Modacity Partners with Jazz Pianist & Educator Ed Simon
San Francisco, CA - Modacity Inc. (www.modacity.co) today announced that it has partnered with the highly acclaimed and award-winning jazz pianist, Edward Simon as a Modacity Sponsored Artist and Educator. In his new role for the Modacity music practice platform, Simon will leverage his voice and influence on his social channels, blog and musical society organization memberships to share his philosophies and practices for more effective, ‘mindful’ practice, and how he uses the Modacity platform to better help track his repertoire and progress.
Modacity for iOS is the first Music Tech practice and journaling tool for musicians that blends cognitive behavioral science and iOS music technology with first-hand musician’s expertise to inspire more productive, ‘Mindful Practice’ sessions for musicians of all categories of music, and for any musical instrument.
“Edward is a dedicated mindfulness practitioner who believes in the importance of focused, diligent efforts,” added Marc Gelfo, founder and CEO of Modacity. “Modacity emphasises time management, single-tasking, and intentional practice as our core, guiding principles for mindful practice. It’s inspired as much by my international symphony career as my personal experiences with Vipassana and Taoist meditation. Edward’s values and dedication are in perfect alignment with ours - he is such a perfect fit for Modacity.”
“I use Modacity as a tool to help me stay focused on my daily and long term goals, and to organize my practice notes,” added Simon. “I’m currently preparing for a solo piano concert and Modacity helps me keep track of my repertoire and progress. I love the fact that I can record myself right there on the app.”
Gelfo continued, "I'm very excited that musicians with this kind of depth and experience are adopting Modacity for daily practice. His beliefs about the purpose and possibility of music resonate with our mission and we are grateful to have him as a sponsored artist and educator."
About Edward Simon
Edward Simon, a native of Venezuela, has made a name for himself over many decades in America as a jazz improviser, composer-arranger, band leader and educator. DownBeat has called him “one of the strongest pianists of his generation, with intuitive empathy and drum-like ingenuity,” while Jazz Journal International has singled out “his deep emotional statements” as a composer and improviser.
Based in the San Francisco Bay Area as a member of the all-star SFJAZZ Collective, he has been a Guggenheim Fellow along with being awarded multiple composition grants as part of the Chamber Music America’s New Jazz Works initiative. Simon, a Yamaha artist, has recorded 15 albums as a leader or co-leader.
Simon is on the faculty of the Roots, Jazz & American Music program at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and he has also served on the faculties of the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, City College of New York and University of the Arts.
About Modacity’s Founder & CEO
Marc Gelfo has been practicing music for 30+ years. After applying cognitive science & computer science to French horn, Marc became an internationally touring symphony musician. His experience includes teaching and performing with thousands of musicians around the world, including the San Francisco Symphony. Modacity is a direct expression of Marc’s dedication to integrating science, music, wellness, and technology through meaningful & large scale collaborations.
