Lenox School of Music
“Musical training is a more potent instrument than any other in the integration of the human being because rhythm and harmony find their way into the inward places of the Soul on which they mightily fasten, imparting grace, and making the Soul of him who is rightly educated truly graceful.”
– Plato
At Lenox School of Music in Stamford, Connecticut, our instructors take great pride in their burning passion to teach. Instruction is set in a private one-to-one environment and lessons are taught by dedicated and accomplished professional musicians. Our instructors work individually with students to assist them to realize their personal and professional musical goals.
Whether you want to learn a specific style (rock, blues or jazz), master the riffs for a group of favorite tunes, or gain complete mastery of your instrument, our instructors will teach you how to get the most enjoyment out of your playing.
“Ratso is an inspiring teacher who shares his passion for music with his students. He is patient and understanding and makes time for ‘fun music’ while at the same time maintaining strict standards for music theory and technique. Our son has learned a tremendous amount from him.”
— Anna Zaranski and Patrick Goulding
Team
John “Ratso” Gerardi
Guitarist John “Ratso” Gerardi, founder and owner of Lenox School of Music, has been a teacher, singer/songwriter and performer for over 48 years. As owner of the Indie recording label Riff Rat Records™, Ratso has produced or co-produced original recordings and several debut albums of talented young artists. The father of one of his students said this about the impact of guitar lessons from Ratso: “Ratso’s lessons are life lessons.”
Chris Carter
Guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and teacher, Chris Carter has performed in nightclubs, concerts and festivals throughout the U.S. and Europe leading his own group, The Chris Carter Band, or backing such legendary artists as Solomon Burke, Lester Chambers (of The Chambers Brothers), Chubby Checker, The Drifters, Eddie Floyd, Roy Gaines, The Ink Spots, Johnnie Johnson, Earl King, The Marvelettes, and many, many more.
Al Payson
Al Payson is the touring bassist in José Feliciano’s band and audio engineer at Mr. Feliciano’s recording studio. A seasoned touring veteran, he has played with many national and worldwide acts, including The Coasters, The Drifters, The Marvelettes and Wishbone Ash. He has also performed with The Burr Johnson Band, Blue Law, Mojo Myles (Mancuso, the 13-year-old guitar phenom), and Tom Dudley and his Blues Buddha Band.
Joe Meo
Joe Meo is a multi-woodwind player who has had a wide-ranging musical career since he picked up his first instrument – a clarinet that fell out of a car across the street from his house when he was 8 years old! He’s played on many recordings and with many pop artists, including Billy Vera, The Pointer Sisters, The Four Tops, The Temptations and Johnny Mathis, to name a few.
Angelo Natalie
Angelo Natalie, a mainstay since 1980, teaches drums, piano and voice. His production work in Nashville and New York has afforded him the opportunity to work with many of the leading session musicians and singers in the country. He has taught percussion classes at a South Bronx public school and music theory at a School of Rock workshop.
Bill Harris
Bill Harris has been an integral part of the New York City area music scene for nearly 30 years. He has performed in the clubs, theaters and recording studios of the tri-state area as well as throughout the US, Europe and Japan. Bill is a renowned performer in any and all styles on all of the saxophones, clarinets and flutes. His debut CD “The Extra Mile” was released to rave reviews from critics and musicians alike.
Scott Spray
Bassist Scott Spray is a Live Performer, Studio Musician, Producer, Songwriter, Studio Contractor, Bass Instructor and more. He was Bassist & Songwriter with Johnny Winter from 2002 to 2014. He has over 600 album credits, a list of stage & recording colleagues that reads like a* Who’s Who * of American music, with Television Soundtracks & Commercials also in his field of expertise.
Lenox Sound Recording Studio
Owner/musician/producer/teacher John “Ratso” Gerardi has recreated that big, LIVE sound of the olden days that he heard when he was growing up listening to records from Chess, Motown and Muscle Shoals on the AM radio next to his bed. Lenox Sound Recording Studio offers a full range of services: record production, song demos, voice-overs, original music, and promotional jingles. The main room is the center of every great studio and Lenox Sound Recording Studio is no exception. The room features a 17-foot cathedral ceiling, premium white pinewood construction, and a soundproof iso-booth. By design, there are no parallel surfaces — an acoustically superior geometric configuration — giving the room a big, LIVE sound like no other.
Ratso’s Tale
John “Ratso” Gerardi
Almost Five Decades
For over 48 years, Ratso has been an enduring presence and lively fixture on the Fairfield County music scene as a performer, singer/songwriter, record producer, and teacher.
In the Beginning
Ratso made his professional debut at 11 years of age. At 14, he opened for the super group Rhinoceros and Junior Wells and the All-Stars. Self-taught his first 15 years, at 22 he began formal study with Jazz great Sal Salvador, his mentor for 25 years, then in the mid-1970s became a teacher himself. In 1996, he built Lenox Sound Recording Studio.
Into the Future
Ratso has released six albums and is the author of the instructional book, The Blues Bible (Riff Rat Music), a primer on the art of playing blues guitar. Dubbed by a local reporter as “a workingman’s musical institution,” Ratso remains true to the moniker, currently juggling live appearances, teaching, recording and producing other artists. .
Blues Bible, Music, Equipment
John Gerardi’s first book, “The Blues Bible,” a primer on the art of playing blues guitar. A guide through exercises designed to develop technique. Bending, hammer-ons, trills, scale and arpeggio studies, chords and riffs are examples of techniques that, when mastered, will help you find your personal touch playing the blues.
Some Music Products
- Whatever It Takes, the debut release from Ratso.
- Silent Witness captures Ratso’s dynamic, live playing for the first time on a studio production.
- Water Rising Ratso shines on 12 originals. Featuring, Ratso’s Full Blown Blues Band.
- Ratso Live, Rattled, recorded live at Curtain Call, Sterling Farms Theater Complex.
- With Blues From The Red Planet MARS PROJECT creates a powerhouse of rockin’ blues.
- ARC Ratso, Dennis Dunaway, Jimmy Kunes and Russ Wilson. American Rock Celebration.