Andy LaViolette

Andy LaViolette

Author: Jazz Piano Skills May 28, 2024 Duration: 1:18:22

It's time to discover, learn, and play jazz piano with Andy LaViolette.

Andy LaViolette is a musician and filmmaker who has co-owned his company, Mr. Magic Carpet Ride Productions (MMCRP), with his wife, Christi, since 2006. 

His studies in jazz guitar started in 1994 when he studied with Dr. Bob Lawrence at The Dallas School of Music up until his time at the University of North Texas (UNT) in 1998. After three years of study in the Jazz Performance program at UNT, Andy played professionally as a guitarist in an original, progressive-rock band called “Bagg” and other local Denton, Texas musicians. In 2006, Andy returned to UNT and completed his Jazz Guitar Performance degree in 2010 while he played professionally with numerous musicians including Dave Alexander’s Western Swing Big Band, Willie Dees, and other local jazz musicians.

It was during that time that Mr. Magic Carpet Ride Productions became a larger part of his professional life and the company evolved into specializing in multi-camera, live music recordings. After working on numerous projects with a band called, “Snarky Puppy”, the partnership culminated several hundred million views of live music films on the web and earned three Grammy awards with Andy as the Director of Photography. Mr. Magic Carpet Ride Productions has since made countless films with other notable musicians such as Charlie Hunter, David Crosby, Bokanté, Banda Magda, Forq, The Quebe Sisters, Shaun Martin, Mark Lettieri, and many others.

Since 2017, Andy has worked as a Senior Video Editor, Senior Manager of Content Solutions, and Senior Manager of Content Acquisition at Shutterstock, where he works with some of the largest brands in the world through a library of commercial music, photos, footage, 3D objects, and more. He continues to create new films and
other creative projects through Mr. Magic Carpet Ride Productions and through a creative series of “How To” videos on his original show called, “Life at the House.”

More importantly than any professional accomplishment, Andy is a proud husband and father and enjoys a quiet life at home being creative and spending time with his family.

It is my honor to introduce you to Andy LaViolette.


For anyone who has ever sat at the piano, felt the keys under their fingers, and wondered how to move beyond the written notes into the realm of spontaneous, expressive music, Jazz Piano Skills Premium offers a direct path. Created by Jazz Piano Skills, this series is a deep, practical immersion into the language of jazz, designed for players who are serious about developing their craft. Each episode functions as a focused lesson, breaking down the harmonic concepts, rhythmic approaches, and melodic improvisation techniques that define the genre. You'll hear clear, step-by-step explanations paired with immediate musical demonstrations, making complex ideas accessible and, more importantly, playable. This isn't about passive listening; it's an active workshop where every topic, from walking bass lines and chord voicings to reharmonization and blues phrasing, is meant to be applied at your instrument. The podcast provides a structured yet creative curriculum that builds week by week, transforming theoretical knowledge into tangible keyboard skills. Whether you're working on standard tunes, developing your swing feel, or seeking to understand the theory behind the masters, this resource delivers substantive content that encourages real growth. Tune in, sit down at the piano, and get ready to play.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 119

Jazz Piano Skills Premium
Podcast Episodes
Diatonic Improvisation Patterns [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:31
Podcast PacketsIllustrationsLead SheetsPlay AlongsJazz Piano Skills CommunityKeywordsJazz Piano, Diatonicism, Improvisation, Harmonic Analysis, Melodic Analysis, Jazz Vocabulary, Arpeggios, Jazz Education, Antonio Carlos…
Wave, Improvisation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:57
Podcast PacketsIllustrationsLead SheetsPlay AlongsJazz Piano Skills CommunityKeywordsjazz piano, improvisation, harmonic analysis, melodic analysis, music education, jazz skills, chord scale relationships, rhythm challen…
Wave, Melodic Analysis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:16
Podcast PacketsIllustrationsLead SheetsPlay AlongsJazz Piano Skills CommunityKeywordsJazz Piano, Melodic Analysis, Music Education, Jazz Skills, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Practice Strategies, Chord Inversions, Improvisation,…
Wave, Harmonic Analysis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:12
Podcast PacketsIllustrationsLead SheetsPlay AlongsJazz Piano Skills CommunityKeywordsJazz Piano, Essential Skills, Harmonic Analysis, Melodic Skills, Improvisation, Rhythm, Music Education, Jazz Standards, Wave, Antonio…
Cyclical Quadruplets [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:11
Podcast PacketsIllustrationsLead SheetsPlay AlongsJazz Piano Skills CommunityKeywordsJazz Piano, Cyclical Quadruplets, Jazz Improvisation, Jazz Vocabulary, Music Education, Piano Skills, Jazz Techniques, Music Theory, Ja…
What a Difference a Day Makes, Improvisation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:22
Podcast PacketsIllustrationsLead SheetsPlay AlongsJazz Piano Skills CommunityKeywordsjazz piano, improvisation, harmonic analysis, melodic analysis, cyclical quadruplets, music theory, jazz skills, chord notation, rhythm…
What a Difference a Day Makes, Melodic Analysis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:11
Podcast PacketsIllustrationsLead SheetsPlay AlongsJazz Piano Skills CommunityKeywordsjazz piano, melodic analysis, practice strategies, improvisation, music education, jazz standards, learning jazz, music theory, jazz te…
What a Difference a Day Makes, Harmonic Analysis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:18
Podcast PacketsIllustrationsLead SheetsPlay AlongsJazz Piano Skills CommunityKeywordsjazz piano, essential skills, harmony, melody, improvisation, rhythm, music theory, jazz standards, voicings, learning tunesSummaryIn t…
Improvisation's Little Secret [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:55
KeywordsJazz Piano, Improvisation, Interval of the Third, Jazz Skills, Music EducationSummaryIn this episode of Jazz Piano Skills, Dr. Bob Lawrence explores the concept of improvisation in jazz piano, focusing on the imp…
I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face, Improvisation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:21
Podcast PacketsIllustrationsLead SheetsPlay AlongsJazz Piano Skills CommunityKeywordsjazz piano, improvisation, musical facts, learning jazz, jazz skills, music education, jazz techniques, piano practice, jazz theory, rh…