STEVE GELLER, MUSICIAN

Thank you for your interest in my work.  If you hire me for a service or purchase one of my products, I can confidently offer you a result that is of high quality and dedication.  My rates are always reasonable--please inquire if interested.

 

I am based in Davis, California, though I have performed at many venues in surrounding areas.  I have also interacted with clients remotely, via Google Plus and Skype and using other internet tools, so I may be able to be of service, for certain projects, outside of my local area.   

 

Arrangement Commissions

I offer custom a cappella arrangements to groups of any size, makeup, and experience level. Please see my site at

http://stevegellermusic.wix/com/gelleracappellaarrangements for more information and for prices.

 

Composition/Songwriting Commissions

Though I have been asked for these commissions less frequently than commissions for arrangements, I am always happy to write new material for clients. My fees are negotiable, depending upon the scope of the project.

 

Place Very Central (2016)

Please see my “New 2016 Album” page for more information on this upcoming product, as well as my “Songs, part I” page for selected samples.

 

A Rose of Angles and Lines (2012)

This album, featuring 12 songs (all originals), is available at iTunes and Amazon. Recorded in GarageBand with my live voice (and an occasional tambourine) accompanied by MIDI instruments, the album is stylistically diverse, featuring forays into bluegrass (“The Etymology of Shirt”), jazz (“Bunny Pen”), pop (“Zero”), a cappella (“I’m the Honey Badger, Baby”), cabaret (“The Goddess of the Dice”), disco-punk-operetta (“Poseidon’s Teeasures”) and more. Some of the subject matter includes an ode to a children’s theatre, a political song, a relationship and subsequent breakup (in different songs) to someone named Amy, a musing on the beginnings of life on Earth, the prospects for an encounter on a dance floor late at night, a mythological treasure hunt, and a song about the world’s most fearless animal. Please see my “Songs, part I” page for selected samples.

 

Piano / Voice / Composition Lessons / Tutoring

I have been giving piano lessons for 16 years, voice lessons (less frequently) for 10 and have given composition lessons to a handful of clients. My piano lessons are largely based on learning to play by ear (i.e., analyzing harmony, style, improvisation and issues of technical proficiency), though they also offer plenty for those learning to read written music. My vocal lessons combine the basics of technical singing techniques with frequent discussions of style and interpretation of the repertoire that the client seeks to sing. My composition lessons are also typically customized to the piece or pieces we are studying or composing, sometimes concentrating on small or large scale harmonic development, sometimes on timbre and register, sometimes on the pacing of the piece’s structural downbeats, and sometimes on “troubleshooting” common blocks or pitfalls that impede composers or lyricists.

 

Creative Consulting

My years of producing and recording music have allowed me to give copious comments on the work of several other aspiring musicians, ranging from things as small as volume balance to issues related to track order, compositional form or performance execution. Is it often that subtle changes can make significant improvements in one’s output, and I do my best to give helpful advice for all levels of a song or album’s development.

 

Events

For over 20 years, I have played the piano at Christmas parties, dinner parties or other occasions, including several wedding processionals.  My Christmas repertoire consists of about 75 songs that span both traditional and modern Holiday classics, and my general repertoire contains over 2500 songs, thus allowing me to customize my set to best fit a client’s needs.  Typically, I charge $75 per hour for most events. 

 

Venues

My style of playing can be suited to everything from a folksy open-mic feel (I tend to play original songs at such venues, but could play a number of appropriate covers) to a raucous sing-along set, to elegant background jazz.  I have a portable digital piano, a microphone and a small amplifier.