Occupation: I am the director of the Music Learning Center in Danbury, which I co-founded in 1993. We offer instruction for most instruments and voice for all ages. I'm also the manager with Fry's Westport-Fairfield Piano overseeing the Danbury l
Occupation: I am the director of the Music Learning Center in Danbury, which I co-founded in 1993. We offer instruction for most instruments and voice for all ages. Iâm also the manager with Fryâs Westport-Fairfield Piano overseeing the Danbury location on Main Street; and Iâm also a jazz pianist. Thatâs what got me into all of this. Iâve led my own band, The Jeff McGill Group, since 1984. We perform at Spris on the Constitution Plaza in Hartford pretty regularly and also more local events. Weâve appeared at Birdland in New York City and at the New Haven Jazz Festival and at the Charles Ives Center for the Arts. Mostly we perform my own compositions and arrangements â be-bop, Latin-jazz, and contemporary jazz.
Family: My wife, Cathy Sweeney, and our 15-year-old daughter, Heather.
Pets: Boy, do we have pets. We have two horses, McDuff and Stella, a Corgi named Bunny: we picked her up Easter weekend and she had these big ears, so the name seemed to fit⦠We have a cat, Molly and a parakeet, Sunny. Weâre actually down a bit. Over the years weâve had guinea pigs and hermit crabs, too.
How long have you lived in Newtown? We have lived here three years last August.
What do you like to do in your free time? Well, jazz piano, of course. Iâm a golfer and I love to ski. I accompany Cathy and Heather on the weekends to equestrian combined training events.
Do you have a favorite musician? The late, great Bill Evans is my favorite, who Cathy and I saw at The Bottom Line in New York on our first date. For living artists, Iâd have to say Keith Jarrett.
Do you have a favorite ski spot? Weâve had some great trips. I guess it would be either Val dâIsere in the French Alps, or Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Jackson Hole has fantastic powder skiing, and I love the beauty and spans of terrain. Val dâIsere was our only trip abroad. We got to visit Cathyâs brother, who was living there at the time, and do a little touring.
What is the best thing about Newtown? I just think itâs a great town. I enjoy the historical elements of living in a town that dates back 300 years. The people are enjoyable. Itâs just a great place for us on many levels.
Do you keep anything interesting in your pockets? Not really. Just Chapstick this time of year.
What is your personal philosophy? Respect and appreciate each individualâs uniqueness, and make each day count for something you believe in and enjoy.
Where would you like to be in 20 years? I wouldnât be unhappy doing what Iâm doing right now; but at 20 years older, maybe a little bit less of it.
SNAPSHOT: Jeff McGill