In 2016 JMI will be hosting a 4 day Summer Jazz Clinic from the 18th to the 21st January. Open to a wide age group and a range of ability levels, this short course in jazz improvisation is an intensive injection of fun and knowledge where students have the chance to learn from and play with some of the best jazz musicians and educators in Australia. Clinicians include Brendan Clarke (Sydney), Ben Hauptman (Sydney), Dan Quigley, Sharny Russell, Dave Sanders, Paula Girvan and James Sandon.As clinician and 2010 Freedman Jazz Fellowship winner and acclaimed Sydney guitarist Ben Hauptmann says “The JMI short courses allowthe student to focus, without distraction, on their musicianship and development in the art of playing improvised music. Students can expect to walk out after four days with a clear understanding of their musical abilities and a desire to develop them further”.
The final day of the clinic will include a performance at Jazz Music Institute’s New York style live jazz venue JMI Live, which family and friends are invited to attend.
JMI have been running workshops, clinics and courses in Australia for over 35 years and in that time they have brought
some of the world’s finest jazz musicians to Australia. From members of the Jazz at the Lincoln Centre Orchestra in New York to the world renowned jazz educator Jamey Aebersold, to musicians such as Joe Henderson and Freddie Hubbard, JMI have a history of providing Australian jazz musicians with opportunities to learn about jazz and improvisation “from the source”.
The Summer Jazz Clinic in January is a short course in jazz improvisation
that is suited to any musician who is able to play their instrument well enough to play all the notes within a decent range without any trouble. From beginner students who have never played a note of jazz in their life to more intermediate players who have been playing their instrument for a few years
and want to improve their musicianship to more advanced students who have studied jazz before and want to get some more information, tips and tricks, the clinics are designed to cater for all levels.
“The aim of the clinics is to offer quality jazz education to a vast range of people in a fun and friendly environment that’s supportive to everyone.
It’s about exposing as many people as possible to the joys of performing jazz and improvising and sharing knowledge.” Nick Quigley (Jazz Music Institute) says. The environment is fun and friendly and the groups are based on similar age and ability levels so everyone gets the maximum benefit from the clinic. “You get to meet a lot of different people and see a rapid improvement in people’s musicianship in a really short space of time… People network and form new musical friendships that continue beyond the four-day clinic” says Nick.
From students preparing to study music at a tertiary level, to high school students looking for some extra musical activities, to those older adult students who have picked up an instrument as a fun hobby and wish to learn a bit about improvising, the Summer Jazz Clinic has something for everyone. Standard jazz instruments such as saxophone, trumpet, trombone, drums, bass and guitar are the norm but the clinics are not restricted to just the norm. In fact, Nick Quigley says “Last year a participant did the clinic on a ‘cimbalom’ which is some eastern European stringed instrument. That was pretty unusual”.
When: 18th–21st January
Where: JMI (Jazz Music Institute) – 1/47 Brookes St, Bowen Hills
Cost: $400 for 4 days
For more information and registration form visit the website or call (07) 3216 1110.
