LATEST NEWS
Now that COVID's lifting, I'm getting back into live music performances and touring. I have moved to Queensland and am settling in there with new venues and new projects. I'll be touring soon again with Tidal Moon in September, returning late October. Then in December, I'm aiming to make the most of the more relaxed music environment and conduct a solo tour.
You can now download a promotional photo and bio easily. Just go to the "about" page, click on "press kit", then just choose which items you wish to download.
See you in person soon!
José Garcia
17 August 2022
You can now download a promotional photo and bio easily. Just go to the "about" page, click on "press kit", then just choose which items you wish to download.
See you in person soon!
José Garcia
17 August 2022
It's amazing what a virus can do (2020 NEWS)
My biggest project until the virus hit was collaborative work with Barbara Jeffrey and a tour with multiple festivals and engagements booked and then wham! Along came COVID-19 and changed everything.
So we'll just have to do other things. Please check my Facebook page for the latest news. One thing I am working on is continuing music using social media platforms such as Facebook and YouTube. The virus has has made record videos and try other options. The first few were just for fun but I think I'm starting to get better at them. These include original and traditional songs. (May 2020) |
Welcome!
G'day and welcome! This site's aim is simple - to provide an on-line interface between myself and anyone "out there" who may be interested in my musical adventures. I'm involved in a multitude of projects which always seem to be increasing in number. As well as performing solo, I'm involved in collaborations with various musicians and singers.. The primary projects include the folk duo Tidal Moon with Barbara Jeffrey, and Jose & The Amigos, a bluegrass band. I spend a lot of effort in promoting jamming in the traditional style, with particular emphasis on bluegrass. One of my missions is to bring music back more into line with what it used to be in society - an integral part of a living fabric, rather than a mere commodity or an activity reserved only for a special few. This is a personal passion that over the years has now spilled over into the arena of conducting professional workshops that encourage people to play music and sing together. I also conduct workshops on stagecraft and teach guitar although I am probably trying to focus more on performance and event organisation than tutoring nowadays.
In what feels like a previous life, I used to organise and lead specialised camps for children and adults and I find myself using much of these skills in supporting objectives of spreading, stimulating and developing grassroots music. You could say I am a little obsessed with what I involve myself in: increasing grassroots participation in music, the development of musical skills and trying to uphold traditional values of music that clash with current mainstream music culture. For me, music, healthy living and healthy communities all go hand-in-hand. I don't like the popular models of music where people believe they have to compete against others, race for a star position and be measured successful or not by numbers, awards and statistics that are largely contrived. I believe in music that comes from the soul, that moves people and as a result can move mountains.
You'll probably find that my various Facebook accounts are much more up-to-date than this website. I used to list every gig on this, but I find I was spending more time in administration than actually performing. So social-media has now become my weapon of choice for disseminating the latest gig information. It's much easier to maintain. I'd rather be playing music than conducting administration!
Cheers!
José Garcia
[May 2019)
In what feels like a previous life, I used to organise and lead specialised camps for children and adults and I find myself using much of these skills in supporting objectives of spreading, stimulating and developing grassroots music. You could say I am a little obsessed with what I involve myself in: increasing grassroots participation in music, the development of musical skills and trying to uphold traditional values of music that clash with current mainstream music culture. For me, music, healthy living and healthy communities all go hand-in-hand. I don't like the popular models of music where people believe they have to compete against others, race for a star position and be measured successful or not by numbers, awards and statistics that are largely contrived. I believe in music that comes from the soul, that moves people and as a result can move mountains.
You'll probably find that my various Facebook accounts are much more up-to-date than this website. I used to list every gig on this, but I find I was spending more time in administration than actually performing. So social-media has now become my weapon of choice for disseminating the latest gig information. It's much easier to maintain. I'd rather be playing music than conducting administration!
Cheers!
José Garcia
[May 2019)
2019 News: |
Half way through 2019 and it's been a busy 12 months. March and April were particularly crazy with activities being one of the prime times for festivals and other events. Highlights included a Victorian Tour with Barbara Jeffrey as Tidal Moon.
We're still adjusting to the two different locations where we live, Queensland and Victoria. The recent tour was one example of how we we likely operate in the future: lots of performances crammed in a few weeks and then long periods of other activities. This tour included several performances including a new festival for us as a band - The Sandford Bush Festival as well as some return visits such as the Ringwood Highland Games & Celtic Music Festival. This latter event utilised a new location this year, Wantirna and we were happy to be a key part of the music provided in this event. For more news, please check out the band website: http://www.tidalmoonmusic.com. On the horizon we've got several things to look forward to. In particular these include a visit to South Australia with performances in the Yorke Peninsula and the Clare Valley. In the York Peninsula, we're delighted to be once again part of Kernewek Lowender, otherwise known as the Copper Coast Cornish Festival. We're also performing at the wonderful venue - Heritage Arts & Traditions, also known as HATs. The jam sessions I convene at Jammalong in Melbourne keeps on going with new faces appearing all the time. It is now in its sixth year. Touring and performing has made it very difficult to be present at times but in a wonderful manner, this difficulty has also highlighted the growth in the group with it being able to operate without me necessarily being there. This growth is further highlighted by the addition of the Jells Park Sessions run by Michael DeValle. I have supported these sessions from the start, the first began as a combined Jammalong in Melbourne and Dandy Mountain Rangers event. 2018 saw the use of Upwey RSL being used. In 2019 after a short break, it has resumed at Jells Park again but under a different structure and new name Jells Park Sessions. It is held on the 4th Saturday of each month. So now apart from Jammalong in Canberra where I was inspired about a decade ago and Jammalong in Melbourne, there is now the Jells Park Sessions. It is very pleasing to see the music networks growing and I must thank my friends Michael and Dianne Porter for starting me out on this wonderful jamming adventure. Where I can, I also support other jam sessions although I do find it difficult to attend the many which are now available. When Jammalong in Melbourne first started, many of the current sessions did not exist. Nevertheless, I think there should be more jam sessions available. And if you want to start one in your area, go ahead. Contact me and I'll see if I can help! Jose & The Amigos continues with gigs, small and large, often presenting members from the jam sessions up on stage. We've enjoyed our recent performances at the PAVE Festival and look forward to future gigs at festivals, bars and folk clubs. These include The Berwick and District Folk Club, The Railyard Saloon Bar and the Mountaingrass Bluegrass and Old Time Music festival. A great surprise last year has been my involvement with Lentil as Anything, Thornbury. I've been organising music there every Thursday evening, initially as a pilot for a couple of months but now we're into our second year. This has seen the development of many budding musicians and I am continually impressed with the progress I've seen. If you want to get better at something, you've just got to keep doing it. That applies to so many things including music performance. In March, I was delighted to play a very active part in The Sandford Bush & Music Festival. As well as performing, I helped arrange a few musicians and ran one of the venues. it was such a buzz to have one of the venues bear my name "Jose's Hotspot". I have a lot of faith in this festival which is only in its second year. I have personally seen the spirit and energy poured in by its organisers and its local community. So they have my full support for next year. If you want to be part of it - contact me! In April my local festival - PAVE, went well and after months of hard work, it was a proud moment to see it unfold in April. The volunteers and organisers of the festival are a real credit to their community and I was proud to have played a part in organising and managing it as a Music Co-ordinator. In a similar fashion, I find myself getting more involved in various festivals not just in performance roles but also in organising and technical support roles. I'm loving it. Another special project I'm involved in is organising larger music events in the township of Belgrave in a venue called "Two Floors". It's a venue with great potential and the the first of what I hope is a series of events kicks off in May called "The Whole Shebang". It's got a few locals and members of the Berwick and District Folk Club involved and promises to be a great evening. With support from Community Music Victoria, Music Mission, Emerald Community House and the wider community of Emerald, including secondary and primary schools, I spent a lot of time on "Make Music Day" in 2018 and this is now shaping up again nicely for 2019. This is an international event which Australia has only just taken an interest in. 2018 saw a large number of different activities taking place throughout for the first time in Australia together with over 120 countries around the world. The vast majority of mainstream music does not support or even acknowledge it's existence. There are reasons for this of course, one is lack of knowledge, but the other is lack of immediate relevance to industry. In my eyes, this only further reinforces the fact that mainstream music has lots its way. Regardless of what of what the "important" people in Australian music thought about Make Music Day it was still a success. On June 21st 2018, music did bring a lot of smiles, happiness and a simple but infectious joy in my community. That my friends is success. Let's do it again on June 21st 2019! I have continued association with the Cockatoo RSL. This year's ANZAC Day celebrations went very well and it's a privilege to play music there, particularly on special days like ANZAC Day. I really enjoyed performing there with Belinda Anderson. Belinda is an amazing local singer and she keeps me on my toes by adding to my ever-expanding repertoire. For the latest details, please go to my Facebook page which is updated much more regularly than this website. José Garcia May 2019 |

For the most up-to-date news, and all gig news, please go to my Facebook page.
Clicking on one of the four pictures below will take you its related link.
Jammalong in Melbourne
Music lovers gathering together in Melbourne's Jells Park every month to share music in a friendly environment. Unplugged, raw and fantastic. 12pm, on the 2nd Saturday of each month, near Madeline's Cafe. |
Jose & The Amigos
A performance group born from the friendships ignited at jam sessions such as Jammalong in Melbourne. Bluegrass foraging and raiding led by bandito José. |
José & Belinda
Pop with punch!
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Tidal Moon
"Acoustic ripples upon a sea of imagination." Jose Garcia with Barbara Jeffrey. Classical/Celtic meets Country/Folk to produce a combination that has soaring, siren-like qualities tempered with the low tones of tectonic plates moving, blended with guitar, flute, Celtic harp, djembe, harmonica and charango. |
Where is Jose?

If you find out, please let my wife know. But seriously folks, please don't ask me to play in Guatemala, next week 'cause I live in beautiful Melbourne, Victoria, Australia - Home.