The Swing and Show Choir and Vocal Jazz Ensemble Handbook

1975 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 90-90
Author(s):  
Gary D. Funk
Keyword(s):  
Vocal Jazz ◽  
Jazz Ensemble ◽  
Show Choir

Jazz Composition

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Purchase
Keyword(s):  
Instrumental Performance ◽  
Jazz Composition ◽  
Vocal Jazz ◽  
Jazz Ensemble ◽  
Solo Piano ◽  
Music Department ◽  
Creative Music ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Music Community ◽  
Jazz Performance

Music composition is an art of courage and thoroughness. After nearly four years of playing jazz with Queen’s music professor Greg Runions (winner of the 2006-07 Queens Music Department Teaching Award) and studying music theory and analysis, I have recently delved into the fascinating art of writing original music in the broadly defined jazz idiom. The opportunity to give something back to the creative music community has been both humbling and inspiring. Through Prof. Runions impressive experience as a prolific local composer, I have learned about the challenges of connecting melodic ideas with music harmony that both pleases and challenges the listener. In two semesters of study, we have explored jazz arranging for a variety of instrument groups, the complex art of chord extensions and modulation, and writing melodies over chord progressions that are memorable and enjoyable. I have produced a dozen songs in lead sheet format, similar to the way music is found in jazz performance fake books. Some of these pieces have been fleshed out to cover a wide range of instrumental performance, including solo piano, jazz combo, vocal jazz ensemble, and full jazz ensemble. I plan to continue this process throughout my life as new inspiration and musical situations arise, seeking to grasp the expressivity and enjoyment that music instills in us all.

scholarly journals God et al.— World-Making as Collaborative Improvisation: New Metaphors for Open Theists

2021 ◽  
pp. 311-337
Author(s):  
Mark Steen
Keyword(s):  
Classical Music ◽  
Coarse Grained ◽  
Jazz Ensemble ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Collaborative Improvisation

AbstractThe Abrahamic traditions regard God as the world’s author. But what kind of author? A novelist? A playwright? Perhaps a composer of classical music? I will argue that it is best to regard God as like an improvisational play director or the leader of a jazz ensemble. Each determines the broad melodic contours or coarse-grained plot beforehand, while allowing their musicians or actors, and chance, to fill in the more fine-grained details. This analogy allows us to regard God as the ultimate author of this world, while allowing us to be, while less than co-authors, more than mere enactors of a pre-written piece. These metaphors are particularly well-suited to illustrate and flesh out an Open Theistic view of things.

The Jazz Ensemble

2017 ◽  
pp. 161-181
Author(s):  
Richard J. Colwell ◽  
Michael P. Hewitt ◽  
Mark Fonder
Keyword(s):  
Jazz Ensemble

High School Woodwinds and Brass

2019 ◽  
pp. 103-112
Author(s):  
Andrew Goodrich
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Teaching Strategies ◽  
Listening Skills ◽  
School Students ◽  
Jazz Ensemble

When rehearsing the high school jazz ensemble, it is important to guide high school students toward becoming musicians who can make independent musical decisions. Doing so will ultimately make the jazz ensemble experience more enjoyable for both the students and the director. This chapter provides the jazz ensemble director with musical exercises, teaching strategies, and a discussion of the roles of each section within the jazz ensemble. The musical exercises and teaching strategies will assist directors with enhancing the listening skills of their students. Exercises include how to teach, improve, and maintain intonation, groove, balance, blend, and articulations. Strategies include teaching students to understand how to listen to themselves, within their respective sections, and to other sections in the ensemble—including how to interact with and connect to the rhythm section.

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