About Mandolin Instruction with Andy Statman

[John McGann]

I took a lesson with Andy in the early 80's and it was the best thing I ever did for my playing. He gave me so much to think about, both technically and musically-it was truly a life changing experience.

Andy knows as much (or more) about Bill Monroe's mandolin playing than anyone on the planet. That's just one facet of his incredibly broad and deep knowledge of a variety of music (and instruments!)

Anyone serious and committed to improvement would do really well to study with Andy. He is one of a kind.

[AZStu]

The west is a fur piece from NYC.

How is his Homespun 6 CD lesson "Jazz Mandolin"?

[Glassweb]

[QUOTE=John McGann;709552]I took a lesson with Andy in the early 80's and it was the best thing I ever did for my playing. He gave me so much to think about, both technically and musically-it was truly a life changing experience.

I couldn't agree with you any more John! Andy was my first (and only) mandolin teacher and I've never stopped learning and growing from my experiences with him. Not only did Andy serve as mandolinist/saxophonist for both The Dave Bromberg Band and The Vassar Clements Band, he currently is recording and touring with Itzhak Perlman on both mandolin and clarinet. Bromberg, Vassar and Itzhak Perlman... whew! Not many musicians I can think of with that kind of track record! To all you mandolinists in the New York area... don't blow it! Get in touch with this master musician and see what mandolin/music is all about...

[barney 59]

So...Does he teach these days on a casual basis? His stature is such that he could justifyably require auditions. What I mean is --I live on the West Coast but I have a son that lives in Brooklyn. A lesson squeezed in on a visit to NY would be kind of cool. Andy Statman is the most interesting mandolinist I can think of--and his improvisational skills and ideas are second to non.

[Scott Tichenor]

I believe this thread was started in response to a news item we published yesterday regarding Andy's desire to teach a bit more.

> Article

[MikeEdgerton]

It actually makes me wish I was closer to Brooklyn and I'm not that far.

[JeffD]

Darn I should look into that. Its a four hour drive for me, but it would be amazingly worth it. Andy's Flatbush Waltz was the first mandolin recording I ever purchased, and he was my first mandolin hero.

[Tom C]

When I saw Andy about 2 months ago, I was amazed by his blues playing, being able to jam for 30 minutes, playing octaves, bending strings, throwing in teases of fiddle tunes...etc.

[SternART]

When I saw Andy about 2 months ago, I was amazed by his blues playing, being able to jam for 30 minutes, playing octaves, bending strings, throwing in teases of fiddle tunes...etc.

I'm not sure you can teach imagination like that.......but he was a favorite instructor of mine at the Mandolin Symposium.

I was fortunate enough to hear him live twice on his last tour on the West Coast........an afternoon gig in Modesto at a synagogue..... and the next night at Yoshi's jazz club in SF. He is a fabulous musician, and teacher!

[Explorer]

Regarding the Homespun Jazz Mandolin course, I bought that a long time ago, got home ready to learn... and it started with teaching jazz as an outgrowth of Statman's bluegrass mandolin course. It wasn't self contained, AND it didn't state anywhere on the outside that one had to have mastered bluegrass mandolin in order to get to jazz. No happy little recap, either, so someone might at least try to catch up.

I had (and still have) no interest in bluegrass, so the course was immediately returned. No knock is intended towards Statman, but not all those interested in jazz want to learn a whole branch of traditional music in order to get there.

I recently saw the course again at my local music store, and commented on my experiences with it. They looked at the packaging, which still doesn't reference that the course is a continuation of the bluegrass mandolin course. Has the content changed, to be a self-contained course? Or is it still just part two of the bluegrass/jazz connection? My suspicion is the latter, but it would be nice if someone definitively knows, instead of someone else spending money and having to hassle about it, the way I did.

I do like the book/CD set "Getting Into Jazz Mandolin" quite a bit, incidentally. I wish it had been available the first time I wanted to learn jazz mandolin....

[Man of Wax]

I was fortunate enough to hear him live twice on his last tour on the West Coast........an afternoon gig in Modesto at a synagogue..... and the next night at Yoshi's jazz club in SF. He is a fabulous musician, and teacher!

The concert at Yoshi's—with the Dawg, who happens to have been Andy's teacher—is amazing, and available at least in part on YouTube. My brother and I played Flatbush Waltz at our parents' 30th anniversary party last weekend. It was, as usual, a hit.

[mandotopia]

If I lived in NYC I would absolutely take lessons w/ Andy Statman. Flatbush Waltz is one of the greatest mando albums of all time. This will still be true in 1000 years. His clarinet playing is is also phenomenal.

[Doug Hoople]

+1 for lessons with Andy if I lived closer!

His class at the Symposium didn't seem like much at the time, very simple stuff, or so I thought, having to do with how to hear intervals.

But I reflect a lot on that class, and it takes on new meaning every time I do.

[bonny]

+1 for lessons with Andy if I lived closer!

Lessons with players like this can be some of the most important moments of your life. Coast to coast may be a bit far but I'd encourage folks not to be hesitant to travel some distance to study with a great player. In 2000 I took six lessons over two months with bassist David Friesen traveling twelve hours round trip for each one. Players like this have made a supreme commitment to get to where they are and making the journey I felt was one small way of focusing my commitment. I know I prepared better for these lessons than i probably would have if he'd lived down the block.

[MandoJam]

How is his Homespun 6 CD lesson "Jazz Mandolin"?[/QUOTE]

The CD lessons are great. He doesn't tab out the examples in complete song formats but shows the individual licks and lets the student string them together. Great theory lessons in the audio as well. *****

[Charley wild]

I wish I was good enough to TAKE a lesson from Andy! An amazing musician.