional as you argue. Season five of The Wire was filled with such moments and tinny polemic yet the narrative didn't ultimately move to cut against those presumptions, and that tendency makes me think the tensions will continue to be a balancing act that sometimes resolve in analytical meaning and sometimes remain tilted too far. The NY jazz thing feels especially overdrawn (and so self-consciously oedipal), and the busker storyline with our friend from the sushi restaurant lacks the nuance of the other components of the show. Ultimately, though, the questions you're asking about culture I think are the best way to get meaning/value out of the experience of the show, and taking our time'll definitely help. Great post, great tying together of the narrative threads. For the most part I agree, but I’m not sure the false notes are as fully intentional as you argue. Season five of The Wire was filled with such moments and tinny polemic yet the narrative didn’t ultimately move to cut against those presumptions, and that tendency makes me think the tensions will continue to be a balancing act that sometimes resolve in analytical meaning and sometimes remain tilted too far. The NY jazz thing feels especially overdrawn (and so self-consciously oedipal), and the busker storyline with our friend from the sushi restaurant lacks the nuance of the other components of the show. Ultimately, though, the questions you’re asking about culture I think are the best way to get meaning/value out of the experience of the show, and taking our time’ll definitely help.

]]> Comment on Chaka gets in the gully. by Luke http://benwaltzer.com/?p=1312&cpage=1#comment-394 Luke Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:50:15 +0000 http://benwaltzer.org/?p=367#comment-394 Daaaaaamn, Chaka. She just did this to show she could. Daaaaaamn, Chaka. She just did this to show she could.

]]>