Rocking the Spotlight: Be Natural Music Shines in GoodTimes Magazine!

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Rocking the Spotlight: Be Natural Music Shines in GoodTimes Magazine!

Ever wandered through the vibrant lanes of Cupertino and heard the soulful strums or the electric energy of a guitar riff that just made you stop and listen? That’s the magic of Be Natural Music, a jazz and rock performance school that’s not only nurturing the next generation of musicians but also creating waves in the local community. And guess what? Our music school has caught the eye of the GoodTimes online magazine, making a buzz with a feature that sings praises of our unique rhythm and harmony.

Rocking in Be Natural

Learning to play and perform in front of crowds

The wild energy of youth is pouring from the practice rooms of Be Natural Music on rehearsal day. Evening approaches in the hours after school, and the kids have traded textbooks for guitars and drums, saxophones, and microphones.

Days before Be Natural’s annual fundraising concerts begin, the band members of Le Son are laying down their playful blend of ska and traditional jazz. “Yoga Matt,” their guitar playing music teacher, bandmate and taskmaster, calls out the tempo changes before launching into a crazy, overdriven solo, backed by the sax, bass, drums and keyboard of the teenage boys.

By the end of the hour-long rehearsal, the combo has run through a creative mix of jumpin’ genres, from the ska classic “One Step Beyond” (“because it’s fun”), to the hard bop “Song for My Father,” creatively reimagined, a piece by the late American jazz pianist Horace Silver.

The quiet between songs is filled with the riffs of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman,” coming from the band rehearsing next door in Studio B.

Le Son doesn’t seem to notice. They’re hesitant to start the next song because “the timing is scary.”

Matt holds their attention with a firm reminder that practicing at home every day will make the time changes easier.

A ferocious rendition of Pearl Jam’s “Even Flow” filters in as Le Son launches into Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five.” When a first take goes awry, Matt keeps things humorous while hinting at his holistic attitude about learning.  “Are you guys okay?” he asks. “Are you getting protein in your breakfast?”

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Matthew Pinck

Matt, fondly known as "Yoga Matt" on stage, has collectively studied music since the age of five and has been teaching in Santa Cruz County since 1998. Among his arsenal of music expertise are: guitar, vocals, composition, piano, electric bass and drums. His vast formal training has taken place in top schools, such as UC Santa Cruz, UC Berkeley, and Cabrillo College, eventually earning his Bachelors in Jazz Guitar from Skidmore College in New York.

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