Jazz
"I am so impressed with the standard of musicianship I've heard in the young people on the Trinity Laban Jazz Course. The teaching faculty also seems to foster an openness of approach which results in diverse and interesting music." - Norma Winstone MBE, Honorary Fellow
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Vibrant and active, with teachers of international repute, our
approach to jazz education is student-centred and contemporary. Our
success in encouraging our talented student body to develop their
own creative voices is reflected in our graduates' professional
successes. Highly skilled and highly individual, our distinctive
approach to jazz will ensure your creative skills are developed to
the peak of artistic excellence.
Jazz students at Trinity Laban develop as improvisers within a
range of small ensembles (combos, trios, etc) and improvisation
classes, and all supporting classes (jazz harmony and rhythm etc)
are practically-based. You will receive a significant number of
individual and small group Principal Study lessons, benefitting
from access to several of our exceptional teachers.
In 2011 we are delighted to welcome 2010 MOBO award-winning
ensemble Empirical as our new Golubovich Junior Jazz Fellows.
Embracing both jazz traditions and contemporary approaches to the
art-form, Empirical will collaborate with students in a range of
learning and performance contexts during the academic year. The
energy and dynamism of these young musicians characterises our
approach to, and focus on innovative performance.
In addition to your combo work, our Big Band, Contemporary Jazz
Ensemble and postgraduate Jazz Composers Ensemble, will help you
develop your performance skills and experience within larger
ensemble contexts, many additionally providing opportunities for
aspiring jazz composers. Visiting artists and departmental staff
perform side-by-side with students, inspiring and sharing in equal
measure. Performance projects culminate in the regular Beats in the
Bar series at Blackheath Halls, many other student performances
taking place at Greenwich's Mitre Hotel or Oliver's Jazz Club.
Each year our students perform at a range of established jazz
venues, such as The Vortex and the legendary Ronnie Scott's, and
our ensembles are prominent elsewhere within London's jazz scene.
We make regular appearances at the Greenwich Jazz Festival and play
a leading role in the London Jazz Festival; our excellent
relationships with promoters and jazz clubs across London leading
to regular opportunities for our students and graduates.
Jazz has always been a collaborative process, originating from
musical activities involving musicians from a range of musical
cultures. Our history of improvisation, collaborative and community
work in jazz education embodies the musical practices most relevant
to a conservatoire in the 21st century. Trinity Laban jazz students
not only collaborate together, but also with musicians, dancers and
other artists from across the institution and beyond in a range of
workshop and performance situations. You will be encouraged to
initiate your own projects, and to organise performances and
sessions as showcases for your creative output. We particularly
welcome students with diverse musical backgrounds and celebrate
those prepared to challenge the boundaries of our art-form as we
know it today.
Department Classes
- Improvisation Classes
- Ensemble & Instrumental Skills
- Jazz Harmony and Rhythm
- Jazz Composition & Arranging
- Rhythmic Origins (African and Cuban)
- Studio Recording Sessions
- Rhythm, Woodwind, Saxophone, Brass & Vocal Sectionals
- Performance Projects culminating in public gigs as
part of the 'Beats in the Bar' series at Blackheath
Halls as well as jazz clubs in London
Listen
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Concerto For Cootie by TrinityLaban
