Who Is Alan Russell?
I was born on April 28th 1952 in East Flatbush-Brownsville Brooklyn New York as Alan Russell Rosenberg. I attended P.S. 219 on Clarkson Avenue in Brooklyn. At 5 years old my parents bought me an Emenee Organ of about 27 keys or two octaves and 2 keys. My parents also had an RCA Victrola 45 rpm record player besides the organ. Putting the two together for listening to records and playing the color coded notes from a paper that came with the organ, I learned my first tune being "The Marine's Hymn". I must have played the song 1000 times. I became addicted playing this organ for several years until I realized there was a larger instrument having more keys to realize.
At twelve years old, I was given the opportunity to play a band instrument while attending Somers JHS 252 where I met my first real music teacher Mr. Ronny Bennett. I began to excel playing this instrument due to the fact that my father always had a love for music from the big band era and singers of his time. My father would sing phrases of popular songs to me while I'll figured out the notes and fingerings I haven't learned on the Tenor Saxophone. As a result of learning so many tunes, I began my professional career as a club date musician at 14 to 15 years old playing in a three piece band with Ed Ogintz (drummer) and a 75 year old lady named Tess Goldwater in Liberty New York. (Catskill Region) during two summers. This was my first chance to read show arrangements meet singers and comedians. I also picked up in playing the Bb Clarinet during this period.
Before I graduated Somers JHS 252, Mr. Bennett suggested that I audition for the HS of Performing Arts in NYC. At that time, only 200 students were picked out the entire school system to enter the 10th grade. I was fortunate to make it but rough roads lied ahead. Thinking that I was at the top in my class, I met all of the other top musicians entering Performing Arts and realized I was nothing special. This was a highly competitive school fulfilled by enormous talent and gifted people. Here I met a very gifted saxophone player by the name of Bob Berg. Bob lost his life on December 5th 2002 in a tragic car accident on Long Island NY. I remember being chased by Julius Grossman (Chairman of the Music Dept.) from every piano I could get my hands on when I had a free class period. The addiction of playing the keyboard always followed me around as if it were my shadow. Wherever there was a piano, I had to play it. During this periods from ages 14 through 17, I actively played clubdates at weddings and affairs during the school year on weekends and had summer engagements in the Catskill region at many hotels playing in show bands.
I became very interested in scoring and orchestration while working in show bands during the summers and Mr. Bennett introduced me to John Dancer (A professional arranger) who truly inspired me to launch my small ensemble arrangements for singers. I made a few dollars writing 5 to 9 piece parts for singing acts. This I truly enjoyed because it did involve the piano quite a bit. I even printed the charts myself which was a tedious process.
I attended Queens College Flushing, Queens NY in 1970 and entered as a music major. Here I met Lawrence Eisman who gave me an opportunity to write a song for Silver Burdett which became my first published work called "Oh Bless The Lord" The genre here was gospel. During this period, I continued to play club dates and write arrangements. I even made my first debut on TV at two-o'clock in the morning on the Paul Anka Telethon with a singer. I recall doing a Carol King song "I feel the Earth Move" with a trio. (piano, bass & drums)
After graduating Queens college with a BA degree, I decided to go for my masters in education. I completed the masters in 1976 and little did I know what the next year would bring.
In 1977 I was given the opportunity and pleasure to tour the USA with "The Four Lads" This was a unique experience for me. Here I was playing piano and also writing arrangements for a gold record group of the 1950's while seeing 46 states. I still stay in touch with the Lead Singer, Jimmy Arnold.
From years 1978 to 1982, I basically switched over to piano playing singles with my drum machine and small ensembles becoming a front man doing the vocals on many engagements. I still believe I have a voice today. While playing for the comedian David Brennan at "Pips Comedy Club", Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn NY, a young lady was gazing at me from the front row of the audience. To make a long story short, she became my wife
In 1983, I was working as a salesman in a store called "Radio Shack" (having a FCC 1st class license) where I was noticed by a teacher sent by her principal of a school to repair a small electrical adapter. Instead of sending the part out for a repair, I repaired it at the counter. This was a KEY move and decision I made in my life. (a favor can go a long way sometimes) As a result of this move, the principal asked me to see her the next day. It was like a Hollywood discovery. I was offered a teachers position which thrilled my mother because my brother too was a teacher. I gave very short notice of my intentions at Radio Shack. I was out of there working now for the Board of Education.
Currently I am still working at my school in the capacity of a technology teacher with about 500 students learning the computer on two platforms; Mac and Windows. I've been an educator for about 20 years.
So what happened to the music career you ask? Well I put down the horns in 1991 and began to raise a family. My principal and supervisors in my school noticed that during lunch I was always practicing the piano in the auditorium. (sound familiar?) I taught 3rd grade for 10 years where I assembled a clarinet and flute class to play in concerts. I wrote the School Alma Mater having the lyrics written by another teacher and arranged the songs while playing the piano for many years at the 5th grade graduations.. We won the "Cool School Award" from Donna Hanover Guiliani (Mayor Rudy Guilani's former wife) from another song I wrote with the same lyricists called "Hang In there Kids"
In year 2002, I took a trip to a Sam Ash store on Long Island while the family went shopping and entered the keyboard room. Here I found the Yamaha Motif 8 Work Station. Its internal sounds captivated me and when I went home, I ordered the keyboard at Kraft Music. My experiences using the Motif 8 has been quite positive and encouraging. All of my songs and arrangements are posted on the home page and will be subject to changes as I fine tune each project. My other interests include film photography and video non-linear desktop editing. I have great admiration for an international photographer Ken Rockwell who has made fine suggestions for helping me to select my Nikon gear.
Alan Russell