Jazz Faculty Bio's

Danny Vaughan has been teaching jazz and commercial guitar at UCO since 1993. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Guitar Performance and a Master of Music Education Degree. Mr. Vaughan's teaching approach is a theory-based curriculum emphasizing the understanding of chord and scale progressions along with the practical skills necessary to be a professional musician in today's job market. He is the author of Patterns for 21st Century Guitar, a hypermodern system for improvisation and composition. Prior to UCO, Mr. Vaughan taught at Rose State College, Oklahoma Baptist University, and Southern Nazarene University. Mr. Vaughan brings to his teaching a wide range of musical genres and stresses stylistic versatility. His performance credits include the Oklahoma City Symphonic Orchestra, the Oklahoma City Philharmonic Orchestra, Ballet Oklahoma, and Lyric Theatre. He is equally at home with traditional New Orleans jazz, country, bluegrass, rock, and fusion and is also active in the contemporary church music field. His summer Guitar Concepts workshop at the Jazz Lab brings players of various styles and knowledge levels together for three days of intensive instruction. His hobbies are martial arts and chess.

The top five quotes from his teaching studio:
5. "I do and do for you kids and THIS is the thanks I get?!"
4. "Start your scale in the MIDDLE, play in the CENTER of the neck!"
3. "When you can play your scale perfectly, you are ready to begin to LEARN it."
2. "This WILL be on the test! Not in here, but out there when someone says, "Can you
play this, kid?""
And finally:
1. "When you can take the guitar pick from my hand, it will be time for you to leave."

Mr. Vaughan's goal is that the UCO Jazz Lab will be known for producing professional guitarists who are thoroughly equipped for the modern music workplace.

Back to faculty list