Gift of Jazz Autumn online classes – Saturdays, September 26-November 14
Stu MacAskie will lead classes this semester
Offered Online through Zoom’s Web Conferencing Application!
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A classic approach to composition and its application to jazz

Saturdays 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm

This class, taught by Stu MacAskie will take a classic, traditional approach to composition, and look at how this can be applied to modern jazz. Tunes from different eras will be studied and broken down so the student will recognize common compositional elements. These will be used in the student’s own composing. Basic musical elements – melody, harmony, rhythm, form – will be discussed and identified in classic tunes across the jazz spectrum. These techniques will inform a comparison of the compositional styles of Horace Silver and Hank Mobley, two important composer/player/leaders from the 1950’s & 60’s. Stylistic elements will be studied, then applied. Additionally, students will be introduced to a method Stu calls compositional calisthenics and be invited to write, write, write.