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Welcome Russell Jamie Johnson- Voice Instructor

IROCKU is delighted to welcome Russell Jamie Johnson to our team of writers and instructors. Russell Jamie Johnson is an American singer, songwriter, and actor based in New York City. Russell Johnson discovered his voice for the first time as a child. Soon after, Russell picked up the guitar quickly by watching his brother play. He grew up inspired by the songwriting of The Smiths and Bob Dylan. However, it was following the sudden death of his father in 2009 where Russell’s hobby transformed into a source of healing, freedom, and connection. His passion led him to Boston where he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Songwriting and Voice Studies from Berklee College of Music in 2016. During his time there, he performed and worked with music industry luminaries Chuck Leavell, (Allman …

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Thank you, Charlie, and rest in peace

“We are all shocked and devastated to lose Charlie. I feel broken. There has been no man finer, more elegant and more beautiful to walk the Earth than Charlie Watts. All class. As a musician, his timing and beat were impeccable, his touch delicate yet so powerful. His sense of what and what not to play was unsurpassed. It has been the honor of my life to have played with him over the last 40 years, and to have called him a friend. My heart goes out to his beautiful family. My sincere thanks to all that have sent condolences to me. Far too many for me to answer individually, but you know who you are.” Chuck Leavell It is with a heavy heart and deepest sorrow that IROCKU acknowledges the death of Rolling Stones’ drummer, Charlie Watts, arguably the greatest drummer in rock and roll …

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IROCKU Student Wins ‘Blues Kid of the Year’

IROCKU student, Dylan James Shaw, has been named the 'Blues Kid of the Year' by the Chicago Blues Kid Foundation. Congratulations Dylan James!!! Dylan James started with IROCKU about a year ago. Dylan James had been playing keyboard since he was 3 and has a very good ear so he already came to IROCKU as an advanced player for his age.   Along with working on the IROCKU video lessons, Dylan James has been taking zoom lessons with Chuck, Rory Stuart, and Bruce Katz.   Chuck has taught Dylan some of his personal blues techniques while Rory has shown Dylan James how to play complex rhythm patterns. Dylan James has also been taking weekly zoom lessons with Bruce Katz. Bruce's connection with Dylan has been magical. Bruce has helped Dylan to find his own personal groove which is a …

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Summer Rock ‘n roll Reading List

Just finished reading "Fix it in the Mix" by Paul Hornsby. "Fix it in the Mix" is the memoir of Paul Hornsby, the acclaimed record producer and musician best known for his work at Capricorn Records during the 1970s. Early on in his career, Hornsby joined up with Gregg and Duane Allman as a member in the band HourGlass. He is best known for his work producing and engineer the Marshall Tucker Band and The Charlie Daniel bands. His memoir is a history lesson and roadmap of Southern Rock. Please share what you've been reading. Keep rockin. …

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Coming Up!!! Blues and New Orleans Piano Webinar with Bruce Katz, June 5

In this webinar Bruce Katz will teach Blues and New Orleans inspired ideas and techniques. Bruce will cover improvisation, turnarounds and harmonic ideas that create variety and interest. Bruce will show how to add depth and richness to your playing by using all 10 fingers and 88 keys! THIS WEBINAR IS NOW CLOSED. WE WILL BE POSTING A VIDEO OF THE WEBINAR SHORTLY. THANK YOU! The outline for the webinar is: Introduction and review of blues basics involving drone notes, 3rds, 6ths, grace notes and a review of the melodic form. Improvisation ideas on how to stretch beyond the "blues scale" using chromaticism and notes not immediately associated with the blues scale. The discussion will also include creating real melodies, not just runs and scales. And singing what you play! …

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Spicing Up The Blues: Alternative Blues Chord Changes

There are many ways to play the blues. The most common is the standard 12-bar blues comprised of the I-IV-V chord. But there are a lot of other options at our finger tips to make the blues more interesting and fresh, and to give ourselves a greater blues vocabulary to work with on the piano. In this video, we will explore these options and provide you with a blues toolkit that will provide you with endless opportunities to explore the blues. We begin the video by laying down the foundation for a standard 12 bar blues in C. We expand this standard 12-bar blues by introducing single-note chromatic approaches using dominant chords from above and below the destination chord. We then add two-note approaches. This sounds easy enough, but to perform this you will need to master all the chords and …

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Coming Up!!! Blues Piano Webinar with Chuck Leavell, Oct 10

In this webinar Chuck will share ideas on techniques he uses while playing the blues. Chuck will share stories about artists he's played with and offer insights into legendary sessions and performances, teach specific techniques that are unique to him, and take questions from the participants. The webinar is focused on intermediate and advanced players but all levels are welcome.. Levels: Intermediate and Advanced ( but all levels are welcome) Date and Time: October 10 @ 3:00-4:30 PM EST   We will contact you with details on how to access the webinar. …

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Piano Webinar with Chuck Leavell

Pre-register for a live webinar with Chuck. In this webinar Chuck will share ideas on how he approaches improvising over blues arrangements.  The webinar is focused on intermediate and advanced players but all levels are welcome.  We are not requiring payment at this time. This is to reserve your spot. Pricing for the webinar will be based on the number of people who pre-register. We will follow up with you on price, date and time. Let us know if you'd like to pre-register: Pre-Register Learn how to play rock and blues piano from one of rock’s greatest. Chuck Leavell, legendary keyboardist for The Rolling Stones, The Allman Bros, Eric Clapton, John Mayer, and more. Join Now and SAVE!!! …

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