Phil Farnsworth

Larry Baione

Professor, Chair Emeritus
Affiliated Departments
Guitar
Berklee Online
Faculty Bio E-Mail
lbaione@berklee.edu
Telephone
617-747-2294

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Larry Baione has been a faculty member since 1974, and has been chair since 1990. He has studied with Lenzy Wallace, Mick Goodrick, Bill Harris, William Leavitt, Bucky Pizzarelli, and Jim Hall. He received his bachelor's degree from Berklee and his master's from New England Conservatory. 

After graduating from Berklee, Baione was principal guitarist in the Army Band, stationed in Washington D.C. He performed in the White House and throughout the United States with the Army Blues. In 1996, Baione toured South America for the state department as one of the inaugural Jazz Amabassadors.

He is author of the Berklee Practice Method for Guitar. He performs in numerous jazz, concert, and recording ensembles, settings that range from solo guitar to big band. He continues to perform and give clinics throughout the world. His recent recording Playing Time consists of original compositions and standards in a trio setting.

Career Highlights
  • Principal guitar, U.S. Army Band, Washington, D.C.
  • Performances with numerous jazz, concert, and recording ensembles
Awards
  • Recipient of Down Beat Hall of Fame scholarship award
Education
  • B.M., Berklee College of Music
  • M.M., New England Conservatory of Music
In Their Own Words

"Berklee offers so many good choices for a guitarist, not only in terms of teachers, but styles also. As chair, my goal has been to maintain a Guitar Department that covers the craft of playing the guitar in a diversity of styles. To that end, I've tried to build a faculty of all high-level performer/teachers. Students also learn a lot from being around 1,200 other guitarists."

"In teaching private lessons, I help students find repertoire to work on and to study the essentials of phrasing, soloing, chords, and technique. The goal is for the student to be able to sound the way he or she would like to sound—for them to take their instrument in whatever direction they would like. I also teach a recital prep lab. In that case, the object is to gain experience playing in front of people and to discover what a good performance means to each individual student."

"I learn from the students, just as the students learn from me. I enjoy their individual talents, and I also enjoy the passion that the students have to learn the instrument and perform. Having a lot of experience as a performer, I'm able to relate my experiences to the students, and know what they're going through. The more I perform, the more I learn—it gives me more material to work on with the students. Every time I perform, I learn something. And I'm able to talk about it firsthand."

Additional Related Links
Berklee Practice Method - Guitar
Study Online with Larry Baione

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