Caspian Coberly jams with Lee Oskar and RMI’s Tim Lerch at the Jimi Hendrix Birthday Party at Sky Ultra Lounge.

…and his performance of “Under The Bridge”

-Caspian Coberly plays the National Anthem at Key Arena for the Seattle Storm

-Collin Ness plays “Donna Lee” at RMI Ensemble Performances

-Greg Pascale plays “Somewhere Over The Rainbow”

“I got my start with jazz guitar back in the 1970s by taking a weekend class with Jay’s dad Howard.  But the years went by, and I put away the guitar for school and work and family.  When I moved to Bellevue a few years back, I was lucky to find RMI, and it rekindled my interest in music.  The day I first walked into RMI for a weekend clinic, Jay invited me to ‘Jam on Blues in B-flat’.  I was blown away by meeting and playing with Howard’s son!  It’s been non-stop fun ever since.

The staff members at RMI are always friendly and helpful, and the instructors are some of the best players in the Pacific Northwest area.  It’s a great place for social networking and making lasting new friends, too.

Over the past three years, I’ve taken lessons and clinics from Jay, Don, David, Tim, Mike, and Lucien.  These guys are all monster players!  I’ve taken many ensemble classes, from jazz to R&B to Motown.   My weeknight at RMI is always a highlight of the week for me, and I am truly grateful for Jay and the entire RMI staff.  We are really lucky to have them in the area.”

Below are a couple examples of RMI Ensembles which he has participated in:

Here is a “Jazz/Rock” fusion ensemble performance.  Don Mock was the instructor.

Here is an “R&B” ensemble performance.  Tim Lerch was the instructor.

Finally, here is a link to a youtube channel for a semi-pro band I formed.  This is where I get to really apply the many things I learn at RMI.  The RMI ensemble performances really helped me get comfortable playing in front of real audiences:

• http://www.youtube.com/cherieblues

Thanks for listening, and come on by RMI!
Clifford Dibble, perpetual RMI student and web-master for www.seattlejazzguitarsociety.org

^Alex is 14 years old in this video and had only been playing guitar for about 4 years. Within his 1 year of study at RMI, he had shown remarkable growth and ability to focus on the task at hand. Here he is performing the classic Van Halen track Eruption.

^Here is Alex four years after the famous “Eruption” video, performing a Guthrie Govan inspired solo.

Here’s what Alex has to say about Roberts Music Institute…

…”My name is Alex Douthitt. I am 18 years old and have been playing guitar since I was 10. At age 14, I started taking private lessons with Jay who dramatically helped improve my playing. I also took one of Don Mock’s theory classes and did a rock ensemble at RMI. With the help of Jay, I mastered “Eruption” at age 14. Shortly after, I stopped RMI. In the following years, I began playing and singing in various rock bands around the seattle area. I also began teaching my own private guitar lessons. I started taking lessons with Jay again during my senior year to prepare me for my audition with Berklee college of music. I also took voice lessons with Kelly during this time. I was recently accepted to Berklee and start this fall. I don’t think I would have made it without the help of RMI. The instructors at RMI are some of the best musicians there are. I recommend RMI to anybody serious about music. ESPECIALLY FOR THE GUITAR! I can’t think of anywhere else in the area that offers the experience you get at RMI.” – Alex Douthitt