Sinan Bakir
Turkish guitarist/composer Sinan Bakir is noted as a virtuoso player and a masterful composer by the music critics and his peers. Sinan’s early musical experience started with mandolin lessons followed by an audition leading to the Ankara State Opera Children’s Choir. After attending a rock concert in his early teen years he was inspired to pick up his first guitar and started taking private lessons, spending most of his time practicing. Soon after he formed his first band and started playing gigs around the city while attending to college in his hometown Ankara. By the time he graduated from Hacettepe University with a degree in engineering he was granted a scholarship from the Hartford Conservatory and moved to United States. Sinan continued growing as a musician in Hartford, writing tunes, attending sessions,and playing regular gigs & festivals. His all original debut album “On My Way”(2009) with bassist Thomson Kneeland and drummer Mark Ferber, followed by a quartet recording titled “Tales and Stories”(2012) with pianist Warren Byrd. Both albums received great reviews from many respected music publications and featured in a variety of Radio and TV programs. While maintaining a busy teaching schedule guitarist continues to perform in diverse settings from solo recitals to trio concerts as well as many other musical situations....
read more
Sinan Bakir
Turkish guitarist/composer Sinan Bakir is noted as a virtuoso player and a masterful composer by the music critics and his peers. Sinan’s early musical experience started with mandolin lessons followed by an audition leading to the Ankara State Opera Children’s Choir. After attending a rock concert in his early teen years he was inspired to pick up his first guitar and started taking private lessons, spending most of his time practicing. Soon after he formed his first band and started playing gigs around the city while attending to college in his hometown Ankara. By the time he graduated from Hacettepe University with a degree in engineering he was granted a scholarship from the Hartford Conservatory and moved to United States. Sinan continued growing as a musician in Hartford, writing tunes, attending sessions,and playing regular gigs & festivals. His all original debut album “On My Way”(2009) with bassist Thomson Kneeland and drummer Mark Ferber, followed by a quartet recording titled “Tales and Stories”(2012) with pianist Warren Byrd. Both albums received great reviews from many respected music publications and featured in a variety of Radio and TV programs. While maintaining a busy teaching schedule guitarist continues to perform in diverse settings from solo recitals to trio concerts as well as many other musical situations.
Jedd Chlebowski
Jedd is a bassist with 30 years experience. He is proud to be the bassist for the Michael Cleary Band, an original group which has been a staple on the CT music scene for over 20 years! Jedd has been with the band for five years and counting. They have recently released their CD “Uplift”. All of their CDs and music are available on iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, and their website. In 2014 they were nominated in various categories for the CT Music Awards and ended up winning for Best Jam Band. In 2016 their song “2nd Nature” won Best New Song for the CT Music Awards.
Jedd has a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education with an emphasis on jazz and a Master’s degree in Classical Performance on Upright Bass. In 1994 Jedd toured Europe with a Broadway musical revue. In 1995 he joined jazz-fusion group Gotham which gigged in New York City and toured the mid-west. He has also played and recorded with pianist Dan Brodsky whose songs appeared on an episode of MTV’s The Real World and in the radio rotation on American Airlines. Jedd has subbed for the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra, Wallingford Symphony and the Goodspeed Opera House. He has been both a permanent and substitute bassist with many jazz and rock groups performing from New Jersey through Maine. He has also performed at events for Ivana Trump, Robin Leach and Hillary Clinton. Jedd is the bassist for Rob Sbar’s Noesis which performed at NAMM in Anaheim, CA in 2005. He is eagerly awaiting the completion of the CD of Rob’s original material.
Ken Serio
23 years private study with the great Joe Morello
2 year private study with Zak Danziger
Various tours and recording session sand cd’s with some of jazz, blues, and pop’s top artists including bassist Mark Egan, guitarist Vic Juris, blues great Ronnie Earl, saxophonist David Mann, keyboardist Gil Goldstein, blues guitarist Victoria Warne, guitarist Pete McCann, drummer Danny Gottlieb, guitarist Billy Eric,Popa Chubby, guitarist Bill Turner (Bill Haley and the Comets),Alicia Keys Band, Billy Joel, Joey Ramone, The Beastie Boys to name a few. Ken also enjoys a successful solo artist career, having 6 Cd’s out under his own name. Ken is endorsed SJC Snare Drums, Dream Cymbals, Hotsticks Drumsticks, Axis Pedals,Protection Racket Cases,and Mike Balter Mallets.
“I believe my success as a drum instructor stems from my desire for my students to improve, and that I genuinely care about their progress, just as my many teachers cared about me. I like to think that I’m carrying on in their footsteps.”
show less
