Gabe Hall-Rodrigues is an Arizona-native accordionist, pianist and vocalist currently residing in Seattle, WA. He began playing the piano at age 7 and quickly realized his love for music and performing. In 2010, after only studying the accordion for a year, Gabe won the American Accordionists’ Association’s Virtuoso Solo Competition. In 2011 he graduated from Arizona State University with his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Therapy. In 2013, Gabe graduated from ASU with a Master of Music in Jazz Piano Performance under the award winning pianist, composer and professor, Mike Kocour. During his time at ASU, Gabe received the Special Talent Award and Jazz Bird scholarships. He was a frequent guest vocalist with the ASU Concert Jazz Band and Jazz Repertory Band. Gabe was also fortunate to study with world-renowned professor and tubist Sam Pilafian during his time on accordion with the traditional jazz ensemble, the ASU Dixie Devils.
Gabe has performed throughout Arizona and the country acting as a sideman, studio musician, and band leader in various ensembles including Jump Jive and Wail, The Paradise Winds Trio, Ocotrillo, Blue Skies Events, The Bad Cactus Brass Band, The 2Tone Lizard Kings, the Salt River Brass Band, Som Brazil, Radio Brazil, Casey Hurt, and many more. In 2011, he led the group Ocotrillo on a tour of the east coast and performed at the American Accordionists’ Association Festival in Charleston, South Carolina. In 2012 the Paradise Winds Chamber Ensemble performed the music of Astor Piazzolla at the International Double Reed Society annual conference in Oxford, Ohio. That same year Gabe was fortunate to play again with Sam Pilafian, this time joined by J.D. Shaw of Boston Brass, to play Piazzolla’s music for the final concert of their Brass Boot Camp at the University of Las Vegas. In 2013, Gabe began touring the country with the Arizona folk rock band Jared and the Mill. Since then, the band has had a non-stop touring schedule, packing venues around the United States both as headliners and opening up for acts like Barry Gibb, Allen Stone, Frontier Ruckus, Boy and Bear, Wildfeathers, and many more.
In 2014, Gabe took a hiatus from touring with Jared and the Mill and had the opportunity to live in Brazil. During this time, he was heartily received by the music community of his new hometown Recife in the state of Pernambuco. While living in Recife, Gabe played accordion and keyboard at many local venues and was also featured on two albums, Wallace Seixa’s Seguindo em Frente and Daniel Podsk’sRelembrando PE.
After returning from Brazil in November 2014, Gabe rejoined the band Jared and the Mill and quickly went to the studio to work on the album Life We Chose, the band’s 3rd studio release.
Gabe’s most recent projects are an accordion duo, Creosote with renowned Seatte accordionist Jamie Maschler. The music they create is are a mixture of original music and arrangements from Brazilian groups and composers. Gabe is also currently a member of Seattle’s premier forro enseble, En Canto.
Gabe has been teaching privately for over 10 years as an in-home instructor and at Arizona Piano Lessons. In 2016, he became Music Director for Gateway Academy after working as a music teacher and therapist since 2006. He developed a rock band and music technology curriculum with fellow music therapist Mike Plunkett. Gateway Academy is a private school in Scottsdale, Arizona for K-12 students on the autism spectrum.
Gabe has presented workshops at the American Accordionists’ Association and the Frank Marocco Accordion Event highlighting the use of the accordion in music therapy as well as elements of jazz language and harmony for accordionists. He is aPetosa artist and was featured in 2014 in their monthly newsletter. Gabe also currently works at the Petosa shop at their new location in Lynwood, WA.
