Jazz Offerings, Fall 2008
Individual Instruction
Individual and Group jazz lessons are offered for both traditional and non-traditional jazz instruments. Topics such as improvisation, jazz theory, jazz history as well as composition can be covered in lessons. Contact the MacPhail Student Services Center at (612) 321-0100, ext. 1 for a placement interview.
Jazz Classes
What You Get
• The vital elements of jazz: performance, improvisation, style, theory and history
• An interactive learning environment
• Concerts and workshops featuring regional and nationally renowned jazz musicians
• Instruction from some of the finest teaching artists in the Twin Cities
Music Plus! Discount on classes if someone in your family is enrolled in at least five hours of Individual or Suzuki Instruction
Jazz Combos
Tuition $264
12 week session beginning week of September 22, 2008
Classes are 60 minutes long and meet once per week
Minneapolis
Beginning
For students entering grades 5-9 with at least one year of experience on their instruments. No improvisation experience required.
Saturdays 3:00 p.m. Greg Keel
High School Beginning
For students entering grades 9-12 with at least two years of experience on their instruments. No improvisation experience required.
Saturdays 4:00 p.m. James Allen
High School Intermediate
For students entering grades 9-12 with at least two years of experience on their instruments and 1-2 years of improvisation experience.
Wednesdays 7:00 p.m. Kelly Rossum
High School Advanced
For students entering grades 9-12 with at least four years of experience on their instruments and substantial jazz improvisation experience.
Mondays 8:00 p.m. Chris Thomson
Thursdays 7:00 p.m. Kelly Rossum
Adult Jazz Combo
For adults with multiple years of playing experience but little or no improvisation experience.
8 week course begins September 24 and runs every other week.
Wednesdays 8:00 p.m. Faculty: TBD
MacPhail Apple Valley, Intermediate Jazz Combo
For students entering grades 7-12 with at least two years of experience on their instruments and 1-2 years of improvisation experience.
Mondays 7:00 p.m. Bryan Nichols
High School and Adult Intermediate/ Advanced
Tuition $330
15 week session begins September 15, 2008
Classes are 60 minutes long and meet once per week
Designed to serve the intermediate to advanced jazz player. Must have previous improvisation experience. All instruments are welcome.
Minneapolis
Mondays 8:00 p.m. Paul Renz
Dixieland Combo
Tuition $264
Ages Adults
Instructor: Jim ten Bensel
Kick back and play jazz in traditional New Orleans style. This combo is open to all adult students with multiple years of playing experience on their instruments but little to no improvisation experience. Tubas and banjos needed!
12 week session begins September 23, 2008
Classes are 60 minutes long and meet once per week
Minneapolis
Tuesdays 7:00 p.m.
Dakota Combo
Tuition is provided by the Dakota Foundation for Jazz Education
Ages 13–18
Instructor: Kelly Rossum
Now in its third season, MacPhail’s premier High School jazz combo, The Dakota Combo is an outstanding group of students selected through a live audition process. With generous support from the Dakota Foundation for Jazz Education, this group will rehearse and perform with a national guest artist at the Dakota Jazz Club as well as a final concert at MacPhail in the spring of 2009. Under the direction of jazz artist Kelly Rossum, rehearsals will be held every other Thursday throughout the 2008-2009 school year.
Auditions will be held in late September. Please check MacPhail.org for date.
Classes are 120 minutes long and meet once per week and meet once per week
Minneapolis
Thursdays (every other) 8:00 p.m.
The Blues to Jazz Connection
Tuition $356
Ages High School–Adult
Instructor: Paul Renz
The Blues to Jazz Connection begins with improvising over traditional blues and progresses towards soloing in jazz standards. One goal of this ensemble is to demonstrate that the same improvisation techniques used in the blues may be effectively applied to jazz, latin and fusion music. This ensemble is open to any instrument (violin, banjo and flute, etc.) as well as guitar, keyboard, bass and drums.
15 week session begins September 15, 2008
Classes are 90 minutes long and meet once per week
Minneapolis
Mondays 6:15 p.m.
Jazz Piano Class for Pianists
Tuition $350
Ages 16–Adult
Instructor: Karen Pieper
Can you already read music but are puzzled by jazz charts? Do you play the piano but are perplexed when someone asks you to improvise? Join this class and learn the basics of jazz piano playing from reading charts to basic improvisation. 3-5 years of piano experience is required or consent of the instructor.
15 week session begins September 15, 2008
Classes are 60 minutes long and meet once per week
Minneapolis
Mondays 5:00 p.m.
Mondays 8:00 p.m.
Jazz 101 “What is Jazz?”
Tuition $220
Ages Adults
Instructor: Kelly Rossum
Have you ever wondered what those jazz musicians are really doing on stage? Jazz was born in the United States and has spread throughout the world. This class, with support from Jazz at Lincoln Center, serves as a general introduction to jazz. No previous music experience needed, just a deep curiosity for this music. The course will include listening tips, historical background, and some brief music analysis.
12 week session begins September 23, 2008
Classes are 60 minutes long and meet once per week
Minneapolis
Tuesdays 7:00 p.m.
Jazz 201
Tuition $220
Ages Adults
Instructor: Kelly Rossum
This class will deal with the current trends in jazz music. People might say that jazz is dead, but we at MacPhail know better. Jazz is alive and well! Come join our discussion about the vibrancy of today’s jazz scene, both here in the United States and around the globe. You will explore your current favorite styles and hopefully be exposed to something exiting and new. This class is designed for people who already enjoy listening to jazz music; familiarity with the style is strongly recommended. Jazz 101 is not a prerequisite to this course.
12 week session begins September 23, 2008
Classes are 60 minutes long and meet once per week
Minneapolis
Tuesdays 8:00 p.m
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Composition Workshop: Jazz Composition
Tuition is provided by the McKnight Foundation
Ages Teens and Adults
Instructor: Billy Fox
McKnight Visiting Composer Billy Fox will be presenting a series of composition workshops this fall. Billy Fox, director, composer and percussionist, has received grants from the Puffin Foundation and the American Composers Forum (as a McKnight Visiting Composer), and was selected first alternate to the 2006 Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission's Creative Artists Fellowship. Billy's compositions are featured in the soundtrack of the short film Rhyme Animal, directed by Phil Roc (producer of Sony Music’s Made in Heaven—The Making of Kind of Blue). Possible workshop topics include: “Intentionally Restricted Note Choices”, “A World Away: Improvisational Music Outside of Jazz”, “Give the Drummer Some: Rhythm as the Organizing Principle”, “Other Forms of Freedom: Beyond Free Jazz”, “From A to Z: Linear Development in Jazz Tunes”, “Stories Without Words: Program Music”.
Check the MacPhail Center for Music website for more specific dates and times.
Singers’ Jam Session
Tuition $192
Ages 16–Adult
Instructor: Vicky Mountain
Experience Jazz from blues to bebop. Join other singers in a relaxed, informal setting. Jazz styles, scat singing, phrasing and improvisation, vocal technique, chart reading and writing will be some of the subjects covered. The final session will be a performance with a jazz combo.
Classes will meet September 20, October 11, November 1, December 13, January 10, 24
Classes are 120 minutes long
Saturdays 2:00 p.m.
