htothejizones

Today’s feature is a man named Jeff Horton. I’ve met Jeff Horton within the last year and from what I can see, he’s pretty much amazing. He is a person that makes you feel comfortable from the jump, but still manages to be completely honest with you as well. I have had many chats with this man and he’s done lots of interesting things. He’s a phenomenal violinist and from the last 10 months I’ve known him he’s also been a good friend. This is his story:



I was born in New York City on January 29th, 1982. As an infant, I lived in the section of the Bronx called Parkchester. I lived there for three years with my mother, father, older brother, and older sister. We lived in a one-bedroom apartment until my parents decided that it was time to move to a bigger place. After months of searching, my parents found a beautiful three-story house in another section of the Bronx called Kingsbridge Road where I would grow up for the next 15 years.

As an elementary student, I went to a public school in Manhattan called Central Park East II. The school consisted of students ranging from a number of cultural and financial backgrounds. At this school is where I began to learn violin at the age of six with Roberta Tzavaras, founder of the Opus 118 violin program in East Harlem. (For those that may not remember, this is the woman that the 1999 film, “Music of the Heart,” was based on. Ms. Tzavaras and Opus 118 were also the subject of the 1995 documentary, Small Wonders.)

I continued my studies of violin at the world famous Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. I studied all academic subjects as well as majored in music performance. I graduated in May of 2000 where I received a diploma in academics and music.

After high school, I left New York City and attended University in upstate New York at a private school, Ithaca College. At Ithaca, I studied a number of subjects including music, education, business, Italian language, photography, and theater. I graduated from Ithaca with a BA in Theater and a minor in Italian language.

After University, I decided I wanted to see more of the world so I decided to move to Yokohama, Japan to teach English at a conversation school for a year. Living in Japan I fell in love with the people and the vast culture that Japan had to offer. I decided to extend my stay in Japan, indefinitely, and continue to dedicate myself to help Japan and its people learn English.