The Nash Sets Expanded Jazz Summer Workshops
By: Tyler Peterson May. 06, 2015
Developing new jazz musicians and building on the skills of existing artists, The Nash holds annual jazz workshops each summer. From New Orleans Trad Jazz and Latin Workshops to developing vocals and bass, the roster has expanded, with workshops running through August. Instructors at The Nash are comprised of the leading jazz artists in the Valley, many from Arizona State University and the Maricopa Community Colleges. All ages and skill levels are welcome. Register online at www.thenash.org.
The Nash is located at 110 E. Roosevelt St on Roosevelt Row in Downtown Phoenix.
THE NASH SUMMER WORKSHOP ROSTER
The Nash/ASU Latin Jazz Workshop
Instructor: Michael Kocour
Monday, June 1- Thursday, June 4, 1-4pm.
Final concert: Thursday, June 4 at 7:30 p.m.
The Latin Jazz Workshop focuses on Latin Jazz or Mambo literature made popular by artists such as Mario Bauza, Machito Grillo, Eddie Palmieri, and Chucho Valdéz. Under the direction of Michael Kocour, Director of Jazz Studies at ASU, the workshop brings an inspiring and culturally enriching music experience to participants of all ages and experience levels. Bring your instrument! The Latin Jazz Workshop is co-presented by The Nash and the Arizona State University Department of Jazz Studies.
Registration Fee: $100
Introduction to Vocal Improvisation
Instructor: Denise Martin
Saturday June 6th from 1 - 4 pm
This workshop will start with a basic approach to learning and soloing over a blues. Students will experiment with basic rhythmic patterns, melodic patterns, and scat syllables that will eventually segue into traditional scat singing. Upon completion of this workshop students will be familiar with the blues form, and confident in their ability to improvise over blues changes.
Registration Fee: $25 per student
Music Educators Jazz Workshop
Instructors: Jeff Libman and Keith Kelly
Monday, June 8-Thursday, June 11, 1-4pm.
This workshop is intended for music educators who wish to bolster their jazz knowledge. Topics will include improvisation, aural learning, repertoire selection, rehearsal methods, and understanding the rhythm section. Dr. Jeff Libman, Instructor of Jazz Studies at ASU, and Dr. Keith Kelly, Coordinator of Music Humanities and Performance at Paradise Valley Community Colleges, will lead the workshop. Bring your instrument!
Registration Fee: $100
Trad Jazz Workshop
Instructor: Will Goble
Monday, June 15-Thursday, June 18, 1-4pm.
Final concert: Thursday, June 18 at 7:30 p.m.
The Trad Jazz Workshop is a small group program that focuses on music from the New Orleans tradition made popular by artists such as Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, Sidney Bechet and Bix Beiderbecke. Under the direction of Will Goble, a member of the Scottsdale Community College jazz faculty, the Trad Jazz Workshop is a fun and exciting entry point for the exploration of the improvisatory arts. Open to all ages and experience levels. Bring your instrument!
Registration Fee: $100
Jazz Strings Workshop
Instructor: Russ Schmidt
Monday, June 22-Thursday, June 25, 1-4pm.
Final concert: Thursday, June 25 at 7:30pm.
The Jazz Strings Workshop is a four-day session intended for violinists, violists, cellists, and bassists. Led by educator/pianist/arranger Russell Schmidt, the workshop will explore the world of jazz in various settings (class instruction, string quartet, string orchestra), all customized to meet the unique needs of string students. Topics to be examined include improvisation, comping, bass line construction, jazz phrasing, and swing 8th note conception. Bring your instrument!
Registration Fee: $100
Playing on Changes
Instructor: Frank Smith
Monday July 6, 13, 20 & 27 from 1 - 3 pm
This workshop will be a 4 week introduction to improvising over chord changes. In these 4 weeks we will cover chord symbols, modes and modal songs, playing the Blues, and 2 - 5- 1 chord progressions in major and minor. These topics cover the basic tools that a musician needs for improvising on the standard Jazz repertoire. The instructor will respond accordingly to the needs and ability levels of each student. Concepts for beginner and intermediate students will be the primary focus. Advanced students are also welcome.
Registration Fee: $100
Latin Percussion Workshop
Instructor: Dom Moio
Monday July 6, 13, 20, and 27 from 6 - 8 pm
This workshop covers a variety of Latin rhythms and styles. Students will learn to identify and play authentic rhythms that originated in Africa, Cuba and South America. Learn how to play a Cha Cha, Rumba, Bomba, Samba, and Mambo on indigenous percussion instruments. All of these rhythms and feels will be experienced through guided listening and performing as a group. This workshop is open to EVERYONE. Beginners, intermediate and advanced students are all welcome.
Registration Fee: $100 per student
Jazz Combo: "Hear What You Play"
Instructor: Ted Sistrunk
Fridays, July 11, 18, 25 and August 1 from 1-3 pm
This workshop focuses on playing music in a small jazz ensemble. Students will play jazz standards and songs from the Great American Song Book. Instrumentalists of all types are welcome. This combo is for intermediate and advanced students only.
Registration Fee: $100
The Vocalist's Role in a Jazz Ensemble
Instructor: Denise Martin
Sunday July 12th from 1 - 4 pm
This workshop will cover some of the basics of what to listen and look for when singing with a band. This includes intros and endings, choosing songs and keys, improvising, stage etiquette and listening to other singers. There will be some interactive singing and improvising. Beginners, intermediate and advanced students are all welcome.
Registration Fee: $25
Exploring Modal Jazz in the 60s
Instructor: Adam Roberts
Fridays July 17th, 24th and 31st, 4 -6 pm
This course will explore a sampling of 3 legendary composer / improvisers in the Modal Jazz style of the 60s. Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter will each be viewed from the point of their compositional approaches, improvisational approaches, and rhythmic vocabulary. We will also draw take-aways (in the form of practice strategies) to help you in developing your own compositions and improvisations in this style. All instruments, ages, and levels welcome.
Registration Fee: $75
Improvisation-Creating a Personal Voice
Instructor: Andrew Schiller
Sunday July 19th from 11:30 am - 1:30 pm
Building a style and sound that is unique to you is a process that can take an entire lifetime. Our favorite musicians are almost always the ones who have carved out definitive and instantly recognizable personal voices--artists who stretch the boundaries of the art form. This workshop will focus on concepts such as timbre, rhythm, dynamics, and extended techniques in jazz and improvised music. We will examine some musical vocabulary that is already familiar and experiment with elements that make it more interesting and organic to both listeners and the improviser. We will perform in different settings during the workshop as well as listen to select audio samples. Please bring your instruments! This workshop is for intermediate and advanced instrumentalists and vocalists.
Registration Fee: $25
Songwriters' Workshop: Creating and Setting Lyrics
Instructor: Rebecca Sullivan
Sunday July 19th from 2:30 - 4:30 pm
In this workshop for vocalists and instrumentalists, we'll explore the craft of writing and setting lyrics: what makes a good lyric, how do you best fit words to a melodic line, how do you create a song out of a poem or other text? We'll study examples from both contemporary and historic composers in multiple genres, discuss methods of generating and refining lyrics, examine possibilities for improvisation, and explore the process of finding and setting text from various sources. The workshop is open to instrumentalists and vocalists of all levels.
Registration Fee: $25
Acoustic Bass Unplugged: Make it go Boom Boom Boom!
Instructor: Will Goble
Wednesday July 22 from 4 - 6 pm, Friday July 24th from 1:30 - 3:30 pm, and Wednesday August 5 and 12 from 4 - 6 pm
Do you find yourself primarily relying on an amp to produce a big, full bass sound? We invite you to turn it off and join us for a workshop centered around developing a big, fat, sustained booming sound on the bass. Practice strategies, listening, video examples, duets, and simple group exercises will give you insight into channeling the kind of approach to sound that allowed Jimmy Blanton, Charles Mingus, Ray Brown, Paul Chambers, Jimmy Garrison, and Ron Carter to cut through the mix and power some of the greatest bands in jazz history. Through the continued practice of the strategies introduced in this workshop, we hope you will find that using an amp during performances is a personal choice and no longer an absolutely necessity.
Registration Fee: $100
Jazz Composition Workshop
Instructor: Russ Schmidt
Monday, July 13-Thursday, July 16, 10:30 am -12:30 pm
Final concert: Thursday, July 16 at 7:30 pm
The Jazz Composition Workshop is an intensive four-day session designed to broaden jazz writing skills, toward the ultimate goal of helping each individual develop a more original, personal voice as a composer. Led by pianist/composer/arranger Russell Schmidt, the workshop will examine various creative approaches employed by jazz composers, from conceptual to technical. Focusing on small group writing, the works of historically significant jazz composers will be examined, as will the instructor's own writing endeavors. Students of all levels are welcome. The session will conclude with the performance of select compositional efforts by workshop participants.
Registration Fee: $100 per student
The Sound of the Wood; Amplifying the Acoustic Bass
Instructor: Ted Sistrunk
Sunday July 26th 1 - 3 pm
Find out how to deal with this necessary evil during this two- hour workshop to explore using an amplifier with the acoustic bass. We will talk about and demonstrate different frequencies (Hz) as they relate to the sound of the bass. There will be an opportunity to try your bass out with various amp set-ups, as well as a number of microphones, including the AMT clip-on mic. There will be a discussion of polar response graphs regarding microphones, and one relating to the distinction between electric bass and upright bass requirements. Learn to control your amp and don't let it control you!
Registration Fee: $25 per student
Comments
Videos