Introduction

Welcome to my private music instruction page. Thank you so much for considering me to be a part of your creative music journey. No matter what level you think you are or amount of experience you bring to the table, I’m confident I have something in my 30+ years of experience of making music and working as a professional in the music industry.

Below you can learn more about my background, my philosophy and where my music journey has brought me through the years. I also go into some detail about certain offerings in my areas of expertise for you to look through, my rates and other details regarding instruction.

Thanks again for your time and consideration and I sincerely look forward to talking to you about your interests!

Sincerely,

Background

I’ve been playing and creating music nearly my entire life. I tell folks that I consider my music journey starting at the young age of 3 when I received my first keyboard (a Yamaha Portasound PSS-150) for Christmas in 1985. It was that keyboard that opened my interest in learning more about music. With the simplified drum machine functionality and hilarious synthesized demo button playing Mozart’s famous Eine kleine Nachtmusik, I had in that small “toy” of a keyboard everything I needed to start jamming with my own imagination. Pretending/pantomiming with the demo song or just messing around for the joy of it…it didn’t matter…I just found my voice playing and exploring music with that instrument (which I still have to this day in my studio). I share this antidotal life story because I believe one of the most essential elements that we tend to forget when focusing on developing a new skill is bringing in that honest and inspired energy to simply PLAY. You can do no wrong when you’re approaching any new skill or subject with a curiosity and joy that allows you to lose yourself and enjoy the process of discovery.

With that said, that catalyst moment lead me down a long winding road of piano teachers (one after another), meandering discipline and structure most of my childhood, lots and lots of jamming and a real sense of connection escaping after school with the piano and continuing at my own pace. This served me well most of my young years because I really bonded with music and fortunately steered clear of adopting the dreaded “You need to learn this instrument and do as your told” philosophy I hear from so many folks who started music lessons and lost their passion one way or another.

It wasn’t until moving from north of the Twin Cities in Minnesota to a new High School in Sammamish, WA that I really took my studies and development in music theory and started practicing much more seriously. Continuing my own individual piano instruction and working with the Jazz Band and Vocal Jazz Choir really launched me into a level of confidence that allowed me to feel this could become a career. After graduating from Skyline High School I studied as a Jazz Piano Performance major at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle. I had the privilege of studying with some of the music industry’s best working musicians including Randy Halberstadt, Jovino Santos Neto, Hadley Caliman, Chuck Deardorf, Julian Priester, Jim Knapp, Denney Goodhew and many other amazing instructors. I graduated in 2005 and was already working as a gigging musician by the end of my freshman year of college. I knew to the ropes and had the skills as I exited college, but the next 15 years of my career were just as interesting and unknown as my early formative years. Within the next 15 years I performed 100’s of performances at venues and played countless private events around the greater Northwest. My career brought me opportunities like opening with local singer Emily McIntosh for renown soul singer Al Green, recording and performing with multi GRAMMY winning artists Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (who I continue to work with today), touring the US with pop/soul singer Allen Stone and writing and recording on numerous albums with bands like Kesha, Ok Sweetheart, Parisalexa and many others. I continue to lead my own group The Josh Rawlings Trio (which formed that freshman year at Cornish in 2001) and developed a few reputable live bands here locally including Industrial Revelation, The Teaching & Soul Kata to name a few.

And while I could go into further detail, I’ll say this…through all of the experiences, accolades, hopes and dreams…one thing always remained the same…the joy of jamming and the playfulness of music. This simple characteristic has brought me more opportunities, friendships and experiences than I could have ever planned myself. In other words, when you surrender to that joy of creating something for you in the moment (in any moment) - you have what every musician on every level throughout time has kept near and dear to them…passion! Let me help you keep that spark alive and put some new tricks in your bag along the way!

Offerings

Rates

• Questions / Consultations (FREE)

• 30 Min. ($40 or sliding scale)*

• 60 Min. ($80 or sliding scale)*

*If you’re military let me know and you’re need of flexible rates for any reason, please by all means just let me know and we can discuss your situation.

Questionnaire…please tell me about you!