Improvisation
The Jazz and Improvisation class will include not only jazz, but also a wide range of alternative styles and skill sets.
There will be high emphasis on learning tunes by ear without the use of sheet music.
In addition to learning the tunes, Brad will address the importance of style and the differences in "groove" among the different genres.
Basic improvisation skills will also be part of the class.
These skills are not only fun, but necessary as career building components of today's young musicians.
Brad PHILLIPS, is a recent graduate of the University of Michigan. His musicianship spans a vast range of styles, from bluegrass, Celtic, jazz, swing, R&B, new grass and old-timer fiddle. In 2001 and 2003, he won the Michigan Old Time Fiddle contest, and was a finalist in the first ever ASTA Alternative Styles national competition. Appearing on numerous recordings, including the quadruple Grammy-award winning "Song of Innocence and Experience" by William Bolcom, Brad is quickly becoming a sought-after studio fiddler and mandolinist. He has taught for 4 years at the world-renowned Mark O'Connor Fiddle Camps and taught folk fiddling and improvisation at the IMAP in 2006. With the critical acclaimed band MILLISH (www.myspace.com/millish), Brad has toured Germany and all over the U.S. playing some of the country's most prestigious Irish music venues including the Kansas City Irish Festival, Pittsburgh Irish Festival and the Chicago Celtic Festival. Last summer, Millish played to more than 10,000 fans at the Four Corners Folk Festival in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of the Western United States. The band's first album won two International Acoustic Music Awards prior to its release in 2005. Brad is also known for his talent in composition and arranging with several pieces performed by musical groups across the U.S., including orchestras at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. |
Improvisation Course is free for all students.