Peter Betan
Peter Betan | |
|---|---|
| File:Hollywood Clambake 2006 Robert Stolpe.jpg Peter Betan | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Manhattan, New York City |
| Occupation(s) | Acoustic fingerstyle guitarist, composer, singer-songwriter, producer |
| Instruments | Classical nylon string guitar, acoustic steel string guitar, electric guitar |
| Years active | 1975–present |
| Labels | Higher Ground Music Publishing and Production |
Peter Betan (born 1954) is an acoustic fingerstyle guitarist, composer, singer-songwriter, and record producer.
Early life[edit]
An only son to Cuban immigrants, Betan was born in NYC, Manhattan in 1954.[1]
At age 11 in 1965, Betan started playing on an acoustic guitar his father bought for him. Soon after, he began composing songs and inventing his own chord configurations and chord diagrams.[citation needed] Influenced by the Beatles and the British Invasion of the 1960s, at age 12 he formed and named his first band, The Fabulous 5, playing cover songs of the day and performing at the P.S. 152 grade school auditorium in Woodside, Queens.[citation needed]
Betan was influenced by the virtuosic acoustic rhythm guitar style of Richie Havens from the 1966 Mixed Bag LP; he would later be the opening act for Richie Havens at the Stephen Talkhouse Miami Beach in 1994.[2]
A self taught fingerstyle guitarist, he studied music theory and played the E♭ Tuba in the school band while attending Bryant High School in Long Island City, Queens. Later in 1974 while attending Queensboro Community College in Bayside Queens, he was accepted in the All City orchestra after city wide auditions were held.
Career[edit]
From 1975 to 1977, Betan formed a duo act and then later a trio performing original music in small clubs in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, playing electric and acoustic guitars, singing lead and background vocals. In 1977 he had a short stint with a hard rock band Galax 19, with Juan Santana as the lead songwriter and guitarist. Betan played second electric lead and rhythm guitar and was a contributing songwriter.
From 1978 to 1982 he performed in clubs at New York's Greenwich Village with his original five-piece Fusion based band, the Peter Betan Band, later retitled The Next, being the songwriter, singing lead vocals, playing electric lead guitar, rhythm, and acoustic guitars.
In 1979, he enrolled in a jazz guitar improvisation course at the New School in NYC being taught by jazz musician and teacher John LaBarbera. After the breakup of his band in 1982, Betan continued composing, writing songs, recording demos and doing recording session work with local bands and songwriters in the NYC area, playing electric lead and rhythm guitar. In 1980 he recorded a demo as a session electric guitarist with flute and saxophone player Dave Valentin for composer Jeremy Beck titled: "A Mad Oppy".[3]
Betan relocated to Miami, Florida in late 1985 and resumed performing professionally as an independent artist from 1987 to the present, dedicated to the fingerstyle guitar playing method and becoming a songwriter. He has opened concerts for Bob Dylan, Styx, Michael McDonald [4] Brian Auger and Eric Burdon.[5]
Discography[edit]
- Betan 1988
- Short Stories 1989 Instrumental Guitar
- Out of Love 1993
- Passion Fix 2004
Single releases[edit]
- "One in a Million" 2019
- "I Know" 2005
- "Live" 2013
Compilations and independent releases[edit]
- I love the Nightlife 2001
- South Beach in Motion 1999
Awards and nominations[edit]
- Awarded: "Best Solo Musician of Miami" New Times Miami Publication – 1991[6][7]
- Nominated: "Best Acoustic Guitarist" Jammy Awards – Statewide – Orlando, Fl. – 1993[7]
Film placements[edit]
"Gringo Wedding" 2006 - Song Placements / Licensing: "One in a Million" "I'm Dreaming Again"
"Momentum" (Documentary by Mark Moorman) 2007 (Commissioned) Instrumental fingerstyle guitar soundtrack
"Celebrate South Florida Everglades" Instrumental guitar pieces placement: "Waves" "Miles Away" from "Short Stories" Instrumental Album / Documentary 2006 WLRN Public Television Miami Fl. Produced by Mia Lorenzo
References[edit]
- ↑ "Peter Betan – CD Baby Music Store". www.cdbaby.com.
- ↑ http://www.distriktmag.com/Downloads_files/distrikt%236.pdf[dead link] pg76
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved December 9, 2010. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help)CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link) - ↑ "The Peter Principle". Miami New Times. May 20, 1992.
- ↑ https://miaminewtimes.com/news/program-notes-31-6364192
- ↑ Gibbs, Hope. "Hope Gibbs: Hotshots: Jazz Guitarist Peter Betan [New Miami magazine]". hopegibbs.com.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 [1]
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