John Moulder

I am a guitarist and composer whose music has evolved from an assimilation of various musical traditions.

2017 Chi Town Jazz Festival

Feb 242017

Hello everyone,
Another great year of music at the 2017 Chi Town Jazz Festival.
Artists, volunteers and venues all donating their time, talent and space
for the cause of hunger relief in Chicago. Please come out to support this
cause and collective effort and hear some incredible music at the same time!

John Moulder CDs Holiday Sale

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Dec 162016

Hi Everyone,

Wishing you a happy holiday season and announcing a special 3 day sale of my CDs for this weekend.

We will mail copies immediately so you can receive them for yourself and/or give them as gifts.

Check out https://johnmoulder.com/shop/

Warm regards from the Windy City!

John

Champaign Urbana Jazz Festival

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Oct 172016

My group with Larry Gray, Paul Wertico and Vijay Tellis-Nayak performed at the Iron Post

for the Champagne Urbana Jazz Festival this weekend. The audience was terrific, and very responsive to the

material we were playing from the new CD, Earthborn Tales of Soul and Spirit. We loved being at U of I.

I conducted a guitar clinic for some very serious students from the U of I. It was a real pleasure performing and

teaching there!

New website and new CD: JohnMoulder.com and Earthborn Tales of Soul and Spirit

Category:blog post, shop, website 2 Responses »

Oct 042016

Earthborn Tales of Soul and Spirit

is due to be released October 24th, but you can buy copies in advance of that date here at the website. It is a project that I have spent much focused time on over the last couple years (composing, recording, mixing etc.!). It features Donny McCaslin, Marquis Hill, Paul Wertico and many others. I am truly grateful to all the musicians for their beautiful contributions to this project, and am excited to share that music both in recorded form and in upcoming live performances!

Click here to purchase your copy. Bonus: For a limited time, when you purchase the physical CD, you’ll get immediate access to the downloadable mp3 version of the CD as well, so you can listen right away.

earthborn tales of sound and spirit cd cover

My website is new as well. You can check out my blog, listen to samples, watch videos, read some of my (better) reviews, and even check out my gear. Special thanks go out to my new friend Patrick McCarthy over at A is A Design for the fresh new design and all his hard work! And if you use him, tell him I sent you.

Welcome!

Category:blog post, website No Responses »

Aug 112016

Welcome to my new web site,

expertly designed and built by Patrick McCarthy at A is A Design!

Because of Pat’s work, purchasing any of my CDs or downloads here at the web site has become very easy. He has also helped the site become user friendly, and an enjoyable experience to navigate. So, I hope you visit often and enjoy exploring the various pages on this site. More to come!

John Moulder (hep cat)

Live performances

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Aug 102016

I am really looking forward to some live performances. First, it has been a great experience to play as an organ trio with Ernie Adams and Vijay Tellis-Nayak (who recorded, mixed and helped to produce Earthborn Tales) at Andy’s Jazz Club on Tuesday nights (5 PM to 8:30 PM) during the months of September and October.

Hope you can come and catch a set!

You can also follow the rest of my upcoming gigs on my Upcoming Performances page.

Teaching Testimonials

Guitar Lessons

John Moulder has been instrumental in my development as a jazz musician. His teaching approach has been focused on working on my jazz improvisational skills

...more

Mathew Ferraro, Chicago

Guitar Lessons

Mathew Ferraro, Chicago

John Moulder has been instrumental in my development as a jazz musician. His teaching approach has been focused on working on my jazz improvisational skills as well as building my song repertoire and jazz theory knowledge. John has helped me prepare for success in a number of programs, such as Illinois’ All-State band as well as Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Summer Jazz Academy for high-school students.
Mathew Ferraro, Chicago

...I’d highly recommend him for anyone who is serious about a career in music.

I’ve had the pleasure of studying with John for the past three years and have not only grown as a musician but also as an

...more

Erik Skov, Chicago

...I’d highly recommend him for anyone who is serious about a career in music.

Erik Skov, Chicago

I’ve had the pleasure of studying with John for the past three years and have not only grown as a musician but also as an educator and person. We explored many ways of approaching music, from the simpler aspects of modal vamps, to playing over standards, to creating original music. John was very helpful in the creative process and allowed me to find my own musical and compositional voice. John introduced me to the concept of playing scales in 12 positions that added to my knowledge of the instrument, expanded my articulation, and allowed me to access new musical ideas. He also taught with a chords-first approach that focused on voice-leading and expanded my chordal knowledge. He placed an emphasis on being a rounded musician, and encouraged me to play multiple guitars and banjo, which has made me a more marketable guitarist.
On a professional level, John has provided me many opportunities including gigs, private guitar students, and college-level teaching. He has introduced me to many of the key players in the Chicago scene. John prepared me for graduate school auditions by reviewing my audition material and suggesting additional pieces. While I attended Northwestern University, John was my private lessons instructor. He continued to help me with my graduate work, provided unique ideas for independent studies, and offered valuable insight into post-graduate opportunities. John has greatly influenced the way I think about practicing, writing, and teaching. I’d highly recommend him for anyone who is serious about a career in music.

Erik Skov, Chicago

You'll be studying with the best!

"I've been studying with John for more than two and a half years. I can't imagine where my playing would be without him. He's been

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Will Finnegan, Northwestern University

You'll be studying with the best!

Will Finnegan, Northwestern University

"I've been studying with John for more than two and a half years. I can't imagine where my playing would be without him. He's been an amazing resource, with a wealth of knowledge in everything from bebop to fusion. He's also been an incredible teacher, giving me a tailored program of all the theory, technique, and repertoire I need to succeed as a jazz musician. Most importantly, he's just about the nicest guy you'll ever meet. I would highly recommend him to any aspiring guitarist. You'll be studying with the best!"

old dog, new tricks...

John Moulder CAN teach an old dog new tricks. I've been taking lessons for years. In just a few months, John has my playing and

...more

Mike Fine

old dog, new tricks...

Mike Fine

John Moulder CAN teach an old dog new tricks. I've been taking lessons for years. In just a few months, John has my playing and understanding of music growing by leaps and bounds!

... I continue to be inspired by his virtuosic guitar playing.

Studying with John Moulder helped me grow immensely as a guitarist and overall musician. John spent time taking me through methodical aspects of jazz comping

...more

Jake Ishler, Berklee College of Music

... I continue to be inspired by his virtuosic guitar playing.

Jake Ishler, Berklee College of Music

Studying with John Moulder helped me grow immensely as a guitarist and overall musician. John spent time taking me through methodical aspects of jazz comping and chord voicings along with helping me to understand harmony in common jazz standards. As a result, I got a wealth of information and developed skills from John that helped me place in advanced ensembles at Berklee College of Music, and test out of many required courses. Not only did I learn so much from John, but he is also a very caring person and teacher who always helped me put my best foot forward in life, and musical endeavors. I continue to be inspired by his virtuosic guitar playing.

He made music where there was none.

I am a ‘non-traditional’ student. Specifically, I came to my lessons with a load of music theory knowledge, but very little playing experience. My need

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Stephen Hill

He made music where there was none.

Stephen Hill

I am a ‘non-traditional’ student. Specifically, I came to my lessons with a load of music theory knowledge, but very little playing experience. My need was simple – to apply theory in real time. And make some listenable music, if possible. John immediately saw where I was and where I wanted to go. He is working me through what I call “John Moulder’s 18 steps to Guitar Greatness.” He has a penetrating ability to see where I am in my journey to fluency and give me exercises that accelerate my progress. And what progress I have made! John brought me from a very low base to an impressive level in a very short time. He is infinitely patient (my progress is slow), and always encouraging (even when I don’t see the progress). He is, in a way, a miracle worker. He made music where there was none.