Emo attack turtles
International guitarist-composer-educator, Az Samad, really loves turtles.
A versatile musician who has appeared on seventeen albums, and eight solo releases. He has worked with many distinguished musicians in his meteoric career including,
- GRAMMY® winners Flaco Jiménez and Max Baca
- drummer Bernie Dresel of the Brian Setzer Orchestra
- singer-songwriters Tara Linda and Reza Salleh
- guitarists Mike Dawes, John Stowell, Adam Rafferty, Stuart Ryan, and Teja Gerken
- world music ensemble Bogofusion
- electronic jazz-funk group Planet Loop
- cumbia dub band Candelaria
- string jazz ensemble JazzMine
Sketchpost of Cheryl Tan and Az Samad's presentation at TEDxKL 2013 by Bernie Quah
Az has also been invited to perform the opening act for Tommy Emmanuel, Martin Taylor, and was a presenter for TEDxKL 2013—the largest TEDx in South East Asia to date—which, he's been told, is kind of a big deal.
Orchestra Performances
2012 Distant Worlds: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Az was the featured classical guitar soloist with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) for the Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy premiere in Kuala Lumpur, conducted by Arnie Roth. He has also performed as part of the MPO in other sold-out performances and worked with conductors Richard Kaufman and Mark Fitz-Gerald.
The Educator
In addition to his extensive performance credentials, Az has 15 years of teaching experience. This has been shaped by his musical training which includes 4 degrees in music. He received degrees from:
- University of Westminster, UK
- Jazz Composition and Guitar Performance - Summa Cum Laude Honors from Berklee College of Music, USA
- Masters in Music (Jazz Studies) from San Jose State University.
As an educator, Az has been on the faculty of Berklee College of Music's Summer Guitar Sessions and has taught workshops at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut; Culturefest in Pipestem, West Virginia; and The Freight & Salvage in Berkeley, California. Az has also taught at fingerstyle guitarist Thomas Leeb's 2013 annual Residential Acoustic Guitar Camp in Turracher Höhe, Austria. Az was teaching alongside such fingerstyle greats including Jon Gomm, Mike Dawes, Thomas Leeb and Alex Kabasser.
“Az Samad is THE Malaysian guitar hero. Not only is he an incredibly soulful and accomplished player, he is a talented and well respected educator in all aspects of the guitar. He is also a super nice guy with a wicked sense of humour. Miss him at your peril!”
Az believes in contributing back to the society that has supported his music efforts. His music outreach program starts off with scholarship student Irena Taib of The Impatient Sisters fame. Az currently conducts private guitar lessons in Kuala Lumpur with a focus on beginners and Jazz students.
Az is also the Beats & Bytes columnist with The Star newspaper,
- May 21, 2013 - When tech and music collide
- August 27, 2013 - Fund through your fans
- September 23, 2013 - Your guide to getting your music on iTunes (and more!)
- October 10, 2013 - Catch a live concert in your pyjamas!
- November 25, 2013 - Learning music via Skype!
“Az Samad produces works that are richly textured, poetic and atmospheric.”
Awards
- 2010 Stella Berboth Scholarship Recipient
- 2009 Lois King Thore Music Scholarship Recipient
- 2009 Tower Foundation Scholarship Recipient
- 2008 San Jose State University Graduate Program Scholarship Recipient
- 2008 Pongid Radio Featured Artist (August 2008)
- 2007 Sonicbids Spotlight Artist (December 2007)
- 2007 "Berjalan Bersamamu" received an honorable mention in the 11th Unisong International Songwriting Contest for the "Instrumental (any style)" category
- 2005 Berklee College Of Music World Scholarship Tour Recipient
- 2003 Nominated for Best Solo Performance (Music) in the first Cameronian Arts Award, a prestigious event for the arts community in Malaysia