ABE NAVARRO
BIO
Abe Navarro is originally from Santa Cruz California and has been playing music since early childhood. His music education began with playing and taking private lessons on the drums and trumpet. During his early teenaged years he lived in the Washington D.C area where he started playing and studying the guitar. The guitar would be his instrument of choice to begin a career.
At first, Abe studied acoustic steel string and electric guitar in the suburbs of Washington, D.C with his private instructor Professor Peter Princiotto a renowned musician from the D.C, Maryland, and Virginia area. This is where he started to read, write and perform music. Peter Princiotto has a P.H.D from The Peabody Music Conservatory in Maryland. Also, while on the east coast Abe studied private guitar lessons at the American University in Washington, D.C. There he studied classical (nylon stringed) guitar with John Marlow a Professor at the University and member of the worlds famous Charlie Byrd’s Washington Guitar Quintet.
Abe moved back to the west coast to Santa Cruz, California where he played and performed with various bands while also continuing to educate himself on many different musical styles on the guitar. For example, he studied Jazz Improv and Jazz Arrangement Theory at Cabrillo College with legendary Jazz arranger and trumpet player Ray Brown (not the bassists). Also, Abe took private lessons with the Bay areas Jazz guitarist Bill Redman.
Abe left Santa Cruz and moved up to San Francisco to continue his music education where he studied at the San Francisco State University in pursuit of a bachelor’s of arts in music. During these years he developed his own sound and song styles and decided to move to perform his music in Los Angeles.
Since he has been in Los Angeles Abe has continued his studies on the classical guitar with several local professor’s who are also private study teachers. He has studied private lessons at the studio of Paul Mayor a guitar professor at UCLA who has a teaching studio in Santa Monica. Abe is currently finishing his Bachelor of Arts in Music and teaching credential at Cal State Northridge. At Cal State Northridge Abe has studied private guitar with Professor Ron Borczon and private voice with Dianne Ketchie.
Abe has a musical group called Room16. Room 16 was founded in the year 2000 by Abraham and Manuel Navarro. Room 16 plays all original music, the band operates from their west-side studio and performs in Los Angeles and throughout Southern California.
The members of the band are Abraham Navarro playing guitar and his brother Manuel plays the Hammond organ. Dwann Brown is from Los Angeles and he plays the drums in several gospel groups in addition to providing the heartbeat of Room 16. Akil Wingate was born in New York and sings the lead vocals.
Akil Wingate and Dwann Brown joined the band in 2004 and recorded songs with the band on their new album. Room 16 released their new EP entitled "Right From Wrong" on March 7, 2005; it was recorded at Bell Sound studio in Hollywood.
Currently, Room 16 is working with the Artist Movement Promotions and can be seen playing live at the Hard Rock Café, the White Lotus, the Mint and other local venues. For more info about Abe’s band and to listen to his music go on line at www.room16.com.
Abe has always given and taken private lesson. He truly believes in music education. That is why he has Abe’s Guitar Lessons his private guitar lesson business that operates out of his studio in Woodlandhills, Ca.
