Eric DiVito

Jazz/Stage/PopularPit Orchestra for MusicalsGeneral MusicOrffKodalyDigital Music PedagogyFretted InstrumentsNotation SoftwareCompositionInstructional DesignClassroom ManagementMusic HistoryMusic TheoryMusic FundamentalsClassroom TechnologyConducting
Written By Dr. Elisa Janson Jones
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Eric Divito guitar portrait Music Teacher Guild

New York guitarist and composer Eric DiVito has been leading his own groups and performing as a sideman in the greater NY area since 2003.  He has performed at many of NYC's top jazz clubs, live music venues and festivals including Smalls, The Iridium, The Kitano, The Garage, The 55 Bar, Swing 46, 1803, The Flatiron Room, Tomi Jazz, Maureen's Jazz Cellar, Daryl's House and more.  In Canada he has appeared at The Rex, The Jazz Room, GigSpace and more.  He also appears at many music and arts festivals including The Uptown Waterloo Jazz Festival,  The AirTrain Jazz Festival, The Garner Arts Festival, The Bayside Food and Music Festival and more. Eric has also performed and recorded with some of NYC's greatest Jazz musicians and has worked in orchestras and jazz groups for Carnival Cruise lines and The Bateaux NY.  Eric is also the guitarist and arranger for BarChords, an acoustic duo formed in 2021.  

 

As an educator, Eric has taught classroom and instrumental music in the NYC public school system for eleven years and in Westchester public schools since 2017. Additionally, he teaches music theory and history courses and directs ensembles at Dominican College in Orangeburg, NY.  Eric also teaches guitar techniques privately at his home studio both in-person and remotely.

 

In 2011, Eric signed with the Ontario based record label Pioneer Jazz Collective (PJC Records) and released his debut album as a leader, Breaking the Ice (2012), as well as a follow up record, The Second Time Around (2013).  Both records have received national and international acclaim.

Eric is an Eastman guitar artist and has been published several times in Downbeat Magazine, as well as RAE Magazine, and Play Jazz Guitar.  Eric resides with his wife and three children in Rockland County, New York.

 
 
 

  • Teaching music is a unique responsibility. It requires a thorough knowledge of your discipline, as well as a deep understanding of how to communicate that knowledge to others. It requires patience as well as a genuine concern for the growth of your pupils. I have always approached teaching music as a balance between stressing fundamentals and the basic foundation of musical concepts, with the ability to step back and let students take that knowledge and apply it at their own pace, as their own musical journey unfolds. While information always needs be learned and memorized, each person has his or her own ideas and creative needs which are not satisfied by simply “knowing” something. A good teacher helps his or her students apply that knowledge to foster their own musical needs and express themselves. In order to get students to truly understand the concepts of music theory and harmony, they must first study what was traditionally done by others. They must effectively analyze how to use those concepts to recreate music, and they must get to the point where they can use those concepts and build from them to create their own music, or better interpret the music of others. While each student comes to the classroom with different experiences, strengths and weaknesses, they need learn to use those strengths in new ways, and be disciplined to constantly develop their weaknesses. This way, nothing will stand in the way of their ability to express themselves. It is the job of the teacher to give their students the tools they need, expose them to different musical directions they can take, and encourage them to follow their own musical journey. A teacher’s job is done when the student becomes their own teacher and continues to learn and apply these concepts as they see fit to their own musical growth.

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Dr. Elisa Janson Jones

Dr. Elisa Jones designs and scales learning systems for organizations and individuals. With an EdD in Instructional Design, an MBA in Strategy, and 20+ years building education platforms, she combines strategic thinking with hands-on execution experience.

She works at the intersection of people, systems, and technology—helping leaders and learners see what's actually working and what needs to change. Her approach is diagnostic, grounded in real-world constraints, and focused on outcomes that stick.

Learn more about her work at sovereign.plus, elisajones.ai, and the Music Teacher Guild.

https://elisajanson.com
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