Welcome to.....
the official web
site for the Michigan
Association for Jazz Education. We head into summer and take
a break from the busy academic calendar year. The seasonal break
provides a
recharged promotional opportunity to reach out to students, jazz
educators and jazz festival performances. Our community and regional jazz
education network thrives on connecting students, educators, programs,
and supporters of every kind throughout the
Great Lakes area. Send us an e-mail and tell us what's happening
in your jazz neighborhood.
HONORING DANNY JORDAN
Danny Jordan
(1945-2009)

We cherish our dear friend, jazz
colleague and past MIAJE president Danny Jordan, who passed Wednesday,
May 27, 2009, from leukemia,
age 64. Visit this special tribute page
and make a donation in his honor.
SUMMER JAZZ CAMPS
This time of year music students
get to answer the welcome leading question....which June jazz camp am I
thirsting to check out?
Summer means jazz camp season, a time
reuniting
aspiring music student and renowned educator-clinician. Students
head head westbound and arrive at one of two respected music schools in
West
Michigan. Jazz camps there guarantee a inspiring, educational
challenge. The ultimate payoff translates into improving poise,
technique and performance. Each camp's enjoyment factor rides
high,
chiefly
from the established faculty expertise and exposure to leading
music educators, many whom have professional careers of their
own. Focused classroom study
consistently pushes the improvisational envelope. Here's a
briefing on
each camp. See you there!
Aquinas College Jazz
Camp
June 14-19, 2009
Aquinas College
Grand Rapids, MI

Director:
Paul S. Brewer
Director of Instrumental Music
Ph: (616) 632-2416
e-mail: brewepau -at- aquinas.edu
Site:
http://www.aquinas.edu/music/jazz_camp.html
Registration Form: http://www.aquinas.edu/music/pdf/jazzcamp09.pdf
Instructors:
Dr. Paul Brewer - Trombone & Voice
Mike Hyde - Electric & Acoustic Guitar
Matt Brewer - Electric & Acoustic Bass
Bob Nixon - Alto Saxophone & Big Band
Ila Cantor - Electric & Acoustic Guitar
Jason Palmer - Trumpets
Dr. Kurt Ellenberger - Piano, Keyboards &
Composition
Tom Lockwood - Tenor Saxophone & Bass
Tim Froncek - Drumset & Percussion
2009 Keith Hall Summer Drum
Intensive
Sunday thru Friday, June 14-19,
2009
Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo
The 2009 Keith Hall Summer Drum
Intensive is open to middle and high school students as well as
adults. Scholarships
are available. The drum intensive offers study in jazz rhythm
section
concepts; drum set choir; master classes; transcription; listening and
analysis; private lessons; and evening jam sessions.
Final concerts take place at the Union
Grill in downtown Kalamazoo, Thursday
and Friday, June 18 & 19, 8 p.m.
Tuition: $400; room and board: $325.
A non-refundable $50 deposit is due by April 15, 2009.
For more information: ph (201) 406-5059 -or-
e-mail: keith -at- keithhallmusic.com

Top
Steve Zegree
Vocal Jazz Camp
June 21-26, 2009
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, MI

Artistic Director: Dr.Stephen
Zegree
Bobby McFerrin
Professor of Jazz
School of Music
Director of Gold Company and Vocal Jazz
Ph: (269) 387-4689
e-mail: zegree -at- wmich.edu
Site: http://www.wmich.edu/goldcompany/camp/index.html
Clinicians / Staff:
Dr. Steve Zegree, Artistic Director
Michael Wheaton, Executive Director
Duane Shields Davis, Dean
Dr. James Bass
Jeremy Fox
Michelle Mailhot (Toxic Audio)
Peter Eldridge (New York Voices)
Steve Zegree says,
"I would like to invite all of my colleagues (be they teachers or
students) to consider attending our vocal jazz camp June 21-26 at
Western Michigan University. We have assembled an excellent
staff, and you should consider attending the camp if you:
1)
are a
teacher who has always wanted to learn more about vocal
jazz style,
rehearsal techniques and conducting a vocal jazz
ensemble.
2) would like
to know more about how we have created the Gold Company
Program
at Western Michigan University
3) are a high
school or college student who would like to gain
more experience
singing group vocal and solo jazz literature
4) are a
rhythm section player
5) would like
to work hard and have some fun making music with a
terrific group of
people from throughout the country.
Please visit our Web site for more details about the camp. I look
forward to hosting you on our campus. We still have some openings
for the 2009 camp!"
2009 DETROIT JAZZFEST UPDATE
30th Anniversary of the Detroit International
Jazz Festival
Festival organizers
are excited to present the 30th Detroit
International Jazz Festival (DJF) in Hart Plaza, September 4-7,
2009. Bassist, composer,
and arranger John Clayton
will be DJF Artist-in-Residence and is slated to perform with various
headliners through the weekend. Honoring family dynasties and the
legacy of Detroit jazz, this year's theme is titled "Keepin Up with the
Joneses", featuring pianist Hank Jones and in tribute to brothers Elvin
and Thad. The largest free jazz festival in North America boasts
a multitude of musicians, clinicians, bands, Saturday fireworks on the
waterfront, a jazz cruise, and the history-laden jazz talk tent.
Jazz education bands and specially invited college and high school
bands will also share the spotlight.
See the News page for complete festival
details and information.
WEST MICHIGAN JAZZ
Summer
Jazz Happenings
The performance
calendar heats up on our West coast, so it's time to see and hear some
swinging musicians hailed for their infectious grooves....from St.
Joseph to Kalamazoo to Grand Rapids and beyond......click here.
***************************************************************************
See the Events page for more listings of concerts,
performances.
Upper
and lower Michigan jazz education performances and special events
are
linked through the individual college or university profiled
on our Education page.
*********************************
TEACHER'S CORNER
The Jazz Big
Band: Ingredients to Assure Good Ensemble
Presenter:
Scott Cowan, Western Michigan University
Review
a 3-part music education primer by WMU jazz master educator-trumpeter
Scott Cowan, a series of articles which originally appeared in the International Trumpet Guild Journal quarterly
magazine. Cowan gives an insightful look at the top 10 essential
elements he says enable a solid foundation for achieving high returns
in big band performance and music awareness benefitting students within
a large ensemble framework. Must reading for jazz
students, educators, and all others
seeking a greater understanding of the dynamics at play, big band
format at work.
Download
PDF
55KB
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