Palisades-News-May-6-2015-

Palisades NewsPage 28 May 6, 2015Amazing Music: First Stop for LessonsMost Pacific Palisades parentsknow Amazing Music becausewhen a youth is ready for lessonsin guitar, ukulele, piano, bass, drums,harmonica or banjo, the store at 867Swarthmore is a first stop.“We love to teach,” said owner PatrickHildebrand, Sr. “We’ve taught thousandsand thousands of people. We love to givethem a good positive musical experience.That’s basically what we’re all about.”Hildebrand has been teaching in PacificPalisades since 1973, and opened AmazingMusic in 1980. “We’ve been doing it for along, long time,” he said.Many professional musicians got theirstart in the colorful surfer-dude atmosphereof Amazing Music.Marie Digby, who learned to play guitar,has just signed with Disney’s HollywoodRecords. Group Love lead singer AndrewWesson honed his guitar skills at the school.Skyler Fiske (Sissy Spacek’s daughter),Debby Holland of Animal Logic with StanleyClarke and Stewart Copeland, and EricLynn, who plays with Jackson Browne andis the head engineer of Shangri La Studiosin Malibu, are Amazing Music alumni.The store is not strictly for the young, butalso for those who are retired and never hadthe chance to strum the strings on a guitar.“All ages are welcome,” Hildebrand said.“The emphasis is always on having fun.”When the novelty of playing an instrumentwears off and students realize thatpractice is necessary to improve, it’s thefun that Amazing Music provides thatkeeps kids going. Taking lessons shouldnot be drudgery.“We’re doing great with the guitars andthe ukulele and the drums and the piano,”Hildebrand said. “We’re just having agreat time.”Amazing Music is nestled behind theshops at the corner of Swarthmore andAntioch. It has four studios and a selectionof guitars and ukuleles of varioussizes that can be rented or purchased.Instructors include Patrick HildebrandJr., who is a member of the Ooks of Hazzard,a band that consists of seven ukuleles,an accordion and a box. “Many people havean image of Tiny Tim, singing in falsetto,strumming the tiny instrument,” he said,noting that after the band recorded a livevideo cover of MGMT’s “Kids” in April2010, the video went viral and continues toget many views on YouTube.In addition to the father/son teachingteam, other instructors include Michael“Beans” Benigno (“an awesome percussionist”);Diana Nile who trains people onpiano and bass; Justin Citron, who teachesguitar and bass and just launched a bandcalled Trick Pistol.“Travis Powers, who used to teach here,does all the sound effects for The Simpsons,”Hildebrand, Sr. said.If you want to see students in action, goto YouTube and type “Patrick Hildebrand”in the search engine and you’ll see a varietyof girls and boys playing songs with theirpatient instructor.“We’re just jamming out,” said the elderHildebrand, who also has a daughter, Tracy,and five grandchildren.Hildebrand gives back to his hometown.In the 1970s, he and his friends jammed atthe Arts in Action festival held at the Pali -sades Recreation Center. He and his studentsplayed at the Chamber-sponsoredMidnight Madness shows in the 1980s andPatrick Hildebrand, Sr. is the owner of Amazing Music.continue to play at Chamber events.On May 17, the Amazing Music bandwill play for the fourth time at the Chamber’sCommunity Expo on Antioch.Call: (310) 454-4669.AMAZING MUSIC STORE.COMALL AGES, ALL STYLES!Group & Private Lessons • Instrument Rentals & Sales BOOST YOUR SCOREBecome a Better StudentStrengthen Weak AreasAcquire Test Taking SkillsLove Learning!Photo: Bart BartholomewTUTORING (K-12) • TEST PREP • READING • HOMESCHOOL881 ALMA REAL #115PACIFIC PALISADES310/454.3731GrozaLearningCenter.comELEMENTARYREADING& MATHERBPREPCOMMONCOREASSESSMENTS