the newsletter of jazz canada volume 6 …jill/jazz canada bulletin spring 02.pdf · the newsletter...

THE NEWSLETTER OF JAZZ CANADA VOLUME 6 NUMBER 1 • SPRING 2002

INSIDEMusic in the Mountains atthe Banff Centre 1

President’s message 2

FEATURE: Time: One of 3The Fundamentals

Canadian Sister in Jazz 4

FEATURE: The Musician’s 5Need for Awareness: Part 2

Young Women of Note 7

Institutional Update 8

Regional News 9

Website Update 10

Jazz Canada 11Scholarships

Jazz Canada needsyour helpIf you have a knack for writing,and would like to help keepmembers up-to-date on jazz newsand events happening in yourarea, contact Roger Mantie,[email protected] or writeto Jazz Canada Bulletin, 57 D’Arcy Drive, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2K5.

International Association of Jazz EducatorsL’association internationale des

Éducateurs de Jazz

Nestled below the massive peaks of theCanadian Rocky Mountains is an institutionknown as The Banff Centre - a genuine havenfor artists. The Centre is a place renowned forits professional development programs forartists of all disciplines, including visual andmedia arts, theatre arts, writing and publishing,aboriginal arts, and ofcourse, music. Themusic programs at theCentre began in the1930’s with programsoffered in thesummer, and in 1979,the year-round musicprograms wereestablished. Sincethen, countlessmusicians (both estab-lished and emerging)have walked through the doors - includingcomposers, solo performers, ensembles, singers,and of course, jazz musicians.

Although jazz has a presence during the falland winter long-term residencies (whenmusicians spend up to ten weeks at the Centre,working in a self-directed program), May isthe month when jazz-specific programs takeplace, and when things really begin to heat upin the Music & Sound Department at TheBanff Centre. This May is no different, withtwo great programs open to jazz musiciansfrom around the world - the Hugh Fraser JazzOrchestra Residency (May 11-18), and TheBanff International Jazz Workshop (May 20 –June 8).

The International Jazz Workshop, now inits 29th year, continues to set the standard forjazz excellence. The three-week workshopincludes daily sessions with Kenny Werner,master classes with “visiting artists,” smallensemble rehearsals, club and concertperformances, and some recordingopportunities.

An impressive list of musicians (includingOscar Peterson, Dave Holland, Kenny

Wheeler, and Joe Lovano) have made theirpresence felt in Banff since 1973, working as“visiting artists” and collaborating with thejazz participants in the residency programs.This year, the tradition continues withrenowned composer Maria Schneider joiningHugh Fraser in the 2nd annual Jazz Orchestra

residency. Dave Douglas,Jim Black, Chris Potter,Ari Hoenig, and DjangoBates join artist-in-residence Kenny Wernerduring the jazzworkshop.

What makes all themusic programs atThe Banff Centreunique is not onlyexcellent facultyand top-notchfacilities, but alsothe countlessperformanceopportunitiesavailable to allparticipants.During theprograms, theparticipants takethe stage with thevisiting artists for

evening concert performances in the theatrespace at the Centre. As well, almost everynight during the jazz program, there are clubsessions open to the public, where the musiccontinues until just about midnight. Both the club sessions and concertperformances are a great chance for musiciansto present, to a dedicated audience, what theyhave been working on while in residence atThe Banff Centre.

Come be a part of the magic of jazz in themountains at The Banff Centre. Check out ourwebsite for more information or to register formusic programs: www.banffcentre.ca

All photos by photographer Don Lee.

Music in the Mountains at The Banff Centre

Maria Schneiderconducting the jazzorchestra, May 2001

Hugh Fraser, trombone.

2 • Jazz Canada Bulletin Spring 2002

Jazz Canada Executive

PRESIDENTPhilip Haddad

1108-75 Riverside E.Windsor, ON N9A [email protected]

PAST-PRESIDENTGordon Foote

University of McGillMontreal, [email protected]

VICE-PRESIDENTRuss Weil

Hamilton All Star JazzBand Inc., Hamilton, [email protected]

SECRETARY/TREASURERCatherine Mitro

Humber College, LakeshoreCampusToronto, [email protected]

DIRECTOR OFCOMMUNICATIONSPaul Read

University of Toronto,Toronto, [email protected]

NEWSLETTER EDITORRoger Mantie

Springfield CollegiateWinnipeg, [email protected]

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORBernie Turcotte

1374 Milton Ave.Mississauga, ON, L5G [email protected]

CANADIAN REPRES-ENTATIVE TO IAJEBrent Campbell

Vincent Massey HighSchool, Brandon, [email protected]

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

� PHILIP HADDAD

The past two years have passed quickly forme as your President of Jazz Canada. As I nearthe end of my term I see two majordevelopments in this period that I believe willbe the high water marks in our development asan association. The first was the decision byIAJE to bring the Conference to Canada nextyear. This single act has resulted in a flurry ofactivity, which has mobilized all of the variousconstituents in the jazz world to make thisconference a huge success. For Jazz Canadathis has allowed us to take a leadership role inthe world's largest jazz gathering. We haveextended our recognition as an association torepresentatives of media, industry, education,societies, clubs and all of the various groupsand individuals that form the jazz culture ofCanada. This recognition would have takenmany years to gain the exposure andinteraction that we now enjoy through theplanning the upcoming convention.

The second major event in ourdevelopment took placeat the recent Confer-ence in Long Beach. Atthat event I wasdelighted to announcethe appointment of ourfirst Executive Directorfor our association. Thisposition was madepossible through astartup grant by IAJE.The grant will providefunding for the initialfew years, with thedirection to Jazz Canada to fund itindependently after this period. I am also veryproud of our first ED, Bernie Turcotte. Berniewas a member of our Executive and hiselevation to the ED position is well-warranted.Bernie is a retired bilingual schooladministrator with a wealth of experience in

school music. He is a knowledgeable jazzperson with a great deal of administrativeexperience in Jazz Canada and is well-suited tolead us towards financial and programmingsuccess. His goal will be to administer ourorganization and to improve fundingopportunities through increased membershipand industry participation.

The Executive has taken other steps as wellthat are a part of our development andevolution. The recent decision for theincorporation of our association has led to thediscussion of our name. The Executive hasdecided to take steps to have our associationassume the name of IAJE Canada. This changewould better identify our group as theCanadian member of IAJE and would conformto the pattern of names used by the otherinternational affiliates. We expect the JazzCanada name to possibly continue as anickname but our legal name will be changed.

The years as your President have been veryenjoyable. I hope each and every membercontinues to play a part in our growth and

success. We need you tocontinue to share theIAJE experience withyour associates and tocommunicate thewonderful opportunitiesthat exist throughmembership andparticipation. I hope youhave all reserved January8th to 11th, 2003 foryour attendance at theInternational Confer-ence in Toronto, and I

hope to see you all there. I thank all of the members of the

Association, and, especially, those who haveserved on the Executive for the past two years,for their support and assistance. Our strength isin our members, and through them we willgrow and prosper.

Jazz Canada Executive NomineesJazz Canada announces the following nominees for the Executive of Jazz Canada:

Brent Campbell - PresidentRuss Weil - Vice President

Cathy Mitro – Secretary-Treasurer

New Jazz Canada Executive Director, BernieTurcotte, enjoying the Olympics

MEMBER-AT-LARGELarry Paikin

67 Caroline St S, PH-1Hamilton, ONL8P [email protected]

Jazz Canada Bulletin • 3Spring 2002

� GORD FOOTE

Music, from orchestral literature to standard jazz, requires allperformers to be able to produce sounds with accurate timeplacement. When you have many people playing a piece of music, amajor prerequisite is that everyone is in the same place at the sametime. That seems like a fairly logical and simple concept. Thequestion is, just how exact does one have to be, and at what level doestime become clean and accurate, versus time that would beconsidered sloppy?

If students have an idea of how to visualize time, as with anythingelse, they are very likely going to execute the procedure with a higherdegree of precision.

Time is intangible. We can’t see, touch or smell it, but we cancertainly feel it in a non-tactile sense. We know when it feels right,and when it feels wrong, but we often have trouble explaining toplayers what is required when the time doesn’t feel good.

Here are a few exercises and visualizations to improve time andaccuracy:

Start a metronome where the quarter note = 100. Try clappingexactly with it. Precise execution is the goal. Try to mask the soundof the metronome. When this has been achieved, try clappingslightly ahead of the click. As you clap ahead of the beat, you don’tactually speed up, you are merely anticipating the beat by a fractionof a second. The general feeling should be one of being light andenergetic. If you start anticipating the beat more and more, it will gofrom that feeling of energy, to a feeling of being edgy and rushing.What is actually happening is a physical response to a mentalconcept. You are manipulating the time. Although the metronomehas not changed the tempo, the feel of the time has changed.

With the metronome still at 100 beats per minute, try clapping afraction of a second behind the beat. As you move further behind thebeat it goes from a feeling of slightly dragging, to a feeling of beingcompletely lethargic.

With your bass player and drummer playing together, have one ofthem act as the metronome, and the other to play slightly ahead orbehind the beat. Then reverse the roles. Each version has a slightlydifferent feel to it. If the drummer and bass player are capable ofmanipulating the time as such, they will be much more flexible whenit comes to playing together. They will also be able to hear when theyare ahead or behind, because they are able to simulate the varioussituations.

This concept also works for horn players. Try playing slightlyahead or behind the beat. Isolate and focus on the concept of timeplacement.

Another very interesting way of conceptualizing time is to havethe metronome clicking at about 72 beats per minute. Those clicksare now going to be half notes. Think of each click as beats one andthree. Now reverse it in your mind so that the clicks are beats twoand four. These clicks on beats two and four would simulate whathappens with the hi-hat. One of the results is that your brain has tobe able to manipulate the time in your head. The metronome has notchanged it is still clicking at 72 beats per minute, but the conceptfeels totally different with it on one and three, versus two and four.

Try moving the tempo up and down. As you move it down youneed more points of reference to make it easier to find the beats. In

other words, subdivide the beats into duples and triples. If you putthe metronome at its slowest setting and try clapping exactly with thebeat, odds are that it will be several beats before you hit exactly withthe click, and even longer before you can hit four clicks in a row withprecision. If you subdivide sixteenths or triplets with the metronome,you will start to be much more accurate. When tempo is faster itbecomes impossible to subdivide as much. You already have morepoints of reference because of the tempo. In fact, the faster you go,the fewer actual beats you should think. For example with quarternotes at 60, you need to subdivide (either triplets in a swing feel, orstraight eighths in latin or rock) and think all four quarters. By thetime you are at quarter note =320, you can’t possibly be thinkingsubdivisions.

When we play swing music we think two and four (what the hi-hat is doing). It also feels better clapping on two and four, rather thanone and three. When the tempo picks up, you need to switch fromthinking two and four, and go to thinking one and three. When thetempo really gets cooking, you need to think even fewer beats perbar, and go to one beat per bar. When a band is playing a medium-up to fast tempo swing tune, if everyone is thinking on two and four,it starts to feel jumpy and edgy. Try having everybody think one beatto the bar, it will probably feel much more relaxed. It makes the beatfeel much larger, and therefore it becomes easier to control. It iseasier to control one long beat as opposed to four fast ones.

Time has various layers happening at the same time. Try theroutine of tapping quarter note triplets in one hand and quarternotes with the other. Feel the 2 against 3. Concentrate on the tripletside, and then on the duple side. Feel how they mesh. Try the samewith the concept of 3 against 4.

A conceptualization for students works with the visualization on apeg-board, or a cribbage board. Each hole on the board represents aquarter note. Notice how each hole is spaced equidistant from thenext hole. The holes don’t bunch together or stretch apart, the spacebetween them is equal.

Another visualization is to think of a row of several fishing lineshanging from the ceiling. Each line has a weight on the end. Thelines are attached to the ceiling and are spaced evenly. Each linerepresents a quarter note. As you get to the next line, you get to thenext beat. The faster you move through the lines the sooner you getto the next one, therefore the tempo is faster. If you move at an evenspeed, you will get to quarter notes at exact beats. It is the concept ofmoving through the lines at a very even pace.

Have your students clap a quarter note on beat one. Try to do thisfor several bars in a row. The normal situation is that the first fewclaps are very uneven. Talk about subdividing the time into tripletsand see how the accuracy improves. Most bands anticipate notes thatare written on the beat. The most common situation is to anticipatebeat one. If you listen to your ensemble you will most likely hearuneven placement on the major beats. It becomes something of aflam effect.

Having done some research in the realm of time and swingconcept, it becomes very clear to hear the problems as they exist inyoung bands. It only stands to reason, that if a group of people can’tclap together on four quarter notes, that with the added complexitiesof playing an instrument, they won’t be capable of playing fourquarter notes together.

FEATURE

Time: One of the Fundamentals


Canadian Sister In Jazz� BECKY NOBLE

Member of the IAJE SIJ ensemble

Just what does it mean to be a “Sister in Jazz” anyway? For any ofyou women out there reading this who are studying, or have studiedjazz in school, you will be the first to know that this is not somethingthat is covered in jazz theory or history class! In all honesty, it simplydoesn’t concern nor affect the vast majority of jazzers out there.When I mailed in my audition tape in early November of last yearthere certainly was nothing remotely tangible about it, no matterhow cool the concept of a “Sisters in Jazz” group seemed. Havingbeen exposed to and immersed in thejazz tradition, for the most partsurrounded by men, I was, and stillam, well aware of the pros and consthat go along with being a “sister” (andparticularly a horn-playing sister)trying to forge forward in the jazzworld.

As for the IAJE’s CollegiateCompetition and the Sisters group, Ioriginally viewed it as a great oppor-tunity to learn and grow while playingwith some outstanding musicians, butI also took it for what it was worth:another competition. I have always hated the idea of competition inmusic, and particularly jazz, simply because of what it can entail. Mr.Steve Jones, a great man, and the finest teacher I’ve had, always feltvery strongly about the above. Yet, at the same time he alsorecognized the reality of it, and that every now and then a greatergood may be the result. That said, I have a few competitive demonswithin me, left over from years of living in the highly competitivesports sub-culture. I made it a challenge to and for myself to getsome solid tunes together, book a recording session, arrange to playwith some of the best musicians around school,and to go for it. When I received word from theIAJE head office that I had been selected for thegroup, I was shocked, excited, scared, andcurious all at the same time... I had no clue whatI was in for.

I flew down to Los Angeles ready for the29th Annual IAJE Conference on January 8thwith some sunglasses and my horn. I came backhaving experienced one of the most incredibleweeks of my musical life. I soon became knownas the “Canadian Sistah,” thanks mostly in partto my roommate (our Italian piano player) andher curiously dry wit. The rest of the grouphailed from Holland, New York, and Miami viaCuba. We spoke many different languages, yet from the very firstsession and run through of Bob Mintzer’s fiery modal rhythm tunefittingly titled, “Run for your Life,” it was evident that we definitelyplayed a common one! In just over five days I was able to hang out,rehearse, and perform with these four amazing and inspirationalmusicians, all of whom just happened to be women. The weekincluded meetings, receptions, concerts, sound checks, jam sessions,many fun evenings out on the town, and of course rehearsals eachand every day. As part of the mentoring facet, we were treated to the

stylings of a tag-team comprised of Terri-Lyne Carrington, LosAngeles-based drummer extraordinaire fresh off her tour withHerbie Hancock, and the wonderfully talented pianist, Ellen Rowe,from Michigan. We also had several women who wereattending/performing at the conference pop into the rehearsal roomnow and then to help us out, including American bassist, KristinKorb. Terri-Lyne and Ellen brought a very happening vibe to theroom, and gave us tons of musical and personal support, an extremelydiverse wealth of knowledge, and many much-needed laughs as well.Shortly after we all met, we had to very quickly get to work. First wehad to prepare a short hit for the Annual Gala dinner honouring the

legendary Quincy Jones (justin case we needed a littlemore pressure!). Next weperformed for a sold outtheater of 3000+ as theopening act for the Fridaynight concert held in honourof the NAAF Masters of Jazzrecipients: Frank Foster,Percy Heath, and McCoyTyner. Backstage followingour performance wasdefinitely one of thehighlights of the conference

as I was able to meet and talk for the first time with McCoy, perhapsmy second biggest musical influence (after Coltrane). He was full ofcompliments and encouragement that I will forever treasure andkeep close to my heart. It was quite simply a beautiful moment withan equally beautiful man and musician, who also struck me deeply asone of the most humble and gentle human beings I’ve ever met. Ourfinal concert on Saturday afternoon was also really special. We werethe feature for an hour-long set and thus were able to really “gel” asa musical unit. With a diverse program made up of some originals, a

few standards, and even a subtle hint with our“peace” suite (both Horace Silver’s ballad andOrnette Coleman’s free-esque composition),we were able to really stretch out and let loose.To have in the audience countless establishedwomen artists, many of whom I have admiredfor years - and in the case of Ingrid andChristine Jensen, and New York saxophonistVirginia Mayhew, a few I have come to know asgreat people as well - was priceless.

It was a sad moment when everythingwas played and done... when I had to saygoodbye to all the wonderful people I had met,and especially Ellen, Terri-Lyne and theSisters. They gave me more than their time

and knowledge and encouragement...they all helped me to discoveror rediscover a part of myself musically which I had been seriouslydoubting for a while. It was truly a breath of fresh air as they say. Atthe moment, I find myself waiting in anticipation for a couple ofupcoming events which will again bring us all together. In May, wewill be performing at the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival held inWashington D.C., and, for the summer, there is a possible Europeantrip in the works as well.

Ingrid and Christine Jensen with CanadianIAJE Representative, Brent Campbell, atthe IAJE Conference in Long Beach.

The Sisters in Jazz ensemble, with Becky Noble on right

...continued on page 7


� GRACE TALUSANEditor’s note: This is the second of a two-part article examining the physicalaspect of instrumental music.

The Alexander TechniqueNow, let’s look at the Alexander Technique. Although I don’t

have any experience in this perspective, from what I have read, thetwo methods are quite similar and are quite focused on therelationships of one’s self to the environment around. They bothhave a goal of tension release within the muscles. The AlexanderTechnique is a way for improving your coordination and developinggreater conscious control over everything that you do.

F.M. Alexander (1869-1955) was the founder of this technique.He was an actor who suffered from breathing difficulties andeventually lost his voice. Having unsuccessfully tried the medicaltreatments available at the time, Alexander studied by himself, over aperiod of seven years, in a three-way system of mirrors to find outwhat he was doing that caused him to lose his voice. He noticed atendency to stiffen his neck and pull his head back and down. Thishabit initiated a pattern of misdirected effort through his wholebody. He eventually developed an approach that involvedmomentarily pausing and releasing his habitual tension and then‘directing’ himself into an easier, coordinated state. By correctingthe way he used his head, neck and torso, his other faulty habits(gasping for air, tensing his arms and legs) were reduced andeventually disappeared. Alexander went on to teach, using acombination of gentle manual guidance and verbal instruction togive his students a direct experience of using their bodies in a moreco-coordinated way.

The Alexander process is made up of three interlocking skills: 1)body awareness, 2) the ability to undo excess tension and 3) the useof thought rather than muscular resolve to engender more efficientmovement. The teacher promotes these skills with a unique touchthat highlights awareness, muscular release and the body’s ability tofind its own structural balance. Children have the correct skeletalbalance. They effortlessly support a large head on a little neck; theirspines are long and their joints are flexible. Tension habits thatdevelop with age alter this natural postural support system, and theteacher’s role is to re-activate it with gentle touch, skillfulobservation and coaching.

Unlike the Feldekrais Method, Alexander Technique lessons arestrictly one-on-one lessons. Feldenkrais looks at the relationshipbetween oneself and the environment around them. The AlexanderTechnique looks at the relationship between the head and the neck,which then allows a certain relationship to the torso, which thenallows a relationship to the upper and lower limbs. This relationshipis known as primary control. Alexander teachers look at themovements and posture patterns of their students, and help themrealize which are effective and which lead to discomfort and pain.Problems arise from strenuous repetitive movements. Afterobserving the student, while playing or during other activities, theteacher shows them where they are tensing and instructs throughtouch, and with verbal instructions, guiding them through activitieslike walking, speaking or playing an instrument. An example of this

instruction would be, “Let the neck be free, to let the head goforward and up, to let the back lengthen and widen.”

The Alexander Technique And MusicPlaying music is a complex coordination of the body and mind.

You have to be sitting, standing, holding an instrument for longhours, managing breath and stress level, attuning to subtleties withinthe band, being receptive and inventive, hardworking and free.

Musicians move to perform their art, and require the most refinedand sensitive control possible in those movements. The Technique isa means to finding inner balance so that the music can floweffortlessly. Whether you are concerned with breathing, yourembouchure or your arms and your fingers, your success will bedirectly determined by your standard of coordination. Today, it istaught and used in many prestigious institutions - the JuilliardSchool, the Aspen Music Festival, and major orchestras.

A musician who practices the Alexander Technique is aware offour things at all times: Balance, Directing, Grounding andInhibition.

BalanceThe body ideally should be in constant flow and movement.

Good posture is both an upward and a downward flow. The torsoshould flow upward from the hip joints, the legs should flowdownward from the hip joints, and the shoulders should flow bywidening horizontally as they float on the ribcage, in constantexpansion and contraction through breathing. Unfortunately theseflows are often absent. For example many trombonists try to hold aparticular position that balances the trombone with the body. Oncethey decide where they think their shoulders should be in relation totheir arms and torso, they lock their shoulders and arms. None ofthis is necessary or helpful. Whether standing or sitting, thetrombonist does not need to lock a single muscle in the body. Powerand support don’t come from a held position. They come from askeleton that is constantly being rebalanced by muscles. Theskeleton supports the muscle-makeup instead of the muscles lockingto support the skeleton. It is very common to see players taking thehead to the horn instead of the other way around. If the head goesforward to meet the horn, it is no longer sitting on top of the spine.

DirectingF.M. Alexander observed that the head leads the body into

movement. When the head is properly directing the body, the wholebody is organized around a free neck and a lengthening spine. Toplay a musical instrument with instinctive, graceful, and pain-freemovement requires that the neck release and the spine lengthenimmediately before the body goes into movement. However, manypeople habitually tighten their muscles before they move. Whenthey tighten in anticipation of doing something, they lock up theirmusculature because they assume that this will help them do theactivity more precisely. But the body is considerably more accurateand comfortable in performance when there is no tensing beforeinitiating movement. Most of the pain and exhaustion in playing

FEATURE

The Musicians Need for Awareness



comes from the body compensating for poor posture, rather thanfrom the activity itself. For example, some music teachers, in theirefforts to get their points across to their students, tense their backsand necks. By the end of the lesson they are either overarching orslumping to relieve the tension of poor posture.Grounding

Grounding means allowing the hips to be fully on the chair andthe feet to be fully on the floor. The tendency to stiffen the back andneck previously mentioned prevents the pelvis from resting easily onthe chair. Any tightening of the thighs and drawing of legs back intothe torso pulls the feet off the ground. The feet may appear to be onthe ground, but the tension keeps them from being in full and easycontact with the floor.

When playing a musical instrument, a great deal of emphasis isusually placed on developing arm technique and the legs are oftenignored. The sense of connection to the floor or the chair is thenlost. By allowing the legs, the pelvis, and body to fully support thetorso, the act of consciously grounding keeps a musician fromstraining the back. This sense of grounding flows up the torso intothe arms, neck and shoulders and gives a greater sense of freedom inthe upper body. This allows the student to be more expressive withless effort.

InhibitionInhibition in the Alexander Technique is a very different concept

than the negative one popularized in psychology. It is used byAlexander teachers to describe the process of observation as youmove. They stop you in order to point out any inefficient movement

patterns, and then using touch to prescribe movements that have aminimum of tension and a maximum of balance and ease.

When an Alexander teacher applies the process of inhibition tosomeone standing to play an instrument, the teacher makes thestudent aware of any tendency to lock the knees as the instrument isbrought into playing position. The teacher then might say, “I wantyou to bring the instrument into position as you release the holdingin your neck and as you unlock your knees. Continue to free yourneck and knees as you begin to play.” The teacher can also use theirhands to guide the student through the process. The idea is to inhibitany tendency to lock or set the body in anticipation of performing.

Alexander Technique and Singing: Becoming more open Many people do not open their mouths to sing. They open their

heads - by tightening the muscles around the base of the skull, liftingthe nose in the air and keeping the jaw fixed. This causes excesspressure to bear down on the larynx, ribs and diaphragm and leads tovocal strain. By releasing the muscles that suspend your jaw you canopen your mouth more easily. Look in a mirror, preferably the three-way sort, like an old dressing table mirror. Let your lips be softlytogether. Think of releasing your jaw muscles, from your templesalong the old-fashioned sideburns area. Without tipping your noseeither up or down, let your lower set of teeth drop away from yourupper set. Open your lips and vocalize an ‘aahh’ (Taken from thewww.ATI-net.com - SOME TALK ON ALEXANDER, by AlanMars, 1995)

ConclusionThe Feldenkrais method and the Alexander Technique can’t be

JazzThe Hugh Fraser Jazz OrchestraMay 11 – 18, 2002Featuring Maria Schneider and Hugh Fraser

Banff International Jazz WorkshopMay 20 – June 8, 2002Featuring artist-in-residence, Kenny Werner, with Dave Douglas, Jim Black, Django Bates, Chris Potter, Ari Hoenig, and others.

Applications still being accepted for bass & drums.

THE BANFF CENTRE

The Banff Centre, Office of the Registrar PHONE 1.800.565.9989EMAIL [email protected] WEB SITE www.banffcentre.ca/arts

The Musician’s Need for Awareness, continued from page 5


summed up in a mere two-part article. I have only outlined thefundamentals of them and have hopefully provided some goodexamples. Feldenkrais and The Alexander Technique can’t bemastered from a book or an essay. They have to be studied andpracticed, just like music. If you start doing them the wrongway, bad habits will develop. Both methods insist on usingreasoning rather than what feels “right.” Editors note: The bibliography for this article will appear in the nextissue of The Bulletin

Brass & Woodwinds

Sheet Music

Percussion

Guitars

Amps

Drum Sets

P.A. Systems

Keyboards

Pianos

Accessories

Rentals

Leasing

On-site Repair Facilities

Everything for your musical needs...

Winnipeg Regina Saskatoon

Ottawa

TorontoEdmontonCalgary

517 10th Avenue S.W

Phone: (403) 265 6300

1 800 663 3304

14214 Stony Plain Road

Phone: (780) 452 4810

1 800 267 5060

2208 Victoria Avenue E

Phone: (306) 757 7272

1 800 267 2444

640 Broadway Avenue

Phone: (306) 242 6292

1 800 622 2131

1330 Portage Avenue

Phone: (204) 783 8899

1 800 515 5646

1771 Carling Avenue

Phone: (613) 722 1021

1650 Avenue Road

Phone: (416) 785 5000

1 800 387 8575

www.stjohnsmusic.com

CDN Sister in Jazz article, continued from page 4

On Sunday, when everyone had left or was leaving, I, onaccount of a late night flight out of LAX, was able to hang outand spent the day in the hot, southern California sun,chartering the beautiful coastal waters. I was able to relax andreflect upon what had transpired during the past week. I cameaway with dozens of great contacts, and shared my music withan outstanding (however intimidating) contingent of jazzgreats, including the likes of Nancy Wilson, Dave Brubeck,Quincy Jones, McCoy Tyner, and Jon Faddis, to name a few.More significant, though, and as a partial answer to my questionat the beginning of this, I also saw something a little deeper. Isaw in Long Beach, for the first time, a definite community oftop-notch jazz musicians who were also unified, strong women.Growing up I had always known, or at least thought, they wereout there, but until my experience at Long Beach I had neverbeen exposed to it. To interact with so many of thesecourageous women, to hear their stories and to share mine, wasreally the “sisters in jazz” concept, as it were, in action. Thegenuine passion for this music, and the refusal to allow barriers(whatever size, shape, or gender they may come in) to get in theway is what really keeps this alive... keeps it real: nothing more,nothing less.

� JANICE FINLAY AND ANGELA MANTIE

This March will see the finals for the inaugural Young Womenof Note Jazz Competition, open to females up to age 19 who havenot yet graduated from high school. Based on the IAJE “Sisters inJazz” Collegiate Competition, the Young Women of Note Comp-etition focuses on promoting young Manitoba female jazz students.It is hoped that similar competitions will take place in otherprovinces in coming years.

Early in March, adjudicators chose three finalists from a fieldof taped submissions. Final round judges will name a winnerwho will be featured with the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra and atthe Jazz Winnipeg Festival. All entrants in this year’scompetition receive an Aebersold CD/Book set plus JazzWinnipeg Festival tickets. Finalists receive additional prizesfrom Jamey Aebersold, local music stores, as well as Universityof Manitoba jazz camp scholarships. Congratulations to CorahEnns (alto sax – Springfield Collegiate), Amy Rempel (piano –Murdoch Mackay) and Jessica Strong (vocals – GlenlawnCollegiate).

Thanks to IAJE Sisters in Jazz and Jazz Canada for theirsupport.

Young Women of Note


University of TorontoNewsPaul Read, Director of Jazz StudiesUniversity of Toronto

In brief…in September there was abenefit performance at the MontrealBistro spearheaded by U of T alumnus,Russ Little. Proceeds have gone to theestablishment of the Moe KoffmanScholarship at U of T...The University ofToronto Jazz Orchestra released a newdouble CD in November called “Off theCuff.” The title track and five others werecomposed by last year’s Smith Visitor,the great pianist/composer/arranger,Jim McNeely. The new disk also includeswork by Winnipeg native, Paul Ashwell,and Ottawa-born brothers Gordon andMichael Webster among others. GeoffChapman, critic at the Toronto Starwrote: “This double CD is a real ear-opener for those unaware of the stellarstandards met by students in theUniversity of Toronto Jazz program, nowentering its second decade.”.The CD isavailable at www.jazzpromo.com … In2001-2002, we had visits andperformances from Kenny Wheeler (withBrian Dickinson), Eddie Higgins, KennyWerner, Scott Robinson, RichardBoukas, Yoon Choi, Jacob Saks as wellas a special seminar by Marshall Chasin(Prevention of Hearing Loss for

Musicians). Gary Williamson alsoprovided a wonderful faculty artistconcert in January….we owe thanks tofaculty members Kirk MacDonald andChase Sanborn for their help inorganizing these events... a greatnumber of U of T faculty won NationalJazz Awards this year, including BarryElmes, Kevin Turcotte, Mike Murley, PhilNimmons and Dave Young….ourcongratulations to them!…A quintet fromU of T performed at the final Saturdaynight concert at the IAJE conference inLong Beach in January. The members ofthe U of T Jazz Quintet are (left to right)Brent Jarvis (piano), David Sikula (guitar),Ernesto Cervini (drums), Jon Maharaj(bass) and Rob Mosher (saxophone). Ijust noticed that the picture is alsogeographically correct. From west toeast...Brent and Dave are fromVancouver, BC, Ernesto and Jon fromMississauga, ON and Rob is fromOttawa, ON.

They were joined for the performancein Long Beach by faculty member, KevinTurcotte….funding for the trip wasprovided by the Associates of theUniversity of Toronto.

So it has been a busy year and all thisactivity takes, among other things,financial support…don’t we all know it!…I would like to mention the greatassistance our program continues toreceive from Long & McQuade MusicalInstruments. This past year we receivedadditional support from TD MelocheMonnex, the University of Toronto AlumniAssociation, the Associates of theUniversity of Toronto, and the Ken PageMemorial Trust along with the DowntownToronto Jazz Festival. These sponsorsare providing invaluable assistance to ourstudents.

St FX NewsBy Paul Tynan, Assistant Professor

New things are brewing at St. FrancisXavier University, the first degree-offeringjazz studies program in Canada. Our firstnew offering is a summer camp programcalled SoundFX. (Dates August 11-17)Justin Time recording ensemble, theMaritime Jazz Orchestra will be inresidence featuring some of Canada’sfinest jazz musicians. Sound FXincludes a Rhythm Section StudiesInstitute, which will featureinstruction by Skip Beckwith-Bass,and Canada Council’s Jazz IDwinners David Braid-Piano and TomDaniels-guitar. Ensembles offeredwill include Vocal Jazz Ensemble,Big Band and Combos.

Another important change atSt. FX is the new curriculum format.A B.A. in Music, B.Mus. in JazzStudies, a two-year Diploma in JazzStudies, and a Graduate Diploma willbe offered. These will be coupled with

new offerings in Business of Music,Celtic Music, Music Technology, Historyof Popular Music and a new system inthe improvisation track. Theimprovisation track now includes apairing of two parts in theoretical andhistorical techniques titled, Jazz Studiesand Literature, which is a four yearprogram. St FX is now offering voice

instruction in jazz and contemporarymusic including private instruction andsmall and large vocal ensembles.

Paul Tynan is an Assistant Professorat St. Francis Xavier University and anEdwards trumpet artist/clinician. He canbe reached by email at: [email protected]

Summer Jazz at MountRoyal Collegehttp://www.mtroyal.ab.ca/conservatory/sum_jazz.htm

August 27-31, 2002: Summer JazzWorkshop

Focusing on improvisation andperformance skills, this intensiveworkshop is designed to enhance theunderstanding and appreciation of jazzstyles, practices and history. Theworkshop is geared to jazz students ofpiano, bass, guitar, voice, drums,trombone, trumpet and saxophone, aged13 and older.

INSTITUTIONAL UPDATE


Manitoba� JANICE FINLAY

March is always a great month for Jazz Education in Manitoba! The month begins with the Optimist Jazz Festival, a competitive

three-day festival featuring performances and post-performanceworkshops for all entrants. Bands that receive a gold rating are invited

to attend MusicFest in 2002 and 2003.In mid-March, Brandon University hosts the

Brandon Jazz Festival, an educational, non-competitive festival offering numerous clinics,concerts and, of course, a chance for entrants toperform and receive adjudication and postperformance workshops by request. BrentCampbell coordinates the Festival. This yearthere were over 160 vocal and instrumental jazzgroups registered. Concert headliners were the

John McNeil Quartet from New York, the Jake Langley B3 Trio fromToronto and the Take Note Vocal Jazz Choir from Red Deer, Alberta.Students leave this festival excited about jazz!!

Another great piece of news is that Bob Brookmeyer has beenconfirmed as a distinguished visiting professor for the 2002-03 year atBrandon University. Greg Gatien and Dr. Wayne Bowman of BrandonUniversity are very excited at the opportunities this will present forboth students at the university and the Manitoba Jazz community.

Preparations are well underway for this year’s Manitoba HonourJazz Bands (senior and junior), organized through the efforts ofRichard Gillis and the University of Manitoba’s Preparatory Division.The two bands are auditioned in late May, and perform with specialguest artists as part of the Jazz Winnipeg Festival in June.

The Red River Exhibition will once again host its Jazz at the Exseries where local school bands are invited to perform on acommunity stage with full technical support during the last week ofJune, as the Ex occurs.

In other jazz news, the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra continues topresent its annual concert series. Trombonist/pianist/composer HughFraser was featured during the March concert, and Guido Basso willappear at the season finale on April 24th.

The Ron Paley Big Band performed with legendary jazz drummerLouie Bellson in February as part of the Asper Jazz series, which alsopresents Carol Welsman, Bud Shank and Clark Terry at concertsremaining in its series for this year.

Winnipeg-based band, The Swing Cats, is pleased to report thatthe group was chosen from an international field of 2000 applicantsto showcase at this year’s NEMO music conference in Boston thisApril. This event will provide the opportunity for the band to meetwith and perform for 1500 – 2000 conference registrants from allareas of the industry.

Finally, this writer has just recorded a feature CD that includesbassist Mike Downes (Toronto), pianist/trombonist Hugh Fraser(Victoria), trumpet player Mike Herriott (Victoria), and local Winnipegmusicians, Kelly Marques (drums) and Ron Halldorson (guitar). LarryRoy will produce the CD, which will feature mainly originalcompositions. A release date has not been determined at this time.

Saskatchewan� BRENT GHIGLIONE

August 4-10, 2002 are the dates for this year’s Saskatchewan JazzCamp, open to all students from grade 8 - 12. It will be hosted at

Campbell Collegiate and will have a great staff tooffer students experiences in big band, combos,improvisation, theory, sectionals, private lessons,guided listening, concerts and social activities.

Staff that have been confirmed to date includeGordon Foote, Paul Read, Andre White, PatBeliveau, Chase Sanborn, Rob Somerville, KristinKorb, Nick Fanner, Greg McLean, NadineGhiglione, Jon McCaslin, Mike Rud, Shawn Probeand Jenn Treble.

This camp has been part of a provincialorganization for the past eight years but will now be coordinated byBrent Ghiglione, with sponsorship to come from businesses withinthe province, Yamaha Canada, Boosey and Hawkes, and St. John’sMusic. I look forward to offering students the best experiencepossible in the jazz idiom. It is an exciting but scary venture to takeover the total financial burden of camp, but it needs to be done toensure its emphasis on the students.

Nova Scotia� DAVE STAPLES

With March Break come and gone, news of summer music campsand student programs is in the air. Nova Scotia presently has twowell-developed summer jazz education opportunities. Acadia

University in Wolfville runs an annual jazzcamp (July 7-13) for junior and senior highschool students with an extensive offering ofjunior, intermediate and senior levelinstrumental and vocal performingensembles. Again this year, the Los Primosproject and Acadia Summer Music Campswill bring young Cuban musicians from theAmadeo Roldan Conservatory in Havana tothe camp for an exchange of cultural and

musical ideas. Headed by Jeff Goodspeed, the project will also see theformation of a new Big Band program at the Havana Conservatory inApril with two Nova Scotian educators, Paul Barrett and DorisMason, as lecturers and guest directors.

Dalhousie University in Halifax will host the the 5th annualCreative Music Workshop, a program created by JazzEast and run for2 weeks (July 1-13) during the Atlantic Jazz Festival. Headed byGerry Granelli, Don Palmer and Skip Beckwith, the camp focuses onimprovisational and creative concepts with high school and universityage participants, and culminates in a performance on the main stageof the festival as a closing concert. This year’s guest faculty includeDavid Mott, J. Anthony Granelli and Jay Clayton.

REGIONAL NEWS


Jazz CanadaWebsite Update� PAUL READJazz Canada Director of Communications

If you haven’t visited our website lately,consider this an open invitation to drop byand check out www.jazzcanada.org. Thesite is doing well with plenty of ‘hits’every week. It is constantly beingrevamped with new content so it is hopedthat you’ll check back often.

When you first arrive at the site youwill see that the splash page (the first pagethat comes up) contains a picture of thelate, great Edmonton trombonist andteacher, Bob Stroup, who was profiled inthe last issue of the Bulletin. We wouldlike to have a number of different splashpages in rotation which honour Canadianmusicians and educators. If you have asuggestion, please send an email (justclick on the links in the website).

One very useful feature of the site isan ever-expanding page full of links (clickon the button on the home page that says“Links”) to other sites – all with Canadiancontent. Here are the categories (thereare many, many links within each):• Streamed Jazz Radio Broadcasts • Jazz Camps and Summer Programs • Post-Secondary School Jazz Programs

and Other Educational Resources • Jazz History • Jazz Festivals • Jazz Montreal - A Site Devoted to Jazz in Montreal • Music Associations and Societies • Canadian Jazz Artists Pages • Miscellaneous Sites • Record Labels

If you’d like your site linked, please send an email (you can do so from theLinks Page).

You can also download back issues of the Bulletin (all are available) andScholarship Application Forms. We plan to add more and more educationalresources to help Canadian music educators stay in touch with each other andto share ideas.



Jazz Canada ScholarshipsThe Club Riverside Scholarship winner

for 2001 is Adam Coolsaet from Hamilton,Ontario. Adam studied drums with KevinDempsey and Nelson Toews and piano withRob Fekete. He received his BilingualCertificate from the French ImmersionProgram at Westdale High School beforemoving to Westmount for his last two yearsof high school. There he had an opportunityto perform with their award winning Jazz“A1” Big Band. While at Westmount, hebecame an accomplished vibe player as well.Outside of school, Adam performed withthe Dave Story Latin Jazz Project, the DaveLevy Trio and his own group, the CoolsaetFive. Adam was also a member of the renowned Hamilton All Star Jazz Band in 2000-2001.Previous awards include two IAJE citations for outstanding musicianship at the Tri-C Jazzfest inCleveland, Ohio in ’98 and ’99. Adam is continuing his studies in drums and percussion in the jazzperformance program at McGill University in Montreal. For more information on IAJE jazzscholarships, visit jazzcanada.org

SCHOLARSHIPS

Adam Coolsaet

Jazz Canada BulletinEditorial DeadlinesFALL: September 15

SPRING: March 15

AdvertisingPatron members receive a free,

b&w 1/2 page ad in every issue.Associate members receive a free,b&w 1/8 page ad in every issue.Members (any category) receive adiscount of 25% off of the regularadvertising rates.

Rates for advertising per issue are:full page (7.5" X 10")

$80half page (7.5" X 5")

$50quarter page (3.75" X 5")

$30business card (2" X 3.5")

$20


An exciting new summer camp is being offered this year throughSaint Francis Xavier University in Antigonish from August 11-17. CalledSoundFX, the camp will feature the Maritime Jazz Orchestra (JustinTime Records) in residence and promises to include some of Canada’sfinest jazz musicians. As well, the camp will feature a Rhythm SectionStudies Institute with instruction from Skip Beckwith (bass), David Braid(piano) and Tom Daniels (guitar). The camp is under the direction of St.FX faculty members Greg Carter, Gene Smith and Paul Tynan.Ensembles offered will include Vocal Jazz Ensemble, Big Band andCombos.

For more information on all of these Nova Scotia summer jazzeducation offerings, please contact Dave Staples [email protected]

Alberta NewsJAZZ FESTIVAL – Calgary international Music Festival

overtakes Calgary, Alberta June 14 to June 23, 2002. Now in its 5thyear, JAZZ FESTIVAL – Calgary presents the best in local, regional,national and international talent. This year’s headliners include theJames Carter Trio, Jane Bunnett, Maraca, The Antibalas AfrobeatOrchestra and Los Hombres Calientes. The complete list ofperformers will be released on May 1, 2002. Tickets for allperformances will be available through Ticketmaster.

Please check our web-site: www.jazzfestivalcalgary.ca on or afterMay 1 for complete information. All other inquiries, please write:[email protected]

JAZZ CITY international Music Festival overtakes Edmonton,Alberta June 20 to June 30, 2002. Now in its 23rd year, JAZZ CITYpresents the best in local, regional, national and international talent.This year’s headliners include the legendary Dave Brubeck, the JamesCarter Trio, Jane Bunnett, Maraca, Kenny Werner Trio and LosHombres Calientes.

Please check our web-site: www.jazzcity.ca on or after May 1 forcomplete information. Any other inquiries, please write:[email protected]

Regional News, continued from page 9

the newsletter of jazz canada volume 6 …jill/jazz canada bulletin spring 02.pdf · the newsletter...

Documents