About Jim Schneider

I began studying guitar in 1962 at Zapf's music store in Philadelphia. I had 2 teachers who were well trained musicians who took me through the 7 volumes of the Mel Bay Modern Guitar Method. Both of my teachers were jazz musicians who stressed music theory and the reading of traditional music notation. After I had finished several years there Zapf's recommended that I continue advanced studies with Albert Maene who was a 25 year student of Dennis Sandole, a well known jazz musician and theorist. I continued guitar lessons with Al. In addition I studied theory, harmony and orchestration with him for a number of years. I participated in the Sandole/Maene Modern Music Workshop at Burlington County College. I started playing with bands around 1972. I played guitar and electric bass with many bands during the 1970's locally in Philadelphia most of them booked by our agent Ralph Mena. I also played with a number of wedding bands during this period all of which gave me a great deal of experience. I started teaching around 1969 at Music City, a Philadelphia music store. I taught at several other music stores during this period. I became interested in world music-particularly Hindustani Indian music. I had my guitar adjusted to play quartertones and started writing original music for this instrument. In 1978 I wrote the book An Introduction to the Quartertone Guitar which was reviewed in Guitar Player magazine and other music magazines. Around this time I worked also with a flutist playing classical guitar. I played in all kinds of bands-commercial, jazz, country and western etc. Around 1990 I decided that I would focus on solo classical and jazz performances augmented by duos with vocalists and flutist. I utilized Midi sound sources to augment the sound in order for the music to be danceable. In the early 2000's I started to teach group guitar, mandolin, banjo and bass classes at several high schools and colleges. I am currently teaching at 2 schools, soon to be augmented. While I was at Rowan College at Burlington County I re-organized the guitar study there to 4 distinct sections of gradually increasing perplexity. My students performed recitals for the school there. I also started a guitar ensemble there using arrangements of others and writing original arrangements of a diversity of music forms.