About

Bert Pflattner, the visionary founder of 12 Half Steps and a man whose love for music is rivaled only by his determination to make it accessible for everyone, is as relatable as it is inspiring. A jazz saxophonist turned Music Director at a community college in Massachusetts, Bert’s journey to founding 12 Half Steps is one that blends melody with mischief, hard-won wisdom, and the daily realities of trying to keep a household—and a budget—together.

Bert’s musical life began in his parents' basement in Worcester, where he stumbled upon his dad’s battered alto saxophone in a closet of forgotten belongings. To everyone’s surprise, including his own, the twelve-year-old Bert took to it immediately, mastering each of the 12 half steps and delighting (or inflicting terror upon) his neighbors as he passionately belted out bebop licks. His obsession with music grew at the expense of other "practical" skills, leading to a series of underwhelming attempts at normal jobs—he’d tried his hand at accounting, retail, and even bartending. But it was music that pulled him, again and again, back to square one.

Bert, now a Music Director at a Massachusetts community college, has spent his life playing and teaching music, but his journey took a pivotal turn one hot July night in a Boston bar called Louie’s Last Call.

Bert was on stage at midnight, in the thick of a long, sweaty set. The place was crammed with cigarette smoke, creaky bar stools, and the weight of a hundred dreams. He was playing with three legends: Silas on bass, Lenny on drums, and Screamin’ Jimmy on trumpet—guys he’d looked up to his entire life. They could make the room pulse, their skill undeniable. But as the night wore on, Bert noticed a sadness in their playing he couldn’t shake. Silas’s hands shook ever so slightly as he picked up his drink, and Lenny’s eyes looked miles away, his face etched with years of exhaustion. Jimmy’s solos were raw, soulful—but tired, as though the weight of the years was pressing down on his horn.

In the back corner, Marcy—Bert’s then-girlfriend, now his wife—watched the set, her discerning eyes taking in not just the music but Bert himself, sensing something turning in him. After the gig, they found a quiet table in the back, and Bert opened up. He told her about the lives these men led, bouncing from one late-night gig to the next with nothing but their instruments and fading hopes.

“You love this,” she said, reaching across to squeeze his hand. “But you don’t have to end up like that.”

“Then how?” he asked, not sure what the answer was but feeling a hollow ache in his chest.

“Start thinking like a musician and a partner,” she replied. Marcy, a partner at a Boston law firm and as grounded as Bert was spontaneous, saw his passion and talent but knew that without a plan, his love for music would always come at a cost.

That conversation planted the seed for 12 Half Steps. Named after the twelve foundational steps of the chromatic scale, it would become Bert’s answer to the very thing he’d seen that night—a way to help musicians, young and old, build sustainable lives around their art without losing themselves in the process. Through 12 Half Steps, Bert began teaching not just scales and rhythm, but also real-world skills: budgeting, setting boundaries, and planning a life that made room for both passion and stability.

Now, as Bert mentors his students and musicians around the country, he thinks often of that night at Louie’s Last Call and of Marcy’s wisdom. Because of her, he’d found a path where he could keep the music he loved—and a life he could truly live. And through 12 Half Steps, Bert is helping other musicians strike that same balance, sharing the melody of experience with those who still have dreams to play.

12 Half Steps became a way for Bert to mentor musicians in real-world skills, teaching them how to live, not just from gig to gig, but in harmony with financial reality. From advice on budgeting and creating multiple streams of income to navigating marriage as a musician, he found a way to support others in ways he had once needed.

Now, whether he’s on campus teaching jazz theory or running a 12 Half Steps seminar on "Making It in Music Without Losing Your Shirt," Bert remains a true musician at heart, one who knows both the joy and the grind of his craft. And thanks to Marcy, he’s learned to embrace a little structure in his life—enough to keep his passion from running him into the ground. Through 12 Half Steps, Bert Pflattner is helping other musicians find that same elusive balance between the scales and the spreadsheets, proving that with a bit of rhythm, a dash of realism, and a whole lot of heart, you can turn a lifelong love of music into something sustainable.