“Congratulations. You’re all here because you love music and want to be musicians. Take it from guy who wanted the same and loves music — it’s the coolest.”

With these words Larry Carlton kicked off his highly anticipated clinic at the LA Music Academy.

Looking impressively fit, the prolific legend of studio and stage spent an insightful evening with an appreciative standing-room-only audience of Academy teachers and students.

With trademark ‘335’ guitar in hand, Mr. Carlton fingerpicked an original composition brimming with sweet lyricism. Next, Carlton sought the skillful accompaniment of Academy Guitar Department Chair Tariqh Akoni, counted off a medium tempo and tore into a blues shuffle, the six-stringer phrasing with stunning, trademarked use of the volume swells, bended notes and taste that are his signature.

To those in the Academy’s Performance Hall, the innovator’s music spoke eloquently.

“How do you get so much soul into your playing?” asked a student, intrigued.

“I don’t know, but maybe I can enlighten you as to what I think enables each of us to give our soul when we’re playing,” Carlton answered. “Practice what you must, but play what you love. Because when you play what you love, there’s a chance for your heart and artistry to come out,” he offered.

“But you’ve got to practice what you must,” Carlton said. “That’s why you’re here, to get your stuff together — enough chops and experience — so you can play what you love, and let that soul come through because it’s honest playing.”

And with so few words, the guitarist’s message resounds with those in the room.

Away from the guitar, Carlton comes across as a regular guy. But this is Larry Carlton, after all — the star instrumentalist whose work appears on more than 100 gold albums and continues to perform 150 nights a year while adding to an impressive list of highly-personal recordings under his own name.

“I’m doing the Larry thing — goin’ fishing and playing the blues,” is how he explains it. Then again, maybe having a cool head has played a part in earning him such success: Rolling Stone voted his guitar solo on Steely Dan’s "Kid Charlemagne" one of the top three in the history of rock, just one of the many jaw-dropping moments he contributed to the group’s oeuvre.

At the Academy, whether on the microphone or the guitar, Carlton conveyed the versatility and experience of his life in music.

“My passion is making music — I’m definitely not resting on my laurels,” he says.

“Your playing style has gone through a metamorphosis,” Tariqh notes, pointing out the wide range of style changes he sees in Carlton’s work. “Was that a natural progression?”

“That’s what keeps it exciting,” Carlton says, citing his international fan base and a restless artistic drive. “I feel a responsibility to grow.”

When asked to mention some of his influences, Carlton mentions Joe Pass, for whom he subbed early in his career, playing jazz in a group with future Academy co-founder Joe Porcaro. The guitarist laughs, recalling the meeting and the difficult demands of the band’s music. When he launches into “All The Things You Are,” with Tariqh’s chords providing sensitive support, it’s heartfelt proof of his deep admiration for Pass and its stunning effect on his work.

As Carlton details his harmonic understanding and process, Academy students seize the opportunity to learn his methods, and no shortage of note taking and recording occurs.

When asked his thoughts on what makes a rhythm section, Carlton is quick to answer: “Listening sensitivity…That makes a group sound like a band; like a unit, as opposed to just a bunch of guys that play well together,” he urges. “The rhythm section moves ever-so subtlety together because they’re tuned to each other’s vibe.”

‘Now let’s get some players up here,” Carlton announced as two students, Ian Enderson and Viktor Cepeda, join him on bass and guitar.

Moments later Carlton is shaking hands, congratulating the students. The famed guitarist takes a few more questions and then brings his master class to a close on an encouraging note.

“Keep going for it: live your dream of being a musician,” he says, “because it’s the best.”

“When you’re playing with someone at such a high level, you can tell there’s something more going on,” Academy student Viktor Cepeda said of his performance with the guitar legend. “There’s a special give and take, a mix,” he concludes. “That was amazing — I really listened to everything he did.”

“Practice what you must, but play what you love.” — Larry Carlton

Whether he’s behind the board producing stars’ albums, touring the world with The Yellowjackets or advising students on their bass technique in a recent Academy master class, Jimmy Haslip is the consummate pro: a versatile artist dedicated to the needs of the moment.

The multifaceted, journeyman musician visited the Academy to pass on his modal system to students, divulge valuable practice tips and answer students’ questions. A special bonus: each one of the Academy’s bass students had an opportunity to make music with the bass legend and receive a critique.

Haslip’s marathon four hour visit allowed students plenty of time with the bassist, who is perhaps best known for his role in the best-selling instrumental group The Yellowjackets, which he summarizes as “30 years, 14 Grammy nominations, and 20 records”. Lifecycle, the group’s latest, features guitarist Mike Stern.

Haslip began his master class with a subject close to every musician’s heart: the effective practice and use of scales.

“Each mode colors the sound in a very different way. Harmony is the Rubik’s Cube, the onion being peeled back,” he began. “The goal is to hear the differences between the modes, understand their relationships, and use them to create something.

“There’s many ways to do this,” Haslip declared, executing a lightning-fast passage as demonstration. “Study enough and eventually it becomes part of your vocabulary, something you don’t have to think about.”

As students leaned in for a closer look at his fingering, a question on diminished chords prompts the visiting artist to demonstrate scales in a funk context. “Maybe you shouldn’t look at me, though, because I play upside down,” joked the left-hander, who in fact plays an instrument made for right-handers.

“Repetition is your friend: the more you practice and use scales and modes, the easier it’s going to get. Eventually you won’t have to think about it — you’ll see it in your mind’s eye, and your hand will know where to go. It just takes time,” he assured the watchful class.

Haslip mentions the tennis players he admires, likening accurate musical reflexes to an expert serve. “That’s the kind of control we’re trying to achieve,” he notes. “Eventually, it becomes just a matter of execution.

“Still, the search is never-ending.”

Raised in New York, Haslip played horn for seven years before the gravity of the bass grew irresistible. Seeing Jimi Hendrix perform was as a pivotal experience; so, too, his formative years as a pro, playing in an expansive Top 40 band. “We worked the Eastern seaboard, playing five sets a night, seven nights a week. At the time, the band’s guitarist was studying with Pat Martino, who had an interesting way of organizing scales,” Haslip recalls.

When asked about groove playing, the bassist mentions an inspirational mix of practice tips: “I used to play along with records. One of my idols is James Jamerson, who played on the majority of Motown’s hits. Growing up, I really liked R&B and funk; I’d focus just on the bass part, then memorize or transcribe it. That’s when your selective hearing comes in handy.”

After dispensing more wisdom and practical advice on how to develop good ‘inner time’, Haslip stressed its importance to bassists: “It’s a necessary skill, because a lot of the times when a bass player solos, you’re by yourself. If you can get to the point where you feel good about where your time is without drums, piano or guitars — that’s a good thing,” says the first-call bassist, who’s renowned for his funk and rhythm playing.

“When I toured with Chaka Khan, I played in the pocket all night. After a while, I started experimenting, trying to make it groove more.

“Dynamics are a big part of phrasing,” he elaborates, spinning a virtuoso mix of harmonics and unfretted ‘dead notes’. “Dead notes are just as important as the notes you give value to,” he explains, adding trills and slides to a stunning improvisation.

As the first Academy bass student plugs in, preparing to perform, another asks Haslip about his friendship with the late Jaco Pastorius. “We were in the same rehearsal building…I peeked in on Weather Report and couldn’t believe it — I saw this guy with long hair and a beat-up Fender bass playing all this crazy stuff. I introduced myself and we hit it off,” he recalls. “I learned a lot. He completely turned my world upside down in a good way.”

With tempo selected, the music begins, the storied musician grooving and encouraging as he coaches students, one at time.

“With the career I’ve had, I’ve come to the understanding that the best way for anyone is to diversify: study and learn all kinds of music, and learn as much as you can about every aspect of music,” he says.

“At one time, I was mostly getting calls to program drum machines. If you can do multiple tasks, you’re not just waiting for the phone to ring — you can produce and write; you can arrange for horns and program synthesizers,” he recommends. “It’s made for a very eclectic career.”

“That’s probably essential for musicians today,” a student comments.

“In today’s world, I think it’s more essential. Having a diversified career has opened many doors for me,” remarked the musician, who’s produced over 60 albums. “It also keeps life interesting,” he reports.

The good-natured bassist adjusts his instrument, eyeing the faces in the room.

“Ok, who’s next to play?”

Wayne Krantz strides the stage deep in concentration. He’s searching for the right thought, the perfect riff of words to describe how dissatisfaction with one’s music can be a good thing.

He begins. “Ask yourself, ‘Am I satisfied with how my music sounds, right now?’ If you’re not, the temptation is to say, ‘I suck. It’s terrible...’ But I encourage anyone that has those feelings to be grateful for the fact that you have enough vision to be unhappy.”

To fearless composer and monster guitarist Wayne Krantz, having a demanding critical voice inside you “is a gift; not everybody has that. It’s one of the signs of being creative, and it’s really all we have to guide us.”

Heed your inner voice. Acquire the knowledge you need. Dare to create. These were the themes Krantz highlighted during his recent clinic at the Academy, an inspiring workshop that left students awed as much by his ideas on art and artists as they were with his equally radical guitar playing.

“We need to have artists who are willing to sound like themselves,” Krantz declared. “People use the word artist loosely — everyone’s an ‘artist’ as long as they’re selling something,” he explains.

“By artist, I mean someone who is creative in a personal way,” he clarifies. “In my case, I needed to get a period of quiet because I was a sponge,” the guitarist said, recounting how he chose his own path. “For a while, I hadn’t the slightest idea what I wanted to play like. I knew what I didn’t want, what I thought was getting in the way of developing something more personal,” he says.

“At that point I started writing.”

Krantz’s career took off soon after moving to New York City. High-profile gigs with heavyweights Michael Brecker and Billy Cobham gained him a reputation as a strong supporting player with a distinctive sound. Tours with Steely Dan followed; it’s an association that continues to this present day, marked by Krantz’s stunning contributions to Donald Fagen’s latest recording, Morph The Cat — the guitarist’s solo on “The Great Pagoda of Funn” a case study in melody, changing timbre and epic brilliance.

Krantz’s weekly gig at The 55 Bar is legendary. Lasting from ’97–’07, the residency provided him an opportunity to define and document his artistic evolution as a composer-improviser. Now with six albums as a leader, the iconoclast thrives in small group settings, leading his forward-leaning trio through astonishing, ever-shifting kaleidoscopes of rhythm and harmony.

At the Academy, Krantz spoke with students contemplating their own plans of action and shared a revelation: “I realized that everyone who inspired me to play music — everyone I loved, in terms of the people who moved me and made me want to do that, too — to a one, they all sounded like themselves.

“They’re originals,” he continues. “The lesson that great musicians teach us is that ‘good’ means not playing like them, because if I go chasing their thing, I’m going to be distancing myself from what inspires me.

“The message of inspiration is an encouragement to do it yourself,” he concludes.

“Being able to compose and write it down is key,” Krantz advised, offering students his own words of encouragement. “You have no idea how lucky you are now. When I was in school it was a dungeon!” he laughs. “You’re lucky that great players are teaching today. School is a brief opportunity to open yourself up, so take in as much as you can."

“Think of a reason to do something,” the guitarist proposes. “Question everything: your instrumentation, the function they have, then create the context for your music.”

Krantz mentions The Mystery of Picasso, a film documenting the great artist’s creation of a single painting over the course of an afternoon.

“You see the painting evolve through all these incredible revisions,” he marvels. “Throughout, Picasso is asking, ‘What is the right thing, here?’ It’s not that the previous versions weren’t good — any of them would have been world famous for the rest of history — it’s that they weren’t right for him, then.”

“That film describes the process beautifully: it’s not that another thing won’t be good, it’s that anything else won’t be right.”

“The judgment that you make is your power and expression; the satisfaction comes from knowing you got it right, more or less,” he says. “At times the process is painful and frustrating, but that voice is what’s going to guide you.”

“The degree to which you use someone else’s hard-fought and won solutions is the degree that you will lose yourself, and become invisible,” Krantz cautions.

“Write about yourself, your childhood, your background. Because that’s the story that hasn’t been written yet.”

In Wayne Krantz’s view, it’s not about finding your voice, but rather listening to the one we have already.

The virtues of bringing energy and total commitment to performance were in full effect in a recent Academy appearance by visiting drummer and bandleader Vito Rezza.

The veteran musician and composer explored the who, what, how and whys of playing music, countering question and answer sessions with fierce musical segments from an electrifying group featuring Academy grads Peter Boskovich on bass and Jackson Allen on guitar.

With commanding stage presence and percolating percussion work, the self-described “blue collar musician” spoke with no-nonsense zeal on life-lessons and personal integrity, rousing students to question their artistic purpose and follow their inner muses with confidence.

“Fear and second-guessing cripple all musicians. So just relax, take a deep breath and go for it. Don’t be self-deprecating about not having the big gig just yet — just be as honest to yourself as you can,” the musician suggested.

To Rezza, the inner game of music begins by eliminating the doubts that inhibit the creative process. In the words of the Academy, it’s all part of Getting to the Music.

“Music has never been anything but art, self expression and a vehicle for self-discovery to me,” he explains. “I’m a musician who happens to play the drums.”

The Toronto-based percussionist rose from humble beginnings: his first drum kit consisting of a couch and a furnace grill used to weathering long Canadian winters. From playing sessions for film, radio and TV to producing six albums under his own name, Rezza has built an impressive list of associations (Michael Brecker, Toots Thielemans, and Joey DeFrancesco have all performed his compositions).

During his clinic at the Academy, Rezza’s advice had a recurring theme: pour heart and soul into whatever you do.

“You have to eat music,” he began. “Sometimes we fuss over technicalities too much; Tony Williams talked about melody,” he said, critiquing what he sees as the over-emphasis on athleticism in the current musical standard. “Can you make a snare drum sound like a hummingbird? I can appreciate that like I do high-jumping, but it doesn’t have anything to do with heart in music,” the drummer added, smiling.

The musician’s message came through clearly during his performance. Leading the trio through a wide-ranging set, Rezza blazed his drum set with precision, pushing Academy grads Boskovich and Allen into impromptu musical dialogue that reached several peaks. Throughout, Boskovich laid down agile melodies on bass while the guitarist produced an abundance of color, marrying the sophistication of jazz to a blues sound. Both players were exceptional at keeping pace with the leader’s momentum.

“I’m gonna take a little walk now, Ok?” Rezza announced before taking his own solo. After the fireworks subsided, Rezza went to the piano to reveal a different side, performing an original ballad lush in advanced harmony.

“Music isn’t all just sound design and putting a few loops together,” he cautioned. “Everyone here should study arranging.”

Questions came from all over the Performance Hall, and Rezza answered each deftly. But then Rezza had a question of his own, and asked students why they chose music.

“I’ve tried everything else that interests me but nothing makes me as happy as playing music,” offered student Josh Doyle.

“The world needs music,” another voice said.

“It sounds like you’re genuine and want to express yourselves; that it means a lot to you,” Rezza observed. “Music is a lifelong pursuit, and you’ve got to earn your place at the table,” he advised. “It’s a privilege to be a musician in any society. Respect that, and never give up.”