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| Andrew Gilpin performing across North America When self-taught pianist and composer Andrew Gilpin steps onto the concert stage, as he regularly does with his duo "Ebony & Ivory", he doesn't have the weight of a well-known music school or teacher behind him. Following in the footsteps of such musicians as J.S. Bach, Joni Mitchell and Jimi Hendrix, Andrew has forged a successful career in music built solely on his own talent and determination. Armed with nothing more than a love of music and two supportive parents, Andrew spent his formative years teaching himself to play the piano and write music. "My father attempted to give me a piano lesson when I was 7", recalls Andrew, "but I just hated it. It turned me off the piano for about 6 months. I came back to it, though, because I really wanted to be able to play Scott Joplin rags. After that, I just had to put in the time - minus the music lessons." Andrew, who was also entirely home-schooled, had a lot of time to pursue his musical interests. "I used to get some strange looks when I told people about my background. They'd always ask who my teacher was. As I got older, though, it mattered less and less." For the past 3 years, Andrew has been performing with clarinet/sax player Fred Jacobowitz, a two-time graduate of the prestigious Juilliard School. Known to concert audiences as "Ebony & Ivory", Andrew and Fred have toured North America, performing in concert halls, schools, and theatres. They have also recorded with such jazz notables as Dave Weckl and Victor Wooten. Andrew's self-guided, independent nature has been a blessing rather than a curse, especially in today's competitive music market. "A lot of musicians today are outside the mainstream", says Andrew. "The whole idea of getting a major record deal or playing at Carnegie Hall in order to be successful -- that's really kind of outdated. Learning how to get my music out there is kind of the same as learning to play the piano -- you feel your way along, finding out what works and what doesn't." With an upcoming tour of Washington, California, Arizona and Utah, several solo piano albums in the works, and hundreds of concerts and compositions under his belt, Andrew seems to have found out what works. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |