BBC Big Band Summer School at Durham Brass Festival, July 2017

The line-up for this year's Durham Brass Festival has been announced and it includes a 3 day Big Band Summer School led by Jiggs Wigham and members of the BBC Big Band.

This intensive 3 day summer school will feature separate bands for young, intermediate and advanced musicians. As part of the wider festival The BBC Big Band are performing a concert dedicated to Dizzy Gillespie and the great brass big band leaders such as Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Quincy Jones, Thad Jones and Maynard Fergusson. 

The Summer School will provide emerging and semi-professional musicians the opportunity to work with Director and trombonist Jiggs Whigham, lead trumpet Martin Shaw plus the rhythm section of Robin Aspland (piano), Jeremy Brown (bass) and Tom Gordon (drums). 

In addition to the big band workshops, there will be an opportunity to join this fabulous rhythm section, other course members and visiting musicians in two Big BRASS Jams as part of the Festival Fringe.

Who can apply?

Applications are open to those who play trumpet, trombone, saxophones,piano, bass, guitar and drums. For the youth band, musicians must be aged between 17-22.

Where to Stay

There are both residential and non-residential options for the course. Rooms are available at Chapel Heights (new student accommodation) and all include 100mb internet, en-suite bathroom and a kitchen.

Costs

Youth Band Participants (non-residential) £150

Intermediate and Advanced Band (residential) £385 
(Includes Accommodation, Breakfast, Coffee/Tea breaks, Lunch and Evening Meals,)

Intermediate and Advance Band (non-residential) £250 
(Includes Lunch and Coffee/Tea breaks)

Extra night and BBC Big Band Concert £90
(If you would like a ticket to attend the BBC Big Band Concert on Thursday 13 July and stay an extra night)


Click here to download the application form.

Visit the Durham Brass Festival website for more information on the full festival line-up.

Scholarship offer to attend the International French Jazz Summer School

For those among you who enjoy both good weather and great jazz education, the International French Jazz Summer School should definitely be on your radar if it isn't already.

Taking place in a chateau in the Languedoc Roussillon region of France, three courses run each summer - the main jazz course, a specialist singers course and the advanced improvisors course.

It has been announced that a very small number of scholarships are available to attend this year's advanced improvisors course which takes place between 20th and 27th August. These scholarships are available to front line players and bass players. This scholarship will reduce the cost of the course from £855.00 to £350.00. This price includes the tuition, accommodation, breakfast and evening meals.

The tutors leading this course will be Simon Purcell and Julian Siegel. Participants will focus on


•    contemporary approaches to jazz improvisation
•    repertoire - non-standard song forms
•    contemporary approaches to melody, harmony and rhythm
•    interactive rhythm section
•    devising effective approaches to practising jazz improvisation


Those interested in finding out more about the scholarships available should contact jazzsummerschool@aol.com. To learn about the course structure, location, tutors etc of this and other two course offered, visit the Jazz Summer School website.

Head further North and study with Tommy Smith

Applications are open for young musicians aged between 12 and 17 to spend a week in July studying jazz and improvisation with the internationally respected Tommy Smith in Glasgow.

Between 24-28th July, participants will work with Smith, Alyn Cosker, and Paul Harrison and be taken through their paces in theory classes, recording studio experience and small group playing.

The cost is £240 and applications will be accepted until 24th June. For this year only, participants will also be able to attend the keynote address by Randy Weston as part of the International Society  for Music Education conference.

For full information, visit the RCS Summer school website.

Immerse yourself in the world of jazz with this 5 - day summer school at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, ranked 6th in the world for performing arts education. This summer school is designed and delivered by internationally renowned educators, recording artists and performers, including saxophonist and composer, RCS Head of Jazz, Tommy Smith.

This course is for young people aged 12 - 17 who wish to develop  their skills in spontaneous composition and jazz improvisation. It is an inspiring course which focuses on group performance, whilst offering specific instrumental guidance on key elements of improvisation and performance.

 

National Youth Jazz Summer School - Applications Now Open

The annual summer school run by the National Youth Jazz Collective will take place between 9th-16th August at Uppingham School in Rutland.

The course will focus on developing improvisational skills and interaction within a small group setting and will feature an A-list group of tutors including NYJC's Artistic Director Issie Barratt, Tori Freestone, Jim Hart, Tom Hewson, Mark Hodgson, Chris Montague, Omar Puente, Nick Smart, Malcolm Earle Smith, Rowland Sutherland, Norma Winstone & Jason Yarde.

Applications are being accepted until February 20th and full details on how to apply can be found on the NYJC website.

Jazz at Heart Summer School - Rhythm Section Players Required

The annual Jazz at Heart Summer School will take place between 12th-15th August at Heart Arts Centre in Headingley.

Led by composer and trumpeter Matt Roberts (pictured above), the course is now in its fourth year and participants will spend time working on repertoire, improvisation strategies and more.

According to Jazz at Heart's Lesley Jeffries, the course is almost full but they are in need of some rhythm section players to even out the instrumentation! If you play piano, bass or drums and would like more information, get in touch with Lesley at lesley@jazz-at-heart.org.uk.

The course fee is £200.

For information on other events going on through Jazz at Heart, see the HEART website.

Study Jazz with Tommy Smith

Saxophonist Tommy Smith is offering 20 musicians the chance to study jazz with him and a group of accomplished professional jazz musicians over summer in Glasgow.

The course will take place at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow between 28th July and 1st August and will cost £490.

This five-day intensive summer school aims to inspire jazz musicians who are currently studying at conservatoire level or considering studying at a conservatoire. It will also provide opportunities for experienced students, professionals or advanced amateurs to study and refine repertoire in preparation for gigs, auditions or for personal development.

Tommy will be joined by Kevin MacKenzie (guitar), Mario Caribe (bass), Tom MacNiven (trumpet), Paul Harrison (piano), Chris Greive (trombone), Alyn Cosker (drums).

In order to apply, musicians are asked to submit an mp3 of their playing over a 12 bar major blues and also demonstrate comping if playing a rhythm section instrument.

Read full course outline here.

Read more information about application requirements and course description here.

Lake District Jazz Summer School, 19-26th July

A new jazz summer school has been set up in the scenic St Bees, a coastal village in Cumbria between 19-26th July.

The course is open to musicians of all abilities and focuses on all areas of jazz musicianship; improvisation, playing as a part of a group, theory and harmony and self-confidence.

Each day will start with a group warm up, before breaking into smaller groups with individual tutors.

There will be a short concert after dinner from the pros, followed by an open student jam session which will be led/guided by one of the tutors each night until the last evening when there will be a students concert. During the daytime sessions your tutors will be happy to work on any area of jazz that you wish to learn about or explore in more depth – so don’t be afraid to ask!  You will be free to join different tutor groups that best fit your needs.

The tutors include Kathy Dyson (guitar), Jonny Gee (bass), Dan Hewson (piano & trombone), Andrea Trillo (drums), Mick Foster (saxes), Ruthie Culver and Joanna Eden (voice) and Shanti Paul Jayasinha (trumpet).

The course fee is £450 and accommodation is available on-site at an additional cost. Those who sign up before 31st May are also eligible for free one-on-one sessions with the tutors.

For more information, see the Lake District Jazz Summer School website.

Music Place Jazz summer school - Rhythmatize Your Lines

The Music Place are running a jazz summer school between Monday 4th - Friday 8th August this year called Rhythmatize Your Lines.

This year's course will be led by three of the North's finest jazz musicians and educators; Mike Walker, Iain Dixon and Les Chisnall.

The course fee is £325 and more information on how to book can be found on The Music Place website.

See their facebook page for photos and videos of previous jazz courses.