“Music was it for me from day one,” says Cape Symphony teaching artist Joe Merrick. “From my earliest memories, music has been the only thing I’ve really wanted to do. My parents had to tie a rope around the stereo when I was a toddler to keep me from playing with it.”
Joe started early with drums, taking private lessons and playing in rock bands through middle and high school. Songwriting quickly became a passion, too, and with his interest in all kinds of gear, music production naturally followed. Intensive private instruction and diligent practice every day laid the groundwork for Joe’s success with drums, guitar, piano, voice, and songwriting—and he’s excited to impart those skills to students of all ages at Cape Symphony.
“My route really served me well,” he says, looking back on how he built a satisfying career by working hard on his skills with great mentors, teaching students of his own, investing in his studios, making his own music, and helping others create theirs. All this, and live performances as well—including with Carol King and Steven Tyler, and opening for the Steve Miller Band. Today, he works from studios here on the Cape and in Hanover, and will soon expand to the Joshua Glynn Music & Arts Center in Plymouth.
What’s a lesson like with Joe? “We get engaged with the music you like right away,” he says. He works with students of all levels, including retirees learning to play the music they’ve always loved to listen to, college students working on advanced skills, and kids just getting started on their journeys. “For kids, you’ve got to make it fun,” he says, remembering his own experiences. “We might use a computer to record a drum beat and then play on top of it… anything to make it fun.” With songwriting, the process is different for everyone. The beginning tends to be either word-oriented or instrument-oriented: “Some people start with a title, some with lyrics and a concept, some with a guitar riff.” Joe’s there for however you approach it, and his enthusiasm is contagious. “Songwriting is my main fascination,” he says. “I love to talk about it, I love to do it, I love to work with other people doing it.”
No two days are the same for Joe Merrick. A given week might include lessons with an older adult ready to pick up the guitar, a recording session with a children’s drama group, rehearsing for a gig, mixing music at home, coaching songwriters, noodling around with new tech, and playing live at The Loft in Yarmouth. It’s a lot to keep track of… and it’s all part of the life he imagined for himself as a boy. “I was determined to survive making music for a living. All the things I’ve learned are to make that happen.” One of the most important lessons is that you can, too.
***
Joe Merrick is accepting new piano, voice, guitar, drums, and songwriting students at Cape Symphony’s West Barnstable campus. For more information or to arragne a lesson, email
