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Jack Fitzgerald is Home from Berklee & Ready to Teach This Summer

Canton High Grad, Berklee Student Offering Summer Music Experience

This summer, musicians wanting to experience what it’s like to be a real guitar hero, can do so at Jack Fitzgerald’s "Summer Music Experience" in Canton Center.

Fitzgerald’s Summer Music Experience is open to all age groups and abilities. He is offering private classes and group labs. “I welcome anyone who loves Guitar Hero!”  says Fitzgerald. “They can start playing the tunes on their iPods right away, while learning the technical part of how to read music.”

Fitzgerald grew up hearing his father’s blues records. He started playing the trumpet in fourth grade, then took up guitar in fifth grade, when his interests lay mostly in rock and blues. In seventh grade, he went to jazz camp. “It changed my life,” recalls Fitzgerald. “I heard sounds that I’d never heard before and it blew me away.”

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The most significant musical turning point, however, was yet to come. That was when Fitzgerald entered Canton High School. “I’m at the Berklee College of Music because of the Canton High School music program.”

“The music program at Canton High School is pretty remarkable,” says Fitzgerald. “Students who want to be in the jazz band are required to perform in the symphonic program as well. Now, I understand why. It’s so students do not close their minds to other types of music.  This was the best training for Berklee, where I’m studying jazz, but also learning other types of music, the traditional roots of music.”

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But, back to the most significant turning point. Each year, Berklee holds a jazz competition that attracts high school bands from all over the national, as well as international competitors. As a freshman, Fitzgerald competed with the Canton High School jazz band. They finished in third place. Competing again, as a sophomore, Canton’s jazz band came in second.  And Fitzgerald, as a Canton High School junior, was part of the jazz band that won first place in the Berklee competition. As a senior, Fitzgerald returned to Berklee with Canton’s jazz band and went on to capture second place in the competition.

“The thing about this competition,” recalled Fitzgerald, “was that because Canton was designated as a small school, our jazz band was competing with and beating performing arts schools!”

In his junior year at Canton High, Fitzgerald was offered a scholarship to the Berklee summer school. At the summer school, he was in turn offered a scholarship for their four-year program. “I owe everything to Tom Scavone,” the department chair of the Music School at Canton High School. 

Once at Berklee, Fitzgerald thought he would major in performance, maybe go to Europe. However, he soon realized that while the school has a lot of connections in Europe, their Boston campus is made up of people he has long admired. “And, I don’t want to miss any time with these teachers.”

“I’m studying with people that I listened to in high school, like Julian Lage, my favorite guitarist. I am only one of nine students in his class at Berklee. It’s the best musical experience ever.”  

Fitzgerald’s Summer Music Experience, in Canton Center, is about students getting the best sound for the least amount of work. “The most important thing, something many of my teachers have taught me, is that if the touch is good, then the sound will be good.”

“Students will get a better understating of their instrument and how to find their unique sound, connecting the mind to what the hand is doing. Everyone has a unique touch.”

“What I have learned from my time at Berklee is that no one will ever sound like anyone else. You can still definitely be inspired by other musicians, but it’s cooler to explore your own voice and make that sound your own.”

“I teach students to think musically, versus just technically.”

Here’s the Deal

The Summer Music Experience, 860-693-1342; jackman924@yahoo.com.

Open House from March 12-15.  Fitzgerald is booking free ½-hour guitar lessons during his Open House event for musicians of all levels. The Summer Music Experience officially begins on Monday, May 7, 2011.

 

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