About Jerry Rizzi

Education: Early in Jerry's career, he had the opportunity to study bass with Jimmy Garrison, famed bassist and John Coltrane. Several years later while attending classical studies at Hofstra university, Jerry was privileged to study under the guidance of Seymore Benstock and fortunate to have been mentored with a noted blues-jazz guitarist, Joe Monk.

Performance Experience: Jerry performs in all styles and genres with his various instruments and over the years he has performed with several noted musicians in the rock field. He played with Joe Monk Jazz-Blues Trio for 10 years and was honored to perform with classical artists such as Stanley Drucker, Clarinetist with the NY Philharmonic. He has several CDs/recordings in various genres of music which are highlighted in many of his performances.

Teaching Experience: Jerry has been teaching for over 20 years, having students from all ages, and has taught Music Theory to students that have been interested in learning composition. He also holds various music events and summer intensive programs where his students participate and showcase their growth year after year.

Teaching Philosophy: His teaching philosophy is to be flexible in his approach with each individual student. "There are various aspects to any given instrument and music style, so to be successful, each student at any age has his or her pace and learning style that works best for them. "