Jay Sandifer doesn't play just one instrument....he plays many. He has been playing since 1982 and has taught over 150 students. Jay strongly believes music education should be an enjoyable experiece and here's why:
Q: How did you first come to learn your instrument?
Q: How did you first come to learn your instrument?
A:
Somewhere around the age of nine years old, I was practically, no!...literally, forced by my mom to take piano lessons. I hated it. I
continued private piano lessons thru eleventh grade. In seventh grade I
joined the school band not knowing anything about instruments, let alone
which one I wanted to play and the teacher handed me a baritone (which I
played thru eleventh grade). My tenth grade band teacher suggested
private lessons because I was apparently having difficulty reading the
bass clef. I also started jamming with some friends around eighth
grade. At that time I picked up playing keyboard, drums and guitar
...and haven’t put them down yet!
 |
| Jay Bryan Sandifer |
My
earliest musical influences consisted of simple classical pieces like
the Minuet, Sonatina, Prelude, Toccata and Fugue and the music my dad
listened to; most notably, The Beatles, Billy Joel, Fleetwood Mac,
Neil Diamond, and the “oldies”. As a teenager in the 1980’s, my first
contemporary musical influences consisted of Michael Jackson,
Foreigner, Asia, Styx, Journey, Billy Squier, Joan Jett and taped top
40 radio mixes. As a budding rebellious teenage musician, I reached back
20 years into the music from the british invasion progressing quickly
into classic psychedelic and acid rock groups. I stopped for quite some
time on groups like The Grateful Dead, Jim Morrison and The Doors, The
Jimi Hendrix Experience, Pink Floyd, Steve Winwood and Traffic, The
Eagles, and of course ….Led Zeppelin.
Q: Did
you take music lessons?
A:
Yes, I took music lessons! I had four different piano teachers because
we moved a lot. I had three different band instructors. One piano
teacher said I would probably never be professional, but also said I had
nice hand position. I am convinced one teacher should never have been
teaching because she would leave the TV on during my lesson. One of the
band instructors used to get mad and throw his eraser across the room.
One band instructor had me writing sentences like, “I will not be a
distraction during band class”....thousands of times. And I wonder if
one of the teachers was having some promiscuity issues with her
students.....but not me. None of the teachers seemed to be able to help
develop my ability to play by ear.
Q: What's the best thing about teaching music?
A:
Online teaching is not much different than teaching in person. Teaching
is like coaching, and often times coaching is hands off observation
followed by intuitively wise, inspiring and encouraging instruction.
Instruction translates pretty well thru video. The compliments students
give their instructors so that others may read is very satisfying.
Those compliments come from students who are genuinely affected by
quality training and coaching. A positively changed life is a satisfied
life.
Q: What's your best piece of advice for musicians?
A:
I believe one of the best pieces of advice for anyone is this: don't
quit. As you may have heard it said, “Quitters never win and winners
never quit.” Follow your heart and passion. Decide what it is you want
and where it is you would like to be and then make plans . Write down
your plans. Find ways to spend time with others who are already
there....and don’t let anyone talk you out of it!
Q: The highlight of my musical career is...
A:
The highlight of my musical career happens when I am leading such
intense worship it actually feels like the room is about to explode
with the very vibration of light and power!
Q: Every musician should know....
A:
Every musician should know why he/she is a musician. If a musician does
not know why he/she is a musician, there will never be a secure and
satisfying sense of purpose.
Learn more about Jay Sandifer on The ZOEN and book a guitar, drum, voice or piano lesson.
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