Today we’d like to introduce you to Jon Garner.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jon. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started playing guitar at age 12. I taught myself at first, trying to copy records. I had a friend who was taking lessons and I used to hand copy her notes. Then, I started getting books and records from the library, learning theory and chord progressions. I went to University of Massachusetts in Amherst and majored in Jazz Performance and Composition. After graduation, I bebopped around the country, living in Austin, Tx a few times. I played in every kind of band imaginable. I played jazz, rock, pop, folk, country, classical, punk and Latin. I landed in San Diego in 1995. I continued performing and built up a steady teaching roster. Eventually, I returned to school and got my Master’s Degree in Jazz Composition, Arranging, Performance and Education. Then, I returned to teaching and gigging. In my teaching, I realized a serious lack reasonable education material for the beginning jazz guitar student. In particular, there were no methods to get people ready to audition in jazz band on guitar. So, I spent a year writing the book and running my students through the book. The book is now on Amazon and is called A Crash Course in Jazz Rhythm Guitar. It’s doing well, and I’m working on the other books in the series. Five are planned. I continue to gig around with many, many different people. Such is the life of a jazzer. I would a lot with Liz Grace and the swing thing. I also have a fantastic group, called the Garners, with my wife, Lorelei and Paul Tillery on Bass. We play swing and gypsy jazz music, with vocals.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
As you’ve probably heard, the life of a musician is difficult. You are in business for yourself, the competition is fierce and the work unsteady. Teaching helps smooth things out. It’s a struggle to balance the need for consistent practice of the craft and making ends meet. Just networking and getting your name out there takes years. Going to SDSU really helped me branch out and meet a really great group of people. In addition, as an artist, you struggle with conflict between music as art, and for art’s sake and music as a commodity. Sometimes, it is very hard to reconcile. Still, I love guitar and I love music, so I consider myself lucky. I am succeeding.
Writing and self-publishing a book has been a monumental task. Each element has its own skills and learning curve. I started the book three times, the third time being the charm. I had to learn a few new programs, then learn about design layout, then marketing and promotion. I’m still neck deep in the latter. I see why you have different departments for all these things, but I’m just not that big yet.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Guitar Ramen / The Garners – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
As a teacher and author, I specialize in making the complex simple and digestible. I aim to keep it fun, yet intense. My method has been very successful. Having been a teacher for so long and having been in the belly of the beast (academic jazz), I know what the student needs to succeed. And, maybe more importantly, what they don’t need. My philosophy is learning to speak the language of music first, then you can worry about the grammar later, just a like a child learning his native tongue. If we are unique, it is because I realize that we are in the age of information overload. The student’s problem now is not, what are nuts and bolts, but which ones do I need and how can I put this thing together. It’s about guiding and restricting information till it’s warranted. Otherwise, information overload and failure.
As a guitar and musician, I offer a deep of many styles and a playful attitude with the music. The Garners music itself is a wonderful organic blend of many of our favorite styles. We call our style “Cowboy Bebop and Gypsy Crawl.” Modern Vintage.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I am working on the series for Crash Course in Jazz Guitar. Volumes for Rhythm, Upper Voicings, Sight-reading and Improvisation. Continuing to build a couple of YouTube channels focused on Jazz Guitar. The Garners are continuing to build recognition and working on joining the jazz festival circuit. The only possible diversion could be a Ph.D. in music, but we’ll see.
Pricing:
- crashcourseinjazzguitar.com
- thegarnersmusic.com
- https://www.amazon.com/dp/1546456015/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_dp_YA9gzbXRRG1SM
Contact Info:
- Address: http://thegarnersmusic.com/
- Website: http://crashcourseinjazzguitar.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegarnersmusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegarnersmusic
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/thegarnersmusic
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0ue69HvUxIsspx1nUHxwnA?
Image Credit:
Garners
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