- Allen -
Guitar and Autoharp Instructor + Beginning Piano
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With musical experiences ranging from drumlines to handbell choirs to jazz combos, Allen recognizes a musician’s adaptability as their greatest asset. He began singing in church choirs before he could read, eventually adding piano, guitar, autoharp, bass, steel guitar, and percussion into his toolkit.
In high school, Allen developed a love of jazz, and improvisation still takes a key role in his approach even as his interests have shifted to folk and blues.These days, Allen focuses on developing guitar as a solo instrument that can provide its own melody and accompaniment. As a mostly self-taught musician, Allen has developed his ear and knowledge from practical experiences. He hails from Louisiana where he cut his teeth playing at Cajun music jams and learning French songs from watching old timers. He also sought more organized performance opportunities by playing in his school jazz band, a percussion ensemble, and just about every volunteer music role that his church could offer. In college he learned the basics of music electronics and live sound by serving as the general manager of the CisternYard Radio station. Allen graduated Summa Cum Laude from the College of Charleston where he took music theory courses taught by accomplished local musicians Robert Lewis and Edward Hart. These classes supplemented the pragmatic knowledge he had gained with the intricacies of classical harmony, engraving, and the using digital notation software Sebelius. All of these experiences have served to make Allen a well-rounded player who recognizes the importance of forging your own music learning path. |