[Dixielandjazz] Sitting In / learning

[David Palmquist]

Rob wrote "I think that there are a lot of improv programs at the high 
schools and colleges, but for people who want to learn at any other age, 
there really aren't any community based approaches "

I spent a week this summer at the New West Jazz Clinic in New Westminster 
BC.  It wasn't terribly expensive, and it was fascinating.  The organizer 
offers beginner level, intermediate and advanced classes.  The daily format 
was playing in two improv classes each day, plus a theory class and a 
master class put on by a leading clinician on your instrument.  There was a 
noon-hour concert by the clinicians and guest musicians every day as 
well.  There was only a handful of adults, but the young people were 
accomplished musicians, a couple approaching professional quality, and all 
could play circles around me.  I fully intend to spend the week there next 
summer as well.  You can get details at: http://www.newwestjazz.com/

Disclaimer:  My posting might be misconstrued as a commercial  It 
isn't.  While the organizer is a friend who plays in the same community 
band as I do, and is in my Ellington repertory group, he does not know I'm 
writing this message.

David Palmquist
(David in Delta)


At 00:43 13-10-03, Rob McCallum wrote:
>Hello all,
>
>I have to put my 2 cents in on this.  I used to host modern jazz jam
>sessions and believe that a part of the problem with "sitting in" among many
>amateur players today is that they don't really understand what "learning"
>means in relation to these sessions.
>

snip

>Too many (I don't hesitate to say a majority of)
>players who are learning think that a jam session is a place to "practice"
>or "learn to improvise."  IMHO, it's neither - it's an environment where
>someone who has spent a lot of time and hard work learning how to play can
>have an opportunity of playing with established players to prove they have
>reached a level of competence.  Then, if they really can play, the jam
>session learning comes from developing their craft and maturing and being
>mentored, eventually and hopefully, being accepted as a jazz musician.  To
>me, it's the equivalent of writing a master's thesis.

snip

>Some are really
>more beginning / learn to improvise workshops, but they aren't jam sessions
>in the sense that we're talking about.  I ran a Saturday afternoon thing for
>awhile at a community center which was designed as an open session targeting
>"intermediate" players, which was supposed to be a kind of stepping stone
>for those who've been doing the Aebersold play-a-longs etc. to have the
>opportunity to play with live people but who weren't yet ready to sit in in
>any kind of professional setting.

snip

>Not to drag this post out all night, but I think there is an interest among
>many people who have always wanted to learn to play an instrument, maybe
>have learned some rudimentary things, and could really benefit from some
>kind of inexpensive workshop type of forum, not so much to be a professional
>musician, but for personal enrichment. What I was trying to do was an actual
>playing session but, as I wrote, the majority of those that came out for it
>weren't far enough along to really participate. I think that there are a lot
>of improv programs at the high schools and colleges, but for people who want
>to learn at any other age, there really aren't any community based
>approaches that I know of.  I would always end up suggesting private
>teachers to those that seemed more serious.
>
>I'll stop typing now!
>
>All the best,
>Rob McCallum