Jon Thingvall

Jon started playing piano around age 5. The Yamaha method brought him and his parents closer; it requires the parents to learn along with the children at first--and he loved playing duets with them. Then he began studying under private teachers, adding pipe organ after a couple of years, playing the "Widor Toccata" around age 12. Public school music programs allowed him to broaden his horizons, adding French horn, trumpet, electric bass, and choir to his expressive outlets. He learned jazz harmony during a stint in the military, and began writing Big Band jazz pieces. He also arranged for marching band, jazz/pop combos, and small brass and woodwind ensembles, later learning violin, trombone, Chromonica, dulcimer, pan flute, and other instruments. On the vocal side he enjoys practicing basso profundo and overtone singing. After a course in psychology, he realized some of music's potential for reducing (at least) the symptoms of age-related illnesses like dementia.