Faculty

Beginning Piano I

This entry-level course for absolute beginners serves to guide students through a comprehensive, gradually paced introduction to the piano focusing on technique and reading. Concurrent enrollment in Beginning Music Theory is highly recommended. Recommended texts: Mastering Piano Method 1A, Mastering Theory 1A, Hal Leonard, available in The Bassment.

Saturdays 10 - 11:30 am KATHERINE WESTINE (10 weeks) $360

Beginning Piano II

A continuation of Beginning Piano I, this beginning/intermediate course focuses on technique and reading. Instructor also covers basic functional harmony with an emphasis on scale and chord theory providing students with a solid harmonic foundation. Recommended text: Bastien II, available in The Bassment

Prerequisite: Piano I or equivalent.

Saturdays 11:45 am - 1:15 pm KATHERINE WESTINE (10 weeks) $360

Beginning Piano III

Through innovative and fun exercises, this hands-on class serves to acquaint students with the tonic-dominant relationship and basic turnarounds, as well as chord inversions in all keys. This class prepares students for Jazz Piano I.

Prerequisite: Piano II or equivalent.

Saturdays 1:30 - 3 pm JEANNE WALPOLE (10 weeks) $360

Blues Piano Workshop I

In this hands-on class, students learn how to comp and improvise in the traditional piano blues, boogie-woogie, and jump/ swing blues styles. The 12-bar blues form, chord voicings, bass lines, typical licks and techniques, turnarounds, and some quintessential repertoire and players (e.g., Albert Ammons, Otis Spann) are all covered. If time permits, chord substitutions and jazz blues are introduced. Students have ample opportunity to play in class. This class is well suited to players at a variety of levels, from beginning to advanced. Transcriptions, listening CD's, and lots of handouts are provided.

Prerequisite: ability to read music and basic facility on piano.

Tuesdays 4:30 - 6 pm JENNIFER JOLLY (10 weeks) $360

Blues Piano Workshop II

Prerequisite: Blues Piano Workshop I

Tuesdays 12:45 - 2:15 pm JENNIFER JOLLY (10 weeks) $360

Jazz Piano I

This hands-on class is provides students with a basic understanding of jazz piano.

PIANO/KEYBOARDS PIANO/KEYBOARDS This course covers rhythmic, melodic and harmonic terminology as applied to jazz — including all aspects of interpreting a "lead sheet"— and provides several basic approaches to jazz improvisation. More specifically, this course provides an overview of the harmonic functions in major and minor keys; an exposure to a variety of structural forms such as AABA "song form" and 12-bar blues; a palate of chord voicings, including root position, inversions, simple open voicings, rootless voicings, and chord extensions; and an introduction to voice leading. Instructor coaches students in developing their sense of time and "swing feel" at the piano. Students listen to a number of pianists in different settings from solo piano to sextet, and are given specific practice skills to develop the ability to understand what they hear.

Prerequisite: basic piano proficiency, knowledge of major scales, and ability to read treble and bass clefs.

SECTION I (BEG/INT) Tuesdays 6:30 - 8 pm DAN ZEMELMAN (10 weeks) $360

Regrettably, Section II of this class has been cancelled
SECTION II (BEG/INT) Wednesdays 6:30 - 8 pm ROBERT (BOB) KARTY (10 weeks) $360

Jazz Piano II

An in-depth study of voicings and voice leading, guidelines for improvisation focusing on both major and minor tonalities, patterns, comping techniques, modal concepts, and development of self-style through analysis of various modern jazz pianists.

Prerequisite: Jazz Piano I or equivalent; and the ability to interpret a lead sheet. Telephone consultation required.

SECTION I Fridays 10 - 11:30 pm DEBBIE PORYES (10 weeks) $360
Maximum enrollment: 8 students

SECTION II Saturdays 11:45am - 1:15pm MARK LEVINE (10 weeks) $360
Maximum enrollment: 10 students

The Art of the Duo

The intimate setting of the duo is one of the most common "working" formats in jazz. Pianist Dan Zemelman and Jazzschool Vocal Director Laurie Antonioli team up to teach this int/adv class for both vocalists and pianists focusing on the technical and creative aspects unique to playing in a duo setting. Students have an opportunity to play with each teacher as well as with each other exploring repertoire, arrangements and communication needed to create an artistic and dynamic performance. Maximum enrollment: 5 pianists and 5 vocalists.

Prerequisite: phone consultation and/or consent of instructors.

Mondays 6:30 - 8 pm LAURIE ANTONIOLI & DAN ZEMELMAN (10 weeks) $360

Jazz Piano Comping Techniques

A hands-on class for beginning to intermediate pianists focusing on all aspects of comping including voicings, voice leading, rhythm and rhythmic feel as applied to blues and jazz

Prerequisite: ability to interpret a lead sheet and Jazz Piano I or equivalent.

Tuesdays 4:45 - 6:15 pm BEN STOLOROW (10 weeks) $360

Solo Jazz Piano Techniques

Solo jazz piano has a long and venerable tradition with outstanding practitioners in each era of jazz history from the Harlem stride school through the swing and bebop eras of the 30s and 40s to the present day. This class for intermediate to advanced pianists covers the skills necessary to become a proficient solo jazz pianist, including basic technique, playing in time, creating intros, interludes and endings, the use of dynamics, and balance between the hands .

Prerequisite: Ability to play and improvise over a jazz tune solo piano style from memory, in time. Audition required.

Thursdays 8:15 - 9:45 pm MARK LEVINE (10 weeks) $360

Funky Keys

This hands-on class explores the bluesy, funky, gospel-drenched music of keyboardists Les McCann, Gene Harris, Herbie Hancock, Joe Sample, Ramsey Lewis, Bernie Worrell, and Ray Charles. Students get a solid introduction to the stylistic, rhythmic, harmonic, and improvisational aspects of this highly appealing and accessible repertoire. Students have ample playing time and individual attention in class. Listening to CDs, transcriptions, and lots of hand-outs provided.

Prerequisite: Familiarity with basic blues and ability to read standard keyboard notation.

Thursdays 8:15 - 9:45 pm JENNIFER JOLLY (10 weeks) $360

Salsa Piano

This hands-on class provides training in the fundamentals of Salsa/Afro-Cuban piano, with emphasis on the rhythmic skills essential to playing "in clave" and locking in with a salsa rhythm section. In an interactive, ensemble-like setting, students learn basic montunos (piano vamps), bass lines, and percussion rhythms, and how they fit together. Other topics include history of Afro-Cuban and Latin jazz piano styles.

Prerequisite: some reading ability and facility on piano.

Wednesdays 8:15 - 9:45pm ROBERT (BOB) KARTY (10 weeks) $360

Groove Piano

All styles of music have one common thread — the groove. In this rhythm- focused class, students learn the basics of how to lay down an infectious "pocket" in jazz, blues, funk, Brazilian, Afro-Cuban, and world styles of music by emulating groove masters like George Duke, Richard Tee, Billy Preston, Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock. Each week students play with recorded grooves as well as each other. Be prepared to receive lots of handouts! Recommended in conjunction with Funky Keys.

Prerequisite: knowledge of basic chords and ability to read a basic lead sheet.

Mondays 6:30 - 8 pm FRANK MARTIN (10 weeks) $360

New Orleans R&B Piano

This hands-on class explores the New Orleans R&B piano tradition of Professor Longhair, Fats Domino, Allen Toussaint, James Booker, and Dr. John. Lecture/ demonstration, selected listening, transcriptions, handouts, DVD viewing, and lots of in-class playing opportunities give a wealth of information on this upbeat, rollicking style. Students learn about the history and rhythms of New Orleans R&B piano, the distinguishing characteristics of the style, quintessential licks and how to incorporate them into their playing, and classic tunes of the repertoire. Lots of handouts and several listening CDs are provided.

Prerequisite: intermediate ability to play two-handed blues or boogie-woogie style piano for students wishing to play in class; none for others

Tuesdays 2:30 - 4 pm JENNIFER JOLLY (10 weeks) $360

Funk Bass Lines

A hands-on course for all bassists, guitarists and keyboardists covering all aspects of playing funk-style bass lines.

Prerequisite: intermediate facility on bass, guitar or keyboards and ability to read music. Class texts: Funk Fusion Bass by Jon Liebman, Hip-Hop Bass Grooves by Anthony Vitti, and Hal Leaonard Bass Play-Along — Funk, (available in The Bassment).

Mondays 8:15 - 9:45 pm MICHAEL WILCOX (10 weeks) $360
Class starts April 14th

WORKSHOPS

JAZZ PIANO STYLE SERIES

A series of workshops offering an in-depth look at the music of a variety of jazz piano masters. Participants study elements of each pianists style and are introduced to methods of incorporating these approaches into their own playing.

1. WYNTON KELLY, BUD POWELL, SONNY CLARK:

Developing the essence of bebop on the piano!

Attention. This class has been rescheduled for:
Sunday April 27, 3 - 5 pm DAN ZEMELMAN $30 Jazzschool students, $45 others

2. MONK, ELLINGTON, STRAYHORN:

Masters of jazz composition!

Saturday April 19, 3:30 - 5:30 pm, DAN ZEMELMAN $30 Jazzschool students, $45 others

3. BILL EVANS, CHICK COREA, HERBIE HANCOCK:

Advanced harmonic and rhythmic concepts

Sunday May 4, 2 - 4 pm DAN ZEMELMAN $30 Jazzschool students, $45 others

4. KEITH JARRETT, BRAD MEHLDAU:

Technical wizardry combined with emotional profundity

Sunday May 18, 11:30 am - 1:30 pm DAN ZEMELMAN $30 Jazzschool students, $45 others