“TRISTAN IS AN AMAZING GUITARIST” – BRIAN MAY (QUEEN)


Tristan Avakian

CityArts and the Toronto Rock Camp welcome guitarist Tristan Avakian in 2009. Tristan will be leading the Guitar Workshops and lending his expertise to the Toronto Rock Camp program. Personally selected by the legendary Brian May of Queen, Tristan is the lead guitarist for the hit Queen Musical “We Will Rock You”.

“There’s an aura of being around a working professional that you can’t communicate through a DVD or clips on YouTube,” he says. “From my own experience growing up, I know there’s no substitute, so that’s a role I hope I can also play for some kids.”

To learn more about Tristan visit the following websites:

CityArts Profile: Tristan Avakian
Website: www.tristanavakian.com

CityArts / Toronto Rock Camp instructor Colin Knowles has launched his personal website. Composer, Musician, and Teacher, Colin Knowles has been active in the Toronto music scene for 8 years. After formal classical training he furthered his study at the renowned Humber College Jazz Program. After graduation he became active as a musician playing in various Toronto Jazz venues as well as teaching privately. Colin returns to the Toronto Rock Camp where he will be an instructor and also leading the Keyboard Workshop and Master Classes.

www.colinknowlespiano.com

The Toronto Rock Camp’s own Chris Lesso, Director of Drums and Percussion, is featured in a series of Sonor Clinics during May in Ontario. Chris will be leading Drums Workshops and Master Classes at the Toronto Rock Camp.

Canadian Sonor Artist: Chris Lesso will join John Favicchia for a series of Drum Clinics and Master Classes in Ontario. Chris is a freelance drummer and educator based out of Toronto, Ontario. He began studying music on the piano at the age of 7, and received his grade 8 in classical piano through the Royal Conservatory at age 12. He began drumming when he was 9, and has never looked back. After gaining much experience performing and writing music in various bands, he sought out and took lessons from many world-renowned artists such as Dom Famularo (World Clinician), Ed Shaughnessy (Johnny Carson Show), and Jim Chapin (Famous Educator), then going on to study with highly respected teacher and drummer Jim Blackley. Chris is currently studying jazz harmony on the piano.

Chris' unique blend of hard rock, jazz, improvisational, and world flavored rhythms can be heard with guitarist Tony Springer, (www.wildt.ca), trumpeter Nick 'Brownman' Ali, pianist Steve Kovan, and Chris' own original instrumental band 'The Factor', (wwww.myspace.com/thefactortoronto), as well as various Top 40 bands, all playing around the Toronto area and internationally.
The future holds an ever improving output of energetic live shows and rhythmically intense recorded work, always drawing from a wide range of influences and styles.

Chris is endorsed by Sonor Drums, and a member of the Professional Drum Teachers Guild.

05/05/09 7:00PM DRUM CLINIC @ COSMO MUSIC Richmond Hill, Ontario 05/06/09 7:00PM DRUM CLINIC @ MUSIC PRO Barrie, Ontario 05/07/09 7:00PM DRUM CLINIC @ WIZDOM MUSIC ACADEMY Hamilton, Ontario

More dates are scheduled. Full details can be found on Chris Lesso’s MySpace Page: http://www.myspace.com/chrislessomusic

We are pleased to welcome Rob Brown to the Toronto Rock Camp! Rob will join us as a teacher and is also developing a Bass Guitar clinic (to be announced shortly). Learn more about Rob by reading his biography below.

Rob Brown is a musician who has studied music with some of the best musicians in the industry, such as Pat Labarbera, Alex Dean, Will Jarvis and Rick Lazar. He has performed extensively with many professional recording artists including motown's The Temptations and Sam Moore (of Sam & Dave), Dan Ackroyd (Blues Brothers) and currently leads his own bands, The Agents of Groove and Warriors For Peace.

Rob is a graduate of the Jazz Performance course at Humber College and received his Bachelor of Music Arts degree at the University of Windsor. Since that time he has taught extensively, specializing in improving bass skills in groove, improvisation and general theory knowledge. Rob has had the honour of teaching music to many people over the years, some of whom have gone on to professional music careers of their own. He brings with him a lot of experience in many realms of music and has a good knowledge of many genres!

Engineer/Composer/Producer/Sound Designer Dino Cuzzolino is a graduate of Ryerson's Radio and Television program and has worked in the industry nearly 15 years recording and mixing audio for commercials, television series, films, videos and animation.

His passion has always been recording and producing music. Whether it’s advertising jingles, film scores, bands or songwriting demos. He spends most of his days (and some nights) doing just that at Toronto based Krystal Music & Sound Design and at his own production company Balance Music.

Dino is designing the Sound Recording programs (Workshops and Clinics) that will premiere at this Summers Toronto Rock Camp. We are pleased to welcome Dino to the Toronto Rock Camp and CityArts team!

We are pleased to welcome Chris Lesso to the Toronto Rock Camp team! Chris ran a successful and well received clinic last year, and joins the Toronto Rock Camp as the head of Drums and Percussion instruction.

Chris began studying music on the piano at the age of 7, and received his grade 8 in classical piano through the Royal Conservatory at age 12. He began drumming when he was 9, and has never looked back. After gaining much experience performing and writing music in various bands, he sought out and took lessons from many world-renowned artists such as Dom Famularo (World Clinician), Ed Shaughnessy (Johnny Carson Show), and Jim Chapin (Famous Educator), then going on to study with highly respected teacher and drummer Jim Blackley. Chris is currently studying jazz harmony on the piano.
 
Chris' unique blend of hard rock, jazz, improvisational, and world flavored rhythms can be heard with guitarist Tony Springer, (www.wildt.ca), trumpeter Nick 'Brownman' Ali, pianist Steve Kovan, and Chris' own original instrumental band 'The Factor', (www.myspace.com/thefactortoronto), as well as various Top 40 bands, all playing around the Toronto area and internationally. The future holds an ever improving output of energetic live shows and rhythmically intense recorded work, always drawing from a wide range of influences and styles. Chris is a member of the Professional Drum Teachers Guild, the Percussive Arts Society, and is endorsed by Sonor Drums.

Chris conducted a successful and well received clinic at the Toronto Rock Camp in 2008, and returns in 2009 as the head of Drums and Percsussion instruction.

More about Chris:

• Chris Lesso's MySpace Page

The Toronto Rock Camp welcomes back Mike McAvan. Mike enthralled TRC campers last year with this weekly clinics. This year, Mike McAvan returns not only for his exciting weekly guitar clinics, but also as an Instructor in the Toronto Rock Camp's Guitar Workshop and Master Class program.

Mike is a gifted guitarist and composer who has received endorsements from Ernie Ball Musicman guitars, Ernie Ball strings, Koch amplifiers, Evidence Audio cables, DiMarzio pick-ups and BOSS pedals, and most recently JAM Pedals!

The Toronto Rock Camp is please to announce that the entire Toronto Rock Camp team returns for another great year. Founders and organizers, Seraphim Marcopoulos and Leo Georgoulis are pleased to welcome back our great instructors Chuck Majic, Colin Knowles, Eoghan Condra, along with superb drummer Chris Lesso and guitarist extraordinaire Mike McAvan.

Both Mike McAvan and Chris Lesso have clinics last year at the Toronto Rock Camp. The return not only as clinicians, but as instructors in our instrument specific master classes and workshops!

As our program is growing, so will our superb staff of instructors and clinicians! Stay tuned for announcements of the talented musicians and instructors who will be joining the Toronto Rock Camp team in 2009!