Tracy Press

The Tracy Music Center helps aspiring musicians get in where they fit in.

Martin Martinez is a music aficionado.

He’s toured Europe and shook hands with Ray Charles and Dizzy Gilespie, won awards for his talents as a jazz musician and played with a host of bands showcasing his talent on the saxophone and woodwind instruments.

Now he’s helping musicians find their niche by putting them where they need to be.

"We’re here to fill in the gaps," Martinez said. "When a student needs help finding a band to play with, we get him or her where they need to be."

Martinez and partner/bandmate Gordon Kennedy did this by coming up with the Build-a-Band classes — an eight-week set of lessons that places musicians in the appropriate band geared toward their musical tastes. At the end of the classes, the students perform in front of an audience at a coffee shop, bar and grill, or theater.

For more than 15 years, Martinez has been teaching people how to play a number of instruments as well as offering singing lessons and music theory. He says music is one of the most important aspects in people’s lives, especially children’s.

"There’s proof that kids who play musical instruments are generally smarter than those who don’t," Martinez said. "And smarter kids make for better students, who in turn make for a better community."

Kennedy stressed this as well saying that music helps kids in school and in relationships. Kennedy teaches music to 70 students a week and plays in jazz, swing and rock bands as well as a Latin jazz orchestra

"I want to see the kids take their private lessons to become performers," Kennedy said. "It doesn’t do any good to take lessons if you’re not going to elaborate on your skills on a stage somewhere."

Justin Fishburn, 14, is going to do just that Saturday at the Barking Dog Grill in Modesto with his alternative rock band Faded Dreams. Kennedy helped Justin find a spot playing guitar in the band three months ago.

"Gordon really got me into playing guitar," Justin said. "He got me from thinking it was just something to do as a hobby in my spare time, to truly doing something I love."

Amanda Grey, 16, who loves playing the guitar and singing, has been taking lessons from Kennedy for three years and was recently matched with a band.

"It (the band) wasn’t really my taste in music," Grey said, "but it gave me a better appreciation for different genres of music."

She said Kennedy is really good at teaching not just the basics, but music composition as a whole and stage presence.

Martinez and Kennedy can be found teaching music lessons at the newly-opened Tracy Music Center.

For information: 834-0202.

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