Having just completed a big band commission, I thought I’d take a minute to reflect and outline my process and the arranging methods employed, before my recollections are gone forever. With some previous charts, I tried blogging about my compositional process as I worked (a play-by-play account of sorts), but…
Logan and I have been arpeggiating our way through the 12-bar blues progression over the past week and a half. There hasn’t been any improvisation per se; but we are building a foundation for what will follow in future lessons. I am really enjoying practicing with my son and introducing…
Where does one begin when teaching jazz improv? This question, and the enormity of the topic, can be almost paralyzing. We don’t want to overwhelm or turn off a young student by introducing too much theory too soon, but at the same time, they need tangible materials with which to…
This is the start of a new blogging series where I will be sharing methods for introducing jazz improvisation to middle school band kids. Although I’ve taught jazz improv for many years at the university level, teaching it to kids is somewhat new to me. Also new to me is…
I had the pleasure of playing in Toronto this past weekend, in the band of my old college roommate, Jules Estrin. Jules is a very fine trombonist who just completed a Masters degree in jazz at the University of Toronto. We played at the Home Smith Jazz Bar at the Old…