Name dropping is a strange topic for a lesson, but there is a method to my madness. First of all, the lesson from last week was a bit intense, and you probably need to keep working on implementing ii-V7-I progressions. Second, I just feel to talk about certain things from time to time. And third, there is a lesson in here for you.

I have noticed that musicians are very bad about name dropping.  If you talk to them for more than a few minutes, they casually mention someone well known that they know or with whom they have studied or performed.  It is just part of the musicians' culture.

Of course, I always sort of laugh when I hear musicians name dropping, but very often when I am talking about music, I feel an elbow in my ribs when my wife wants to subtly remind me that I am name dropping myself!

I am a big believer in finding ways to work with and learn from the best musicians you possibly can.  In the past three years, I have been incredibly and undeservedly blessed to work and learn from some great musicians.  At the risk of sounding like a name-dropper, I want to thank these three men in particular for their help.

John Innes
A few years ago, when I was looking for someone to learn from, I started calling the very best church musicians I knew in Atlanta.  John was at the top of the list, and he graciously agreed to work with me.  He has played for the Billy Graham crusades for over forty years and has published many books and recordings.  He has also never stopped learning and is the most harmonically advanced pianist I know of in Christian music.  He is far more advanced in his writing today than his work that you may remember from his early arrangement books.  Also, after all these years, his technique is still incredible.

Steve Mauldin
When I needed someone to work with in the orchestration on my last CD, I spent a long time getting advice and recommendations, but eventually decided that Nashville's Steve Mauldin was the best choice.  The former producer of Floyd Cramer, he writes and conducts orchestrations for numerous popular Christian CDs every year in the Southern Gospel and CCM genres.  Working with Steve is incredible--he has an great ear and instinctively knows what I like.  It does not hurt that he works closely with the fabulous Nashville String Machine orchestra whom I also used on the project.

Kevin Bales
I currently study with Kevin Bales, a professional jazz pianist.  I am pretty sure that Kevin knows more about music than anyone I have ever met.  He is a music scholar by any definition--from a historical perspective, but also from a functional perspective.  He has an amazing ear and is an incredible improviser--in fact, he is probably the best pianist I personally know.  He is also a very good teacher who has a systematic way of teaching the theory I am studying.  If you live in Atlanta and are interested in studying with him, you can find him at http://www.kevinbales.com.

You may wonder why I am name dropping.  Here's why--these three men have had a major impact on my progress over the past few years.  I cannot begin to tell you how much each of them has taught me.  If you want to learn, search out the best musicians possible to learn from.  Pay as much as you can afford to avoid having to settle for musicians that have little to teach you.

Remember that you do not have to take a lesson every week or even every month.  When good pianists visit your church, ask to meet with them for a few minutes and just try to pick up a hint or two.  There are things that I use today that I learned in a single lesson I begged for here and there.  I can promise you that most professional musicians still beg for a quick lesson whenever they get a chance.