|
Ethan Fiks has played the guitar since 1979,
and taught since the late 1980s. His own training comes from a
combination of sources including private teachers (voice, composition,
and piano, as well as extensive guitar study), college (Brown
U.), and real world experience. Ethan was also a student at the
National Guitar Summer
Workshop (NGSW), where he was hired as one of the youngest
faculty members after taking a three-year course in guitar and
general music pedagogy. While at NGSW, Ethan performed with such
artists as John Petrucci of Dream Theater and jazz guitarist John
Abercrombie. He also attended clinics given by such artists as
Trey Anastasio of Phish (Mike Gordon, their bass player, was at
the Workshop too), Marty Friedman of Megadeth, and fusion guitarist
John Scofield. Ethan also teaches at other schools and music workshops
in the New York Metropolitan area, as well as teaching privately
in both New York City and Northern New Jersey.
In addition to running his own studio in midtown Manhattan since
1996, Ethan has taught or led workshops at the National Guitar
Summer Workshop (Connecticut and Nashville campuses), the Learning
Annex (New York, NY), the Teaneck Community Education Center (Teaneck,
NJ), the Ramsey Adult School (Ramsey, NJ), Mill Basin Day Camp
(Brooklyn, NY), the O. DiBella Music School (Bergenfield, NJ),
the Tenafly Adult School (Tenafly, NJ), the Solomon Schechter
School (New Milford, NJ), and the Sam Ash “Get You Started”
Program (New York, NY).
Besides performing with his own band and a diverse roster of artists
in various settings (see calendar
for upcoming gigs), Ethan has played on soundtracks for film,
network and cable TV. Memorably, the MTV show "The State"
included some of Ethan's guitar work. In addition, listen for
Ethan's guitar playing on Ryan Shore's score to the film "Vulgar"
from Kevin Smith's production company (Clerks, Chasing Amy, Dogma)
and Miramax. Hear Ethan’s guitar and production talents on
San Francisco's Martin Dory's "The Vanishing Act" and
the Japanese singer-songwriter Yumi Kano’s album “Timbre.”
Ethan has an electronic music and recording
studio on the premises, where he has produced and recorded
CD-quality songs for various clients, including some of his students.
Ethan has written and produced commercial music for such clients
as JVC, Time/Life Books, Ebonaids bandages, Paine Webber, Sports
Illustrated, Rodale Books, Polo Jeans, and T. Rowe Price, and
has been a freelance composer for the music houses tomandandy
and Man Made Music. Sony and AOL Time Warner have also
been clients of Ethan's studio.
Furthermore, Ethan has played as a pit guitarist
for various productions of
musicals including "Bye, Bye Birdie," "Camelot,"
"Evita," "Fame," "Free to
Be You and Me," "Godspell," "Little Shop of
Horrors," "Snoopy," "Man of
La Mancha," "Mame," "The Sound of Music,"
"Children of Eden," "Batboy," "Grease,"
"They're Playing Our Song," "All Night Strut,"
"Smile," "The Last Five Years," "Starmites,"
"A Chorus Line," "Hello Dolly," "Tapestry,"
"Gigi," "Les Miserables," "Rappacini's
Daughter" (music director), "Footloose," "Cats,"
"Pippin," "The Pajama Game," and "Smokey
Joe's Cafe". He has been known to double on mandolin, banjo,
and electric bass.
Ethan also plays solo nylon string guitar
(jazz/classical/pop) for weddings and similar functions, and leads
jazz groups for same. Ask for a demo CD, or I can email you mp3s.
Update 2002: Listen for Ethan’s new original track
“Rumors Part 2” on a radio station near you. The
song is a collaboration with rapper T.O.N.E., released on the
Select Records label (of Jerky Boys, UTFO, Kid n' Play
fame), and features Ethan’s guitar, bass, production, and
mixing work.
2003: Ethan has received a patent for a portable educational musical
instrument and accompanying learning method, which bears some
(only some) relation to his guitar method. To hear about Ethan’s
new educational musical invention, click
here.
2004: Ethan scored the short film "Alaska"
from director Al Davidian, which appeared at the Columbia University
Film Festival.
top
1) DR Strings:
7 Palisade Ave.
Emerson, NJ 07630
e-mail: DRstaff@DRstrings.com
2) Suhr Guitars:
18650 Collier Ave.
Unit A Lake Elsinore
California 92530
e-mail: jsuhr@pe.net
top
Ethan has books out (now
3!) with two of the major music publishers, which are distributed
to music stores around the world. They are:
1) NEW! The
Learning Set(TM) Guitar Method Book 1: Beginning Guitar by
Ethan Fiks. The Rainbow String Company/DR Strings, 2003. Description:
A beginning guitar method book for use with newly available individually
colored strings. Colored chord chart paper also available.
2) Tricks and Special Effects by Ethan Fiks (Book and CD).
Alfred Publishing/ Workshop
Arts, Inc., 1999.
Description: Available with or without the CD (I highly recommend
it), this guide covers how to make your guitar sound like other
instruments (cellos, bass, drums, sitar, bagpipes, etc.), animals
(such as whales, elephants, and cats), cars, squeals, growls,
and much more, using electronic and mechanical methods. Super
cool!
3) Blues Guitar Monsters by Ethan Fiks, transcriber, and
David Rubin, editor. Hal Leonard Corporation, (in publication).
Description: A collection of twelve contemporary blues songs by
various artists. I figured out by ear all guitar parts (chords,
riffs, and solos), lyrics, and vocal melodies, and notated them.
Great stuff!
Also look for Ethan’s guest lesson in
the "Sessions" section of Guitar
Player magazine. (in the Feb. '99 issue).
|
