The Joys of Musical Mentorship

I love my life! For the past 45 years, I have been lucky enough to be able to make a living at music. What a joy! While many of my friends who are my age are counting the days until they can retire, I hope I NEVER have to retire!

Perhaps one of my greatest musical joys is being a musical mentor. In my roles as Director of Student Jazz Programs at the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, and as a private music teacher, I have numerous gifted students. It gives me great pleasure to see these students succeed. I can't believe that I actually get paid for doing something that is so enjoyable!

I teach piano, voice, guitar, music composition, music arranging, orchestration and music technology. Young students come to me and I share the knowledge I obtained from my many wonderful mentors!

Recent successes:

Dr. Frank Adams and I teach free jazz classes every Saturday morning from 9am until 1pm at the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, 1631 4th Avenue North, Birmingham, Alabama.

Congratulations to 2 of our students who recently received scholarships from prestigious University music programs:

1) Saxophonist Yirme Yisrael received a scholarship from New School University in New
York City.
2) Bassist Sam Allbright was awarded a scholarship to attend the jazz studies program at
the University of New Orleans.

Their hard work and tenacity has truly paid off!

Do you know a student who'd like to receive our jazz training at the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame? Just contact me, Ray Reach, at (Cel) 205-960-6328 or email me at rreach@bellsouth.net.

You can read more about our educational programs at the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame at the following Web addresses:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alabama_Jazz_Hall_of_Fame

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fun_With_Jazz_Educational_Program