Concord Tutors

About Concord

Concord, California is an unique Bay Area city for many reasons—one of them is the fact that the city is the birthplace to a unique figure in the history of jazz in America. That figure is Dave Brubeck, born in 1920 to Pete and Elizabeth Brubeck.

Elizabeth was a talented musician, and often taught piano for extra money. Surprisingly, Brubeck originally did not intend to follow in his mother’s footsteps (his two older brothers, Henry and Howard, were already on their way to musical futures), but still took lessons from his mother. Brubeck found he could not read music during these formative lessons, attributing the hindrance to poor eyesight. Instead, he "faked" his way through, well enough that this handicap went mostly unnoticed. His natural talent for harmony, sound, rhythm, and other important features of music made up for his lack of ability to read musical notes at the piano.

Originally, Brubeck intended to work with his father on the family ranch. He started training at the College of the Pacific in Stockton, California (now the University of the Pacific), studying veterinary science as his major. However, it became clear that zoology was not Brubeck’s true passion, nor was it in his future. At the urging by the head of zoology at the university, he was told: "Brubeck, your mind's not here. It's across the lawn in the conservatory. Please go there. Stop wasting my time and yours." Later, he was nearly expelled when one of his professors found that Brubeck was unable to sight read on-command. Several of his professors then forward, petitioning the decision, and stating that his ability to write counterpoint and harmony more than compensated for his lack of ability to read notes, and demonstrated his familiarity with musical notation. The college was still afraid that Brubeck’s continued enrollment would draw unwanted attention and potentially a controversy with the administration, but ultimately agreed to let Brubeck graduate only after he had promised never to teach piano in the future.

Despite Brubeck’s so-called deficiency with music—or perhaps because of it—he went on to challenge and change up the way jazz music was played in America. Known for unusual chord progression, time, meter, and rhythm, Brubeck’s compositions did not conform to the genre by any means. Brubeck of course, went on to be able to read music, and spent a lifetime playing it professionally, as well as writing it. But his initial so-called deficiency arguably lead to the unconventional approaches to music that contemporary jazz is now known for.

Grade Potential tutors in Concord recognize the same hidden potential and creativity that resides within each of their students. Brubeck’s talents did not conform to the traditional expectations of his teachers and peers, but they were brought out by hard work and a genuine love of his subject—music. Whether addressing the arts, languages, sciences, or math, tutors work to foster this same level of love for a subject that may not come easily to their client, just as formal musical approaches, at first, did not come easily to Dave Brubeck.