Alexander Tinnel

I plan my sets around each event. Quiet dinner parties need tasty background music while other events like wedding receptions and birthday parties want upbeat boogie or bop for dancing. I will coordinate with MCs and am flexible to support various party activities. I try to plan breaks while other activities are going on that do not need music.

I come from a musical family and have been playing since I was 5 years old. Early on, I was fascinated with keys and rhythm and spent hours transposing and rearranging assigned pieces. I was first introduced to jazz through Vince Guaraldi and Super Mario Brothers and immediately fell in love with the music. I completed a study of piano and music theory at age 16 and performed Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue in concert. I subsequently studied jazz theory and history privately under Wade Beach, a multi-year leader of the Airmen of Note and professor at George Mason University (GMU). I then studied jazz combos for several years at the Levine School of Music in Washington, DC, under the direction of Paul Bratcher. I ultimately graduated from George Mason University (GMU) with a minor in Jazz Studies.

As a student, I performed in various combos, including the Traditional Jazz Ensemble, which performs in the early styles of jazz, and in particular, New Orleans jazz. I also gigged at local restaurants, cafes, and festivals in small combos and played regularly with the Saturday morning market players, a blues/funk band in Manassas, VA. I currently play in the Moondust Big Band and Rocket City Jazz Orchestra in Huntsville, Alabama.

If I bring my own equipment, it will take me 30-45 minutes to load in and set up. I would require a performance space of at least 4 feet by 4 feet and electric power. Alternatively, I can play a recently tuned and in good working order acoustic piano.

I do not provide lighting or a PA, so if those are desired, the client must provide them separately. I do bring an amp for my electric keyboards.