CLASSES > Events
MA JAZZ HOSTS MIDDLE SCHOOL JAZZ FEST
The jazz festival is a mainstay of jazz education, bringing young players an opportunity for coaching and feedback on their group playing as well as instrumental workshops and improvisation clinics. (CLICK HERE to access links to Bob's reflection - aka "the second article" - on our participation in the Berklee College of Music High school Jazz Festival in Boston in 2010.)
MA MUSIC puts a different spin on this tradition, offering an emphasis on small group jazz rather than the usual big bands. This day of music and teaching is co-led by our own advanced jazz players, seniors Tom Wilson and Albert Kakkis, and juniors Michael Blasky and Henry Kinder.
The event is Saturday October 15th from 11am-6pm in the MA Performing Arts Center.
A High School Small Group Jazz Festival is being planned for February 2012 at MA.
EARLY COUNTRY MUSIC WORKSHOP
The MA MUSIC Visiting Artists Program got underway in the American Roots class on the morning of Friday September 2nd with a performance and presentation by Mike Stadler and Jon Mitguard.
Stadler (vocals, guitar, fiddle) and Mitguard (pedal steel and dobro) are two old pros who inhabit this roots music, primarily focusing on the 1930s and 40s, and bringing to life such greats as The Carter family, Jimmy Rodgers, Hank Williams and Bob Wills. They also made connections to the blues that flavor the music, and to fiddle tunes and ballads from the U.K. brought to the new world and taking hold mostly in the Appalachian Mountain Region.
The quote of the day? “Country music is music sung from the heart, through the nose.” Look for some great performance projects to develop this year that build on this great American traditional music.
SOUL MUSIC WORKSHOP
The James Brown classic COLD SWEAT got a workout as this year's 2011-12 Soul Band kicked it a notch. The new group features Evy Roy and Matt Herrero on vocals, Matt Feder guitar, Rene Babior bass, August Larmer drums, Subei Kyle and Francisco Kilgore keys, and Stephen Schmetz and Michael Blasky on saxes and other surprises.
Led by MA music director and guitarist Bob Schleeter, the clinic featured some of Marin's hottest musicians - Angelin Saris (bass), Brad McKeague (drums), Steve Riffin (keys) and Amber Morris (vocals) - working one-on-one and together with the whole group on rhythmic feel and The Groove, as well as communication and performing while having fun!!
More workshops are being planned for this year's rock and acoustic ensembles.