JOHN THORNBURG has been a professional bassist and music educator in the Denver area for over 40 years performing in concerts, clubs, recording sessions and theatrical shows as a sideman and a band leader. Bass is in his blood. His father played bass in the Stan Kenton Orchestra. He has a BS in Music and Media from UCD (1978). Currently John can be heard at Del Frisco’s with Mark Brier and other artists. He performs regularly with Pan Jumbies , The Denver Municipal Band, David Booker, Daddy Blue, Mitch Chmara. In the past John has performed with Esther Satterfield, Lannie Garrett , Jill Sobule, and Bo Diddley. Also he has performed with his own groups at five Telluride Jazz Festivals. In 1980, his composition Open Up Your Heart was performed by Ms. Satterfield on the David Letterman show.
Major Influences: Ray Brown, Jaco Pastorius. Favorite artists: Pat Metheny, Ludwig Van Beethoven.
John was a substitute band and orchestra teacher for 10 years, and has taught privately for 35 years. Able to teach all levels of bass and guitar from beginning to advanced, covering all styles. Music theory and note reading is made easy and lessons will be tailored to the individual goals of each student. Learn to play bass and guitar the way you want, and have fun!
PRO TEACHER – John is one of DMI’s most experienced and versatile Pro-Teachers. We take great pride in providing working professional musicians as teachers at DMI.
What’s a Pro Teacher? Our Pro-Teachers are taught to incorporate practical knowledge that directly translates to practical skills while performing. A Pro Teacher might say something like:
• “That works perfect in here while we study, but performing live try this…”
• “Remember when you are on stage with others to be aware of what they’re doing.”
• “Listen to the group and blend your sound, you can’t just focus on your tone.”
• “Let’s do it again singing into a mic. Mic technique can make or break a performance.”
And so on… These tips are invaluable and make the transition from studying to application of a skill much more smooth. Guaranteeing a more successful first impression with any audition. It’s our goal to make the transition from student to performer as seamless and simple as possible. This is why we have implemented the Pro Teacher staff initiative at DMI.
If you like the idea of an education that goes past learning scales…
ASK ABOUT our Pro Workshops, Master Classes and Camps!
