Looking
back, Jim
Andrade
considers
it somewhat
by chance
that he
even started
playing
guitar. “I
was a 12
year-old
with way
too much
time on
my hands,
so my parents
suggested
I take
up an instrument
mainly
as a temporary
thing to
keep me
out of
trouble.
But once
I got my
hands on
that first
guitar,
I never
looked
back”.
Through
countless
lessons
and practice
sessions
during
his junior
high and
high school
years,
Jim developed
his chops
to a level
that allowed
him to
finance
his Bachelor
of Science
degree
solely
through
teaching
guitar
and performing
in several
different
bands.
Today,
along with
a successful
career
as a Software
Engineer,
Jim is
an accomplished
musician
offering
a broad
array of
skills
in the
areas of
guitar
instruction,
performance
and composition.
Jim
has taught
hundreds
of students
throughout
of his
musical
career.
A number
of those
students
are successful
working
musicians
in the
Midwest
area, and
many others
enjoy the
guitar
as passionate
hobbyists.
Jim
is a
seasoned
live performer,
having
played
in numerous
rock and
wedding
bands since
the age
of 14.
He excels
at pop,
rock, blues,
world acoustic,
and jazz-fusion
styles,
and can
cover some
jazz, country,
alternative,
and metal
styles
as well. “Playing
in a good
wedding
band offers
many benefits
to a musician
that you
might not
get in
the typical
rock band.
For example,
you’ve
got to
be able
to cover
a number
of different
styles
convincingly
and seamlessly
to satisfy
varied
tastes
in the
audience.
Also, the
dynamics
of the
performance
you have
to deliver
can change
dramatically
from night
to night,
depending
on the
function
or venue.” Jim
is also
comfortable
playing
solo, having
worked
up numerous
solo arrangements
of popular
tunes.
Jim
has experience
composing
full-length
pop-rock
songs,
and background
tracks
for commercial
endeavors. He
is also
intimately
familiar
with modern “loop-based” methods
of composition. “I
believe
every guitarist
should
treat developing
his/her
compositional
skills
just as
seriously
as the
development
of technical
skills
on their
instrument.
The skills
developed
during
the writing
process
enhance
almost
every aspect
of your
playing.”
Jim’s
musical
influences
during
his formative
years included
mainly
rock and
progressive
rock bands. “The
period
from the
mid-60’s
into the
early 80’s
was an
incredible
time to
grow up,
musically
speaking.
You had
the Beatles,
Chicago
Led Zeppelin,
Yes, Genesis,
Kansas,
Deep Purple,
The Who,
CSN, Hendrix,
etc all
producing
groundbreaking
music simultaneously.
The quality
and originality
of the
music produced
during
that relatively
short period
of time
may never
be equaled
again.” He
cites Terry
Kath and
Jimmy Page
as his
earliest
influences
on guitar,
with Steve
Lukather and Neal
Schon coming
later.
Jim also
developed
an interest
in jazz
and jazz-fusion
along the
way, and
lists Daryl
Stuermer as
a major
fusion
influence.
Jim
had many
years
of personal
instruction
from a
select
group of
teachers
local to
the Kenosha
area. “I
had the
good fortune
of taking
lessons
from excellent
players.
These guys
really
had the
fundamentals
down, and
they were
gigging
regularly,
playing
the music
that I
was listening
to every
day.” A
huge turning
point was
a summer
spent studying
with Jack
Grassel,
Milwaukee-area
jazz guru. “To
this day,
my studies
with Jack
regarding
harmony
and chord-melody
soloing
serve as
an invaluable
guide for
my continued
development
as a musician.” Jim
currently
works diligently
on various
aspects
of his
playing
through
a consistent
focused
self-study
regimen.
In
2004,
Jim released
his debut
CD, entitled “Sweet
Release”,
featuring
9 original
compositions. The
CD was
recorded
and mixed
entirely
in his
home studio.
Jim played
the guitar,
bass, and
synthesizer
tracks,
collaborating
with Milwaukee-area
drummer
Ted Pappas
for the
drum tracks.
In
2001,
Jim was
a winner
in the "Best
Guitarist
on the
Web" contest
sponsored
by Sonic
Foundry.
The contest
involved
the submission
of original
songs created
using the
Sonic Foundry
ACID digital
audio looping
environment.
In producing
a song,
participants
were required
to create
backing
tracks
(e.g. drums,
bass, rhythm
guitar)
based solely
upon supplied
audio loop
packs.
Loop packs
were provided
for blues,
rock, country,
and jazz
genres.
One and
only one
original
guitar
track could
then be
added on
top of
the backing
tracks.
Jim submitted
original
compositions
in the
rock, blues,
and jazz
genres,
winning
the Jazz
Category
against
a field
of over
200 hundred
other guitarists.
In
2000,
Jim authored
compositions
for two
editions
of the
JCAHO (Joint
Commission
for Accreditation
of Health
Organizations)
Pain Management
Video series.
Offers
Kevin Tatham,
Executive
Producer
and Associate
Director,
Learning
Technology
Unit, JCAHO: "We
challenged
Jim to
produce
cutting-edge
audio for
a diverse
array of
video scenes
in our
Pain Management
video series.
The scenes
ranged
from simple
narration
and graphics
all the
way to
accident
scenes
and helicopter
rescue
flights.
Jim delivered
original
custom
audio that
raised
the focus
and effectiveness
of each
scene dramatically.
We were
so impressed
with the
work on
the first
video we
immediately
enlisted
his help
in creating
music for
the second
production."
Jim
is a
Software
Architect
employed
in the
Group Health
Insurance
domain.
He has
a Bachelor
of Science
degree
in Computer
Science
and Mathematics.
His wife
of 30
years,
Katie,
is an accomplished
vocalist
and guitarist,
and serves
as Music
Director
at a local
Church.
His 20
year-old
daughter,
Alyssa,
is a full-time
student at Illinois State University.
|
