Vinny Valentino

I have been teaching music / guitar for more than 35 years and have always enjoyed connecting with students and helping them reach their full musical potential. I would say that my strenths lie in the ablity to decipher exactly what a student needs to reach and achieve their musical goals.

I have a bachelors of music with a concentration on jazz studies, performance and composition. Besides guitar I teach recording, songwriting, composition, ear training, theory and bass.

Here is a brief bio.

Vinny Valentino is a Grammy-nominated guitarist and composer, continuing to redefine musical genres and break melody barriers to audiences worldwide. Setting himself apart from all others in his lane, Vinny has been playing the guitar since age six. It was at age sixteen that Vinny made the conscious decision to pursue a career in Jazz. Studying Jazz at Howard University, he earned his bachelor's and soon after released his first solo recording. In present day, Vinny now has twelve recordings with his mark on them.

Embracing the fact that he was one of the first musicians to perform live on the internet, Vinny continues to pioneer the digital world by offering online clinics, performance opportunities and lessons at www.vinny.com. A significant part of this journey of innovation into the online space is Vinny’s “Play Along Jazz” initiative (www.playalongtunes.com). With this program and site launch in 2008, Vinny gave aspiring musicians the opportunity to download various jazz tracks that omit the instrument they play; it’s an interactive jam session without coordinating all of the other musicians and space! Vinny’s compositions have been recorded by Steve Smith and Vital Information, John Benitez, George Benson, Sunny Sumter and Steve Haas and are featured in the best-selling Jazz book, “All Jazz Real.” Participating in three world tours including tours to Russia, Asia, Central and South America, Vinny has been an integral part of keeping Jazz alive and expanding its reach through every border and barrier. I

n addition to his personal accolades as a musician, he’s been producing and editing Greetings from America shows since 2005, honing skills in graphic design and web development and is even a private pilot in whatever free time he has. Vinny Valentino is a one-of-a-kind musician who is always striving to learn. Music never stops evolving, so why should he? He is on a mission to keep jazz alive in this ever-changing musical landscape, one chord at a time. f

I enjoy almost every aspect of teaching music and being a professional musician. I have been fortunate to travel the world teaching and performing. Music is an instant connection no matter who you are or where you are from. I enjoy passing that gift on.