I sincerely hope everyone is doing well and that your goals for the semester becoming a reality. I am excited to announce a fantastic lineup of jazz-related clinics that will be presented at the Winter Conference this January.

A jazz reading session featuring the 8 O’clock Daddios band from DeAnza College, directed by Steve Tyler, is the one of the highlights of this year’s jazz clinics at the Conference. This professional-level ensemble will be reading new publications for middle school and high school jazz ensembles graciously provided by Pepper Music of San Francisco. This is an excellent way to hear top-notch performances of some new charts you may be interested in performing with your own ensembles.

Paul Tynan, Associate Professor of Jazz Trumpet at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada, will be presenting a clinic on developing a jazz eighth-note time concept. This clinic will be helpful for all jazz improvisers and will give educators an excellent model by which they can help their students improve this facet of their playing. Feel free to bring your instrument – there will be a live rhythm section and you will be able to try out some of Prof. Tynan’s suggestions! You can learn more about Paul Tynan at:
http://people.stfx.ca/ptynan.

Bob Athayde, band director at Stanley Middle School in Lafayette, CA, and the director of the Lafayette Summer Music Workshop will be presenting a clinic on rehearsal techniques, pedagogy, and resources for young jazz ensembles. This clinic is a must for every director seeking to improve his/her middle school or early high school jazz ensemble sound, time feel, concept, and overall effectiveness. You can find out more about Bob Athayde at http://stanleymusic.org/people/faculty/bob-athayde.

I will be presenting a clinic on the applications of modal improvisation. Modal improvisation, or improvisation based on only a few scales, is a great way to introduce young jazz musicians to the art of improvisation. Many young improvisers can be intimidated by non-stop series of chord changes, and modal improvisation offers an alternative that allows young players to focus on accurate note choices in a melodic framework.

In closing, I would like to encourage you all to consider taking some of your students to live jazz concerts for a music-related field trip. The Bay Area is loaded with world-class jazz clubs, such as Yoshi’s in Oakland and Kuumbwa in Santa Cruz. These clubs book some of the best international, national, and regional talent and can provide a great boost in excitement for your jazz students.
Take care and drop me a line sometime! Best wishes for continued success this semester!