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Allstar Academy - Bass Lessons
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 Gary Crooks
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Gary started playing guitar around age 4. By middle school he was performing in bands at school dances, churches and other venues. Drums became another source of fascination in his teenage years thanks to a stepfather who had been a drummer with Jimmy Dorsey and other bands from the big band era. This early introduction to jazz had a tremendous influence on the direction of Gary's musical studies later in life.
Gary has had the opportunity to perform on both guitar and bass with many of the Northwest's "Big Bands" as well as work as sideman with many nationally known artists. He has performed in over 25 countries for the US department of defense, and worked with a number of popular NW artists. Currently he works throughout the Northwest with Portland area jazz and blues vocalist Linda Myers, his new project "Urban Rhapsody," performing original and standard jazz and funk music, as well as solo jazz guitar performances at local venues.
Gary began teaching over 30 years ago at the suggestion of a teacher who noted "sometimes the best way to learn is to try to teach it to someone else."
Gary's teaching experience has included many local music stores and private schools as well as colleges and Universities. He has taught an improvisation course at UPS, guitar classes at TCC, and private guitar lessons to advanced jazz students at PLU and Robert's Music Institute in Bellevue WA.
Gary is a Washington State certified teacher with a Bachelor of Science degree from Evergreen College and a Master of Arts in Education degree from Antioch University and currently teaches for The Tacoma Public Schools. He has also worked as a recording engineer and produces local bands and talent at his home studio in Tacoma, Bell Street Records.
"My goal is to provide students with the necessary tools (technique and music theory) to explore any musical style and help guide them toward finding their own voice."
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