"What Does Music Mean to You?"

Joe's latest column for The Alternative Press: "What Does Music Mean to You?"

Summer at Elefante

Summer at Elefante - the April '11 Elefante Newsletter

Teacher Feature: Anthony Sanacore

This month's feature is on Anthony Sanacore, guitar teacher.

Anthony Sanacore has been teaching private students for nearly 20 years. He is also an active guitarist, composer, and lyricist. Anthony studied at The New School and Piero's School of Music and privately with Dave Ferrara, John Olin, Ross Barrata, Sheila Mendel, and Kevin Gallagher.

Anthony has performed as a guitarist for over 20 years. He was a member of Young and Fabulous, which performed at Woodstock and the Kiss Expo, and No Future, which played over 300 shows in the New York area at such venues as The Lion's Den, CBGB's, The Scrap Bar, Mother's, Obsessions, Connections, Love Sexy, and the Birch Hill Nightclub. Anthony performs and teaches classical, rock, blues, funk, bebop, swing, ragtime, R&B, reggae, standards, and contemporary pop.

EM: What do you feel is one of the more important aspects of teaching music?

Anthony: Enlightening each student about the connection between art and music. There have been many wonderful compositions written (especially in pop music) that I feel have never resulted in true art. It's a methodology that requires an understanding of public sentiment. This is fine, sociologically speaking, but usually does not express the unique essence of the individual.

Many beginners assume that the guitar is fairly simple to learn because pop stars seem to play effortlessly. They have yet to realize how asymmetrical the guitar is. One challenge of teaching this instrument is demonstrating its esoteric symmetry via its idiom in association with other instrumentation. The aesthetic is eventually revealed as it facilitates inspiration and passion: the platform to a healthy work ethic and the prime ingredients for lifelong satisfaction of musical knowledge.

Who are your favorite performers?

Louis Prima and Yamashita (classical guitarist).

Who has inspired you?

Over the years I’ve gone through a transformation where my inspirations have become intrinsic. There’s a dichotomy I live on everyday: when to be technical, when to throw it out the window for the sake of originality, when to shed the influence. My early inspirations: Keith Emerson, Randy Rhoads, Bob Dylan, Sex Pistols.

Also studying classical guitar with Kevin Gallagher and jazz guitar with Jack Wilkins has done wonders for my overall musicianship as they are of the best in their field.

What are you working on now?

I’m recording a CD which will summarize my abilities. Outside of programming the drums (which is a lot of work), I am playing all of the instruments and writing most of the songs. My friend, who has sung professionally, will do most of the vocals. I estimate it will be done before 2012. The compositions that I don’t write will be classical pieces or jazz standards.

What advice can you give?

Dare to be different and be true to yourself. Some of the best music, at one time, was unusual and unpopular.

Music Theater Camp Song List

As you may have already heard, this year's summer music theater camp theme is All Roads Lead to Broadway. We'll take a look at the different places shows come from: movies, the library, the radio, and real life.

Here is a list of some of the songs we'll be performing throughout the summer:

Library: Masquerade (Phantom of the Opera), For Good (Wicked), Make Our Garden Grow (Candide), Willkommen (Cabaret), Get Me to the Church on Time (My Fair Lady), Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat (Guys and Dolls), Ease on Down the Road (The Wiz), Solla Sollew (Seussical the Musical), Ragtime (Ragtime).

Movies: Butter Outta Cream (Catch Me If You Can), Prologue (Little Shop of Horrors), Let's Go Fly a Kite (Mary Poppins), Without Love (Hairspray), Fame (Fame).

Radio: Mamma Mia (Mamma Mia), Yakety Yak/Charlie Brown (Smokey Joe's Cafe).

Real Life: Sunday (Sunday in the Park with George), Movies Were Movies (Mack and Mabel).

For more info on summer camps, click here

Summer Camp Performance Venue

We are proud to be presenting this year's Music Theater Camp final performances at Ridge PAC, a professional quality performance space in Basking Ridge. Ridge PAC is a 1,000-seat theater with state-of-the-art lighting and sound equipment, a large private parking lot, a spacious lobbyand CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONING!!! Wanna know more about Elefante Music Theater Camp, Jazz Camp, Rock Camp, or All-Girl Band Camp?

Click here for more info on camps and how to register.