Monday, November 4, 2024

Shaldon Festival Outreach 2017

Julian Bliss Septet: Jazz Workshop

Friday 23rd June 2017

Bliss Worshop rows of performers
Bliss Workshop

Following their outstandingly successful concert of Latin American music on the opening night of the 2017 Festival, five players from the Julian Bliss Septet led a workshop session with the Teignmouth Community School jazz group the following morning.

Children sat with instruments
Bliss Workshop

It was a great success and everyone involved was delighted. They started with some simple rhythm clapping, warm-up exercises and introduced some other rhythmic circle work. After the break the 35 students involved played their own instruments, learning some Latin rhythms, playing harmonies using these rhythms, and then improvising over the top.

The quintet led the way, but quite a few students were brave enough to try improvising on their own, and even duetted with Julian or one of the other band members. The workshop ended with a really interesting Q&A session.

The children really loved it, and the jazz musicians said they had had a brilliant time; lovely Festival, great venue, enjoyable workshop and impeccable organisation. They would like to come back.

We are most grateful to the Helen Foundation for supporting this workshop.

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