Experienced Teacher, Musician, Composer

The year was 1965. I was a very young dreaming musician living with my parents at 1942 N. Tripp Ave in Chicago, Illinois, loving to stare at my bedroom ceiling filled with fluorescent star decals, loosing myself with imaginations, dreams and visions of performing my original music in large auditoriums that would emulate the heavens and galaxies. I dreamt of Multi Media Music; combining Visual with Audio, elevating my audience to a new reality filled with beauty, peace, no fears or worries. 

Those were fun dreams, but actually in 1966, I was playing old Italian songs on my accordion, while my father (Adolfo Guido Lavorata) accompanied me on his guitar, along with my mother (Angela Pasqua Losurdo) singing. We were the entertainment for many family gatherings. Besides learning these old Italian Songs, I would spend countless hours learning difficult accordion music in preparation for the next Olympic Accordion Competition. Around 1967, I wanted to play more contemporary music, and so I formed a band called, the “West Side Wrecking Crew.” 

Around 1970, I upgraded my accordion to an electric Cordovox and started a lounge band, called “Family Circle.” Around this time, I was needing more of a musical challenge, and began taking private piano lessons, which opened up another area of creativity for writing my own original piano compositions. I used any free time I had to run into the music practice rooms at Lake Park High School in Medinah, Illinois to play my original song. Some classmates started to spread the word to “hear Guido’s new song.” While I was describing my vision of Multi Media Music, I was asked by one of my classmates if I ever heard of the band called, “Yes,” which I responded by saying, “no I never heard of the band called, “YES.” I was very shocked one morning, while opening my high school locker, finding two “YES” concert tickets taped to the inside of my locker door. Seeing “YES” live was my very first rock concert. Listening and watching Rick Wakeman maneuver around all his keyboards was the catalyst that reawakened my dreams of playing in large concert halls with Multi Media Music. I bought myself a “Yes” album and would often put on my headphones, loosing myself in a magical musical experience. 

Around 1974, I auditioned for a well established rock band around the Chicago area called, “BFD, Big Funky Deal.” We played lots of top 40 songs that young kids liked to dance to. This was a far cry from the creative musical experience at the “YES” concert. I felt that my creativity was being stifled by only playing a few chords that repeated multiple times in a song. This drove me INSANE with boredom and void of any musical gratification! 

In 1979 I married my beautiful bride Donna Elvera Gaimari. In 1981 I graduated with a degree in music education from the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire. I recently completed my 37th year of teaching music education primarily to 5th and 6th grade string orchestra students. Throughout the years, we had four beautiful daughters, Angela, Gina, Lisa and Brianna. During these child rearing years, I would try to find time to compose my original music, either in the very early morning hours, or in the very late hours with my head phones on. 

I am finally releasing some of those songs for everyone to enjoy. I am very grateful, that God has given me this longevity to see a little bit of my dream come to fruition. I pray that I can have more years to continue composing. Please enjoy and share my music with others. I pray that my Multimedia Music lift you to your own magical place of inspiration to create your own art. Please don’t limit the word “Art” to only music. I believe that anything you show success in doing can be your own art i.e. fixing and building cars (my favorite GTO or Chevelle SS), wood working, canvas art, bronze sculpture, pottery, poetry, writing, acting, no matter what it is…Keep Creating!

Guido A. Lavorata

4-27-2020