Join me this Sunday at 3 pm for some fun classical guitar music along with a few special guests! I am playing once again at a great local venue, the Antique Sandwich Co. in Tacoma, and I hope to see you there!
"An Explosion of Sound" with the Northwest Repertory Singers
I just had a great rehearsal with my friend, Dr. Paul W. Schultz, and the Northwest Repertory Singers and principal members of the Rainier Symphony! This weekend, we will performing "The Lake Isle" by Norwegian composer Ola Gjeiljo. Commissioned by the American University Consortium, this piece is based on the poem "The Lake Isle of Innisfree" by W.B. Yeats, written 1888. This work is a a unique blend of steel-string fingerstyle guitar with choir, orchestra, and piano.
Join us this Saturday, March 12th at 7:30 pm or Sunday, March 13th at 3:00 pm at the Mason United Methodist Church in Tacoma. To learn more about the concert or to purchase tickets online, please click here to visit the Northwest Repertory Singers website!
A Classical Guitar Holiday Solo Recital
It's that time of year again! During this holiday season, on Sunday December 27th at 3 pm, I will be performing a classical guitar solo concert once again. This year's theme is "Bella Italia", featuring the works of great Italian composers including Domenico Scarlatti, Mauro Giuliani, Girolamo Frescobaldi, and Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, among other classical guitar staples. Join me at the intimate venue of the Antique Sandwich Co. in Tacoma. Hope to see you there!
2015 Sip with the Symphony →
I will be performing again at the Federal Way Symphony's annual "Sip with the Symphony" fundraiser. Start your Halloween weekend early and enjoy sampling premier Washington wines paired with delectable appetizers. The event begins at 6:30 pm on Friday, October 30th at the Twin Lakes Golf & Country Club. I will be entertaining with many classical guitar favorites and a few select pieces from my upcoming solo recital set. Please reserve your tickets today by visiting the Federal Way Symphony's website or calling (253) 529-9857.
Support your local Symphony and help provide kids with free concert tickets and sponsor education programs!
Director of the Federal Way School of Music →
Hi everyone! It has been a busy few months and I wanted to give an update. I recently became the director of the Federal Way School of Music! The Federal Way School of Music has been Federal Way's top choice for private music instruction for over ten years. I will be overseeing school operations and helping to expand our offerings in the months to come. I am still accepting a limited number of guitar students at this location as openings become available.
There are some great new things happening at our school. We are starting a group lesson program (beginning with violin and piano, more to come!) and I have recently added some amazing and talented instructors of private lessons who offer brass (trumpet, horn, and low brass), woodwinds (single and double reeds), cello, mandolin, organ, jazz studies and improvisation, and classical voice to our program! In my creating partnerships with Ted Brown Music, the Federal Way Symphony, and the City of Federal Way, I hope to provide numerous new benefits and opportunities to the community and students at our school. This is an exciting time with many positive changes for the school!
If you would like more information on the school or are looking for any music lessons in the Puget Sound area, please visit our newly redesigned Federal Way School of Music website. Thank you!
Guitar Instructor at Annie Wright Schools
I am very excited and honored to have been selected to become part of the music faculty at Annie Wright Schools in Tacoma! I will be helping develop the guitar and contemporary music programs and I am also offering private guitar lessons in all styles. Founded in 1884, Annie Wright Schools have a strong arts program in which I hope to provide students numerous opportunities with a music curriculum focused on excellence! Please visit the Annie Wright website to learn more about their school.
9th Annual Symphony Gala and Auction →
Join me on September 26th at 6:00 pm at the Twin Lakes Golf and Country Club for an "elegant and mysterious" masquerade ball, dinner, and auction, accompanied by classical guitar music! Auctioneer Keith Eldridge of KOMO News will lead the auction and proceeds go to the Federal Way Symphony's education programs.
Advance reservations are required, so please reserve your tickets or table by August 31st. Hope to see you there!
Masters and Mentors Program →
This last week I finished teaching guitar lessons in the first session of the Federal Way Symphony's "Masters and Mentors program" which helps support lower-income families with music scholarships. It is very important to me to personally contribute musical experiences to kids who otherwise would not have had this opportunity. Thank you Federal Way Symphony, the ArtsFund Power2Give donors and matching funders, and the Federal Way School of Music's other instructors for making these kids' learning possible!
I look forward to participating in the Masters and Mentors program on their next session. For more details, including how you can participate or contribute to the program, please visit the Federal Way Symphony website here.
Federal Way Symphony annual Garden Tour
Yesterday, on this wonderful and hot weekend, I had the pleasure of performing some classical guitar selections for guests of the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden! This was part of the Federal Way Symphony's annual "Garden Tour" series. My colleague Jean Balogh, the Federal Way School of Music's flute instructor, was kind enough to run the information table for the Symphony and the Federal Way School of Music. Thank you all who attended the event and I hope to see you all next year!
2015 Live it Outloud summer Rock Band Program
I hope everyone had great holiday weekend! I am pleased to be part of this year's Live It Outloud summer rock band program, where I will be mentoring youth rock bands once again. Tomorrow I will be leading the first guitar seminar at Ted Brown Music and I look forward to working with all the talented young guitarists! For more details on the program and to sign up for next year, please visit: www.tacomarockschool.com
Source: www.tacomarockschool.com
2015 Mother's Day at the Rhododendron Species Garden →
It's that time of year again! For Mother's Day weekend, I'll be performing classical guitar favorites at the Rhododendron Species Garden on the Weyerhaeuser campus. Join me Saturday, May 9th and Sunday, May 10th, from 12 pm to 3 pm for a delightful time at the garden. Hope to see you there and Happy Mother's Day! For more information about the event, please visit this posting at the Federal Way Mirror or the official Rhody Garden website.
Sam Andrew of "Big Brother and the Holding Company"
I was deeply saddened to hear of Sam Andrew's passing last month. He was a very gracious and warm person. Below is a rare concert video of an historic Seattle rock event where I was invited by Sam to play in his band, "Big Brother and the Holding Company" (Janis Joplin), for the entire show at Under the Rail in Seattle.
International Guitar Clinic at Ted Brown Music
I was fortunate enough to attend the pre-concert lecture/clinic for the Broadway Center's International Guitar Night. There, I had the privilege to meet three international masters of the guitar: classical guitarist Andrew York, guitar poet Brian Gore, and fingerstyle innovator Maneli Jamal. We discussed the music industry and varied approaches in composition and improvisation in a small group of Seattle-Tacoma area guitarists.
The International Guitar Night series, founded by Brian Gore, is a very important staple in today's contemporary guitar lineup. I highly recommend for anyone who has not seen this series to go see it next time it's in town! It is rare opportunity to see virtuosi of such caliber all performing on the same stage together!
Leon Christian with Andrew York at Ted Brown Music for the International Guitar Night
Give the gift of music through iTunes this holiday!
My album, "A Holiday Offering", is now available on iTunes! You can view it by clicking HERE! You can "gift" the digital album to a friend or loved one who uses Apple products this holiday season. Click here for instructions on how to gift this or any iTunes content.
Happy holidays!
Enjoy the Holidays with Classical Guitar
On Sunday December 28th at 3:00pm, I will be performing a solo classical guitar recital at the Antique Sandwich Company in Tacoma. Join me during the holidays for an afternoon of classical guitar masterpieces including selections by Bach, Guiliani, Albeníz, Castelnuovo-Tedesco, and more. Hope to see you all there again at this delightful venue!
Source: www.antiquesandwichcompany.com
"A Holiday Offering" Now Available on CDBaby
Due to popular demand, I have reissued my Christmas album "A Holiday Offering" and it is now available for digital download on CDBaby! The album features solos and duets of myself and cellist Jeannie Christian, performing arrangements of popular traditional holiday tunes and light classical pieces, including selections like Pachelbel's Canon and Silent Night! You can download it here in both MP3 and CD-quality FLAC files (great for burning to disc!). It is also coming soon to iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, and other download services soon!
Official YouTube Channel
I have just launched my new YouTube channel where I will be posting guitar performances, classical concert footage, educational tips, special songwriting features, and much more. Please subscribe to my channel here and LIKE and comment on my videos if you enjoy them! Here is a preview of things to come with a live cover of the Randy Rhoads guitar solo from Crazy Train! Thanks!
Sip with the Symphony
I will be performing this Friday at the Twin Lakes Golf & Country Club, hosted by the Federal Way Symphony. It will be a nice evening of wine tasting and music! All proceeds benefit the Symphony's education programs. Tickets may be purchased here!
Heart-swelling Moment During Federal Way PACC Fundraiser
I want to give a big THANK YOU to those of you who attended the PACC fundraiser on November 1st and for supporting this project!
As the 5th largest city in King Country, the Federal Way community deserves to be a cultural and arts center. I strongly believe that the planned Performing Arts Center will be an important addition to the community, providing a much needed resource and central location for the arts in Federal Way.
The Federal Way Mirror wrote a nice review of the event, restating of what the PACC will mean to the community. Thanks to all the kind words and support! Read about it here.
For more information, please visit the Federal Way PACC webpage:
http://www.federalwaypacc.org/
Fundraiser for Federal Way Performing Arts Center
I will be performing on classical guitar with some very talented artists in support of the future Federal Way Performing Arts Center. Please come and show your support for the arts and a very worthy cause!
It will be located at the Twin Lakes Golf and Country Club in Federal Way on Saturday November 1st at 7:30. Hope to see you all there!
For more information on the PACC, please visit: http://www.federalwaypacc.org/
Source: http://www.federalwaypacc.org/