Bruce Abbott Music
  • Home
  • Trio Vivo
  • Original Music
  • Calendar
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • News
  • Recordings
    • After The Dust Has Settled
    • Pop Songs, Poetry & Other Flights of Fancy
    • Bruce Abbott & Dennis Costa - Echoes of a Century
    • Beneath the Stars
    • Trio Vivo - Uncommon
    • "Summer Mood" - Jazz Originals
    • North Star Jazz Ensemble & CommonGround
    • Native American Flute
    • Rhode Island Saxophone Quartet

Please note: Bruce is not accepting new students at this time.

“Without dedication to craft, talent alone - no matter how abundant - brings you up short of what you could be.” - Bob Costas, sportscaster

Bruce Abbott Music Lessons

Bruce Abbott offers instruction in saxophone, flute, clarinet, and jazz theory & improvisation. Bruce grew up in Pawtucket, Rhode Island where he studied with local teachers Paul Belisle, Art Pelosi and Diamond Centofanti. Following high school he attended Berklee College of Music where he was a student of Andy McGhee and Joe Viola, and the University of Rhode Island where he earned degrees in elementary education and music performance. Bruce has served on the faculties of the University of Rhode Island, Salve Regina University and Nauset Regional High School where he was selected for a "Teacher of the Year" award. Currently he teaches students from ages 9 to 90 and from beginner to advanced each week in his Cape Cod home-based music studio and through Skype Video.

His approach is to build a solid foundation through technical development while focusing on each student's particular goals such as audition preparation, repertoire, style, improvisation, etc. The studio is equipped with a computer-based digital audio workstation and digital video recorder used to produce student recording projects for creativity, self-evaluation and pure enjoyment.

Below are some links and other information regarding music lessons with Bruce Abbott. Email or call if you have any questions! 

Photos from the "Creative Cave"


Sr. Jazz Solo - Rhythm Section Track 

Listen here or click below to download the file.
snidero_-_bird_blues_rhythm_only.mp3
File Size: 3883 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File


Jr. Jazz Solo - Rhythm Section Track

Listen here or click below to download the file.
snidero_-_total_blues_rhythm_only.mp3
File Size: 4603 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File


Helpful Links

Blank Music Manuscript pdf files

For your musical masterpieces!
8 Stave Blank Music Manuscript
File Size: 0 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

10 Stave Blank Music Manuscript
File Size: 0 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

10 Stave With Barlines - great for creating chord sheets
File Size: 18 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

12 Staves With Barlines
File Size: 647 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

9 Stave Large Blank Music Manuscript
File Size: 4 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

More manuscript options at
www.music-paper.com
people.virginia.edu/~pdr4h/musicpaper/
www.blanksheetmusic.net

Websites

Education
MusicTheory.net music theory site
Good-Ear.com ear training site
Greg Fishman Jazz Studios

Learn Jazz Standards
Jazz On The Tube - great assemblage of YouTube jazz videos
Ralph Patt Backing Tracks
Woodwind Fingerings

A Passion For Jazz - history & education
Charlie Parker Omnibook - original recordings of omnibook transcriptions

Auditions

All-Cape Music Festival Auditions & Festival Info
Southeast District Music Festival Auditio
ns & Festival Info

Metronomes 
8notes.com 
webmetronome   
metronomeonline

Music Notation  
MuseScore is a full-featured free music notation program. Download it here: http://musescore.org/

Other

H.E.A.R. - Dedicated to the prevention of hearing loss in musicians.
North Star Jazz Ensemble & CommonGround

Jonathan Page - piano maintenance, restoration & sales
Poetry Foundation

Studio Holiday Recording

...from the Bruce Abbott Music Lesson Studio to you! Here's who you hear in order: 1st verse - Abby, Adam, Allison, April, Andrew, Matt, Bryan, Damien, Drew, Genny, Heather, Jackson. 2nd verse - Jake, Joan, Terry, Laurie, Brenda, Steve, Sander & Thea, Chloe & Camille, Karley, Bruce, William, Allison. Enjoy!
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
by students of the Bruce Abbott Music Lesson Studio

Links for Inspiration

"Some people think it is too late to learn to play an instrument because they feel they will never 'get good' at it. But that is based on the misconception that art is primarily about accomplishing something and gaining skill. Actually, art is about exploring and creating. For that, it's never too late. 
"Creating is not performing, but exploring. To create is to enjoy the adventure within this moment. It is not being concerned with how far we have traveled or how much we have accomplished, but being willing to take a new path, embrace challenges, and become a beginner all over again. As the years go by, we become more knowledgeable and skillful and impressive, but a creative person looks at the challenges ahead rather than the accomplishments behind, and is forever curious about what can be discovered in the moment unfolding itself. What we can discover in music (and ourselves) is infinite. To those who enjoy creating music, that's something quite wonderful. After all, when we are intensely enjoying a movie or book, don't we wish it would never end?"
From "Pattern Play, Book 1" by Akiko & Forrest Kinney, published by The Frederick Harris Music Co., Limited

Music learning and the brain...

When you listen to music, multiple areas of your brain become engaged and active. But when you actually play an instrument, that activity becomes more like a full-body brain workout. What’s going on? Anita Collins explains the fireworks that go off in musicians’ brains when they play, and examines some of the long-term positive effects of this mental workout. 

From a course on TED Ed


"Practice makes practice..."

Some videos and links on the topics of practice and performance.

Jeff Nelsen - Fearless Performance

Has your band or orchestra teacher ever asked you to play a few meaures alone during rehearsal? Have you ever gone to an auditon? Have you been asked to perform for a family gathering? If you have then chances are you've experienced a sense of fear. For some performers, both amateur and professional alike, this experience can be debilitating. In this wonderful presentation horn player Jeff Nelsen (Canadian Brass, Indiana University) offers his take on how to manage performance anxiety by replacing fear with a focus on more productive thoughts.
Picture

Joshua Bell

on messing up his first violin competition. How he was liberated by having nothing to lose. Click here to link to the article.

Itzhak Perlman

Violinist Itahak Perlman shares his thoughts on practicing. Slooooooooooooowly!

Technique videos

Clarinet Embouchure

Great video on the basics of clarinet embouchure.

Saxophone Vibrato

Basics of vibrato for saxophone with practice ideas.

Flute Vibrato

Basics of vibrato for flute.

Amazing Saxophones!

A visit to Dr. Paul Cohen and his eclectic collection.

Bruce Abbott Music | Cape Cod | 508-896-8189 | music@bruceabbott.com
Copyright © 2022 by Bruce Abbott. All rights reserved.