Joseph Baldassarre Mon, 02 Dec 2002 15:47:40 -0700 ------------------ I was born on October 16, 1950 in Cleveland, Ohio, an only child of Italian parents. At age 4, my father (who had been a flutist and was learning English) gave me lessons in music-reading lessons and my mother gave me lessons in the alphabet and word reading. I started formal training on electric guitar in 1957 under jazz great, Jimmy Hall. Hall was soon replaced by another jazz guitarist, Carl Poliafico, with whom I studied until 1966. I started classical guitar training at the Cleveland Institute of Music under full scholarship in 1964 under Miguel Alcazar. I also began flute and piano lessons at this time. Between 1966 and 1969, I studied privately with Jorge Morel and Miguel Rubio, who arranged a private audience with Andres Segovia in Madrid for me. I attended Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory and studied with composer/guitarist Loris Chobanian from 1969 to 1972. I accomplished my Master's in Musicology in 1979 at Kent State University and my doctorate in performance in 1986 at Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Institute of Music. I was hired at Boise State University in 1975 and taught Music History and Classical guitar and teach here yet today. It was during my Junior year at the Conservatory that I was exposed to early music and began my love affair with the genre. My father retired at this time and volunteered to build me an 8-course lute - - my first early instrument. Dissatisfied with the result, he continued to build lutes; several 8-course, a 6-course, a 14-course and my favorite, a 5-course medieval lute, three baroque guitars, a vihuela, a citole, a symphonia, 2 psaltries, a vielle, an acoustical 5-string fretless bass guitar, a 7-string classical bass guitar, and ten classical guitars. At 86, he is still building. I have been a gigging musician from the time I was 8, and worked as a studio musician in Cleveland from 1964-1975. Among my record credits are: lead guitar on The Rivieras' "California Sun" and The Outsiders' "Time Won't Let Me", and dozens of commercials and acetates. After 19 years of being single, I married my long-time girlfriend, Jan Turner, in August of 1999. I have 3 children from my previous marriage: Genya (b. 1976), Leyla (b. 1977), and Stephen (b. 1979). Stephen, plays drums in my rock/jazz band, Leyla graduated in 2000 magna cum lauda with her Philosophy degree, and Genya presented us with our first grandchild, Gabriel, on September 28, 2002. Dr Joseph A. Baldassarre Professor of Music at Boise State University Boise, Idaho 83725 USA http://drjoe.virtualave.net -- or -- http://www.boisestate.edu/music/baldassarre.html