Martin Beal
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Martin Beal

Elk Grove, California, United States | SELF

Elk Grove, California, United States | SELF
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"Jazz musician pulls at the heartstrings"

Any type of music that yanks at the heartstrings is what local musician Martin Beal is drawn to.

Beal, who recently released his third album, is a jazz and Irish folk musician with a flare for performance. He speaks in an audible, clear voice, but throws in accents- probably picked up during his stints in musical theatre.

He focuses mostly on those two musical genres- Irish and small band jazz, because, he says, they result in “heartfelt music.”

“I guess I was born in the wrong time, but I’ve always loved jazz,” he said. “I’ve actually had people of that generation ask me, ‘How do you know that music?’”

Beal discovered his talent in vocal performance during college. He took a vocal class at the urging of his mother.

“By the end of the week I was in all three of the choirs,” he recalled.

Beal earned a bachelor’s in music from California State University, Sacramento and a master’s degree in vocal performance from University of Southern California.

Over time, he fine-tuned his musical interests. Beal has performed in musical shows, in addition to his passion for performing small group jazz.

“Small group jazz is less bombastic than big bad jazz,” he noted.

Beal has been performing music from The Great American Song Book for 30 years. The songbook is a compilation of famous tunes from musicals of the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s.

“That time in American history really defines us,” he said.

Beal said he’s always taken jobs that allow him to do music.

After working as the choir director at John F. Kennedy High School for three years, Beal decided he wanted to make and perform music full time. He hopes to launch his vocal career with the help of various social networking sites and take his music “viral.”

He has performed or taught at the following places: the Sacramento Music Circus, the American Musical Theatre of San Jose, the Stockton Opera, the Monterey Opera, TheatreWorks of Mountain View, the Piedmont Children’s Choir, Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, and numerous schools in San Jose and Los Angeles.

He recently performed at the Spotlight Elk Grove, and on Dec. 16, Beal will present a free concert at The Commons at Elk Grove from 5- 8 p.m. The concert is open to the public.

Beal also plays at the Senior Center of Elk Grove a lot, partly because his mother, Pat is president, he said.

“I’m pigeon-holing myself into the things that I love the most, which is vocal jazz,” he said.

Beal has received glowing reviews from writers at The Sacramento Bee, The Stockton Record, the Monterey County Herald, The Davis Enterprise, the Daily Democrat, and Senior Magazine.

In the future, Beal hopes to perform his tunes at wineries, upscale clubs and parties.

To learn more about Beal visit http://www.martinbeal.com/ - Elk Grove Citizen


Discography

My Irish Eyes
Martin Beal with A Touch Of Brass
Martin Beal Promo

Photos

Bio

Martin Beal Biography

Martin has been teaching and performing for 30 years. He has a Bachelor in Music from CSU Sacramento and a Master in Music from University of Southern California. He is currently a professional Musician and private Music Teacher. The variety of stage work he has enjoyed includes singing in a gospel group as back up to Earth, Wind, and Fire at Arco Arena, singing with the Los Angeles Jazz Choir backing up Rosemary Clooney at the Hollywood bowl and singing with the Los Angeles Chamber Singers. Some of his favorite professional roles in Broadway style productions include Henry Higgins in “My Fair Lady”, The Padre in “Man of La Mancha”, Tony in “Westside Story” and Joe in “Most Happy Fella”.

Mr. Beal, as he was known while teaching music at John F. Kennedy High school, has had a colorful job history. Carpenter, Educator, Butcher, Warehouse grunt, Restaurant Manager, and Grocery clerk and he currently holds a Real Estate license. These are a but a few of the jobs that have supported his music habit.

In his own words “I am really excited to share ‘The Great American Songbook’ with you. American music heritage is a passion of mine. As we lose more and more teachers of music it is more imperative that we carry on our unique music known as Jazz. It is my personal goal to share this music with the world!”

“I am excited to announce the birth of Beal Music & Entertainment! We will be providing music on many levels from Large Events to small parties and even some DJ’d events! I look forward to a busy, wild and fun year.”

Martin