"It is a pleasure for me to recommend to you,
Luke Gillespie, pianist and teacher of classical and jazz piano.
He is a brilliant
musician and a world class pianist. Gillespie taught piano at the Conservatory
in Klagenfurt, Austria, and the University of Graz Jazz Studies Department,
coached improvisation ensembles and gave a public performance. In each
area he distinguished himself. I have heard Gillespie teach and perform
and I'm happy to attest his strong ability in each field. Student response
to his teaching has
been very favorable, which coincides with the impression colleagues
have formed. Gillespie is a fantastic musician and teacher of superb
quality in any situation and whom I recommend without reservation."
-
Professor Harald Neuwirth, Jazz Piano
(Head of the Jazz Department
/ Karntner Landeskonservatorium / Klagenfurt, Austria)
(University
of Graz Jazz Studies Department / Graz, Austria)
"Dr. Gillespie
performed a wonderful solo jazz piano recital one evening and a classical
recital on another. His playing was exciting and professional both
evenings. His comments and suggestions to the students [in two master
classes] were insightful and helpful."
- David Viscoli, Professor
of Piano (Minnesota State University)
"The
workshops and masterclasses that Gillespie gave were well-directed
towards the musical levels and needs of our students. Gillespie's enthusiasm
and fresh ideas provided a wonderful impetus for the second half of
the semester. James, our jazz band's pianist, was truly inspired by
the individual work that Gillespie did with him. Gillespie's gift of
teaching was
evident in all of his interactions with the students. It goes without
saying that we were all awed by Gillespie's performance. His solo rendition
of "Skylark" was particularly haunting."
- Carolyn Bryan,
Professor of Music (Georgia Southern University)
"The
students had a great time working with Gillespie! They said that Gillespie
improved them so much, so THANK YOU. Gillespie ran the successful rhythm
section clinic, and gave impetus to the David Liebman clinics. Everyone
left our festival feeling excited about jazz. All of our students who
attended the night show were in total awe of the David Liebman quartet's
performance with Luke Gillespie. They really touched some souls that
evening."
- Janis Stockhouse, Jazz Festival and Jazz Band Director
(Bloomington North High School)
"Each semester we have a series of convocations
featuring guest lecturers and performers. Most of these guest presentations
elicit lukewarm responses (or worse) from the students. Gillespie's
presentation, however, greatly intrigued and inspired them, as shown
by the complete attention he commanded throughout the hour, the numerous
questions he received from them, and the large number of students who
came forward to talk to him after the presentation came to an end.
In addition, various students spoke to me or other professors for several
days about how much they enjoyed Gillespie's presentation. As such
an overwhelming response almost never happens as a result of a convocation,
Gillespie's talk was highly successful.
Gillespie's recital was very stimulating and enjoyable. Both students
and faculty were very impressed. A few days after Gillespie left DeKalb,
one of our visiting jazz faculty was offered a tenure-track position,
but declined for family reasons; members of the jazz faculty openly
regretted that Gillespie was not available to take his place."
-
Brian Hart, Professor of Music (Northern Illinois University)
"Thanks
to Luke Gillespie for his performing excellence and teaching superiority.
He did a wonderful job here and provided excellent insights into jazz
improvisation. We were impressed with Gillespie's knowledge and his
teaching skills. The future of jazz education is in good hands with
him."
- Ron Keezer, Professor of Music (University of Wisconsin-Eau
Claire)
"Reports
of Gillespie's program on improvisation at the library were enthusiastic,
even ecstatic! Many people have commented on the thrill of really understanding
what improvisation means--through your conversational and musical demonstration
and the active involvement of the audience.
We were indeed fortunate to be able to take advantage of your visiting
professorship at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire to complete our
series on "One Hundred Years of Jazz"."
- Mildred N.
Larson, Associate Director (L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library
/ Eau Claire, WI)
"Thank you for your contributions to
the Jazz Festival. Gillespie's comments to the bands were right on
target, delivered with positive re-inforcement. Gillespie's playing
is world class! He really inspired my students. One of the directors
even commented, "Luke is really hip for a piano player!"
-
Thomas Giles, Jazz Band Director (Minnesota State University)
"Students
as well as faculty found Gillespie's masterclass to be an illuminating
experience to see how jazz and classical music intersect. Gillespie
was able to point out many subtle nuances, especially in terms of rhythm
and tone color, that truly made the music come to life. His suggestions
regarding basic keyboard technique were also very helpful and produced
almost instant changes in the playing of the master class participants,
particularly in the case of the young lady who performed the Toccata
by Debussy. We also appreciated Gillespie's fine rapport he established
with the students; he was able to put them at ease and created an atmosphere
in which effective learning and music making could take place.
It would have been completely worth the fee just for the masterclass,
but the concert Gillespie played that evening made him being here a
consummate experience for us all. Gillespie's playing was spectacular,
with wonderful tone, creative lines and harmony, masterful control of
dissonance and stunning expressiveness. Gillespie swung! It was a privilege
to hear him. We were all entertained, impressed and moved by Gillespie's
virtuosity and musicality."
- Ken Graber, Professor of Music (St.
Olaf College)
"Gillespie's
leadership at the Arts Center has been nothing short of magnificent.
His dedicated effort and consistent drive to improve students' minds
and attitudes has been quite evident, and his energy has heightened
the effectiveness of his colleagues. Student retention at the Arts
Center is due in large part to Gillespie's efforts."
- Mark Aderman,
former Director (Indianhead Arts Center)
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Comments from private jazz piano students...
"Luke Gillespie is a first-rate performer, clinician
and instructor. He has an extensive knowledge of both the classical
and jazz piano traditions and is adept at offering a wide variety
of solutions and exercises to fit the student's needs. In my years
at Indiana University it was a pleasure and joy studying under Luke;
my lessons were challenging, informative and always left me inspired
to practice. His concepts of harmonic substitutions and inner-voice
movement, as well as his enthusiasm itself were highly influential
in my personal development as a musician and teacher. Thank-you Luke."
-
Chris White
"I had an incredible experience at the Indiana
University School of Music. In large part, this was due to the time
I spent with Luke Gillespie. He is a wonderful musician, a dedicated
teacher, and a fine person. In lessons, Luke always offered constructive
feedback on music I had prepared. And, while preparing for performances
large and small, Luke was generous with his time. He often made time
for an extra lesson or combo coaching. In masterclasses, he made
helpful suggestions on concepts to practice and recordings to check
out. Luke was (and is) a tremendous source of encouragement and certainly
has helped me become a better musician."
- Paul Johnston
"Thank you for the instruction you gave me at
Indiana University. You were a tremendous resource for me, and I
gained from you tools
and ideas that I would never have encountered otherwise. I cannot thank
you enough for your dedication to your students and for your interest
in all aspects of music and of teaching."
- Nathaniel Beversluis
"Luke is a rhythmically vibrant pianist that has
a solid technique in classical and jazz. His incredible passion for
music is inspiring and exciting to be around. The lessons will take
you throughout the span of jazz history, not overlooking a single style.
Luke makes a point to not only be a teacher but also a mentor, counseling
on life problems and connecting them to the world of music."
-
Mariel Berger
"It has certainly been an enjoyable experience
having you as my teacher at the Shell Lake Camps these past few years.
You are an excellent teacher and taught me a great deal."
- Joshua
Gallagher
"Luke Gillespie is an incredibly talented and
dedicated pedagogue. I am very grateful for the world-class instruction
I have received from him and am continually impressed by his patience,
professionalism, and breadth of knowledge. Studying with Luke has
largely impacted every facet of the musician I am and has given me
competitive skills with which to enter the professional music world."
-
Drew Scalercio
"I want to thank you for all your guidance and
support. Studying with you really changed my college career and my
outlook on music in general, and completely for the better. Thanks
for teaching me to keep an open mind (and not just in music), and
how to be on my toes on the stand. Those lessons will be with me
long after I leave Bloomington. Thanks again!"
- Austin Bale
"The rehearsal we had with you was probably the
best we've ever had, and I want to thank you for all the help. We played
for another hour after you left and we tried to apply everything you
said to other tunes and it was great."
- Ensar Kabil
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