Our popular LEGENDS OF JAZZ workshops,clinic s, master classes and associated educational outreach programmes continued to exceed expectations throughout the year and once again offered a variety of stimulating and significant initiatives:
The Ken Page Memorial Trust Master Class Series entered its twelfth season at the University of Toronto with a loud drum roll as the Faculty of Music proudly moved into its new jazz-dedicated home at 90 Wellesley Street several months ahead of schedule and just in time to commence the 2011/1012 school year, providing classrooms, performance space and plenty of room down the line for expansion. Terry Promane returned to the driver’s seat from his sabbatical and the faculty manpower was augmented by the arrival of Jim Lewis and Mike Murley who joined Chase Sanborn and Terry on a full time basis. With fresh premises and a powerful team leading the way, the winter and spring terms presented another healthy mix of both group and individual artist clinics, along with one or two devoted to the music business. These weekly in-depth sessions took many interesting and enlightening paths and always opened up to questions about anything and everything relating to jazz and the music business in general. Ongoing collaboration with The Rex also set up a second performing opportunity for visiting musicians, allowing them to benefit from some additional exposure while in town. |
| KPMT Master Class Series at U of T Faculty of Music Clinicians Ana Moura with Tim Ries,Donny McCaslin; Wayne Bergeron with Ben McConchie. Photos by Chase Sanborn |
The opening class was conducted by jazz trumpeter, author, teacher and team leader Chase Sanborn sharing a subject close to his heart, Music Business Tactics. Thereafter, clinicians featured between September and March included Fado singer Ana Moura, the David Braid Sextet, U.S. trumpeter Wayne Bergeron, Nova Scotia saxophonist Don Palmer interviewed by Mike Murley, East Gipsy Band from Hungary with Tim Ries, tenor saxophonist Joel Frahm visiting from New York, saxophonist Kirk MacDonald, New York drummer Victor Lewis ,
Attendance of this extremely well-received series remains mandatory and continues to promote a high level of interaction between the students and the guest clinicians. Remember the masterclasses are free and open to the public who are most welcome to attend on Friday afternoons between 3:15 and 4:30 pm. Please check for details at www.uoftjazz/events/kpmc.
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| Closing concert at Chalkers Pub |
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| Faculty member, pianist Brian Dickinson, teaching young students. Photo by Cathy Mitro |
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| Julie Fitzgerald 2012 recipient of the Ron Collier Memorial Scholarship award |
In our ongoing commitment to the Ron Collier Memorial Scholarship Fund at Humber College we again provided support for a bursary to be awarded to a second or third year student showing exceptional promise as a composer or arranger, carrying on the high standards established by Ron Collier during Humber Music’s early years. The 2012 recipient was fiddle/violin player, Julie Fitzgerald who had just completed her third year of studies at Humber. When she first started playing the fiddle, Julie learned traditional Canadian styles including Old-Time Swing, French Canadian and East Coast Celtic, but the desire to expand her playing styles and develop other aspects of the music aside from performance, led her to enrol in the Humber jazz programme. Julie tells us she has derived great interest from the school’s arranging and theory classes and realising the potential to create a new sound for traditional fiddle music, now plans to apply what she has learned at Humber to the music she played as a child. She feels confident in her choice to pursue music as a career and we wish her every success.
