In the guitar warmups section, I've added downloadable files. You can see some of the exercises as photos (and print that way) but you can also download the pdfs. Enjoy! If you think I've made your playing move down the highway in any good way, please consider supporting my music!
Welcome to the home of Michael Occhipinti, guitarist, composer, and leader of numerous projects including The Sicilian Jazz Project, Shine On: The Universe Of John Lennon, In Orbit (featuring Jeff Coffin & Felix Pastorius), The Triodes, NOJO (Neufeld-Occhipinti Jazz Orchestra), and Michael's ongoing duo project with Elizabeth Shepherd. Moving between jazz, global music, funk, pop, blues, r&b, and Chamber Music, and performing everywhere from major festivals to your living room, please click on the various pages to discover Michael Occhipinti's many musical identities.
Support Musicians During Covid-19!
All of the professional musicians I know have had their work canceled these last few months, and it doesn't look like it's coming back anytime soon. If you like the work of any musicians out there, I encourage you to support their work by buying their albums directly from them (or a service like Bandcamp) or donating to their tip jar.
Michael Occhipinti RELATED NEWS
The Sicilian Jazz Project is a selected artist to showcase at Global Toronto on Friday, July 31st at 1:30pm. There'll be a ten minute video (in place of the live performance we would have done had the conference been able to proceed as an in-person event) and then a 15 minute discussion of the group and its music. Please join us. The Facebook link is HERE.
We were supposed to be doing Ottawa Chamber Music Festival and Hudson Music Festival in just a few weeks with singer guests Ilaria PILAR Patassini and Giuseppe di Bella (whose new album Orfeo features some of my guitar atmospherics).
Meanwhile, Covid 19 has kind of put everything on hold, including the recording and tours Elizabeth Shepherd and I were supposed to do. We had planned on finishing and releasing our new duo album ESMO and touring Canada June 21st to July 12th. With the isolation that we're all doing, she and I couldn't get together to finish the album, but a few weeks ago I did travel to her place in the Laurentian Mountains in Quebec for 3 online concerts for clubs we were supposed to play at, which was great fun (we missed our audience, but it sure was nice to play music in a room together). Elizabeth was up for a JUNO Award this year, so it was good timing as I was with her and her family for the online ceremony (alas, she didn't win for her album MONTREAL).
The new In Orbit recording that is almost finished, but it's probably six months away from being released. At this point, I (like all the musicians I know) have had all of my work canceled, so I'm writing music and trying to be creative, and following all the health recommendations here in Toronto. Hope you are healthy and coping that best you can, wherever you are!
While we finish our new In Orbit album featuring Jeff Coffin (saxophones), Felix Pastorius (bass), Tom Reynolds (piano), Davide Direnzo (drums), and me, you can here our debut at iTunes, Spotify, CD Baby, and at Amazon, or visit Ear Up! Or you can listen to it on the IN ORBIT page!
It's a fun and funky album with some great musicianship, with 3 compositions by Michael Occhipinti, 4 by Jeff Coffin, and 1 by the group. With Jeff Coffin busy touring with Dave Matthews I can't say when we'll tour, so the recording will have to do for now. Hope you'll check it out!
You can get Michael Occhipinti and The Sicilian Project's MUORICA here!
Guitar/Music Lessons with ME!
Hey musicians who aren't done learning about music (which is basically all of us), I'm taking on new private students via Zoom of Facetime or Whatsapp or whatever works for you in these crazy, isolated times! Guitar, composition, group coaching, arranging, pasta making, I enjoy it all so send me a message if you're interested!
