EFG London Jazz Festival
A selection of images from the London Jazz Festival performance at the Southbank Centre. Photo credit Roger Thomas.
Delivered by Tomorrow’s Warriors’ incredible Music Leaders, supported by Trinity Laban jazz students, The Jazz Hang is a series of regular sessions of informal and practical jazz learning.
We are now looking for young musicians for the 2024/25 programme, taking place largely at Lewisham Music’s base in Bellingham, SE6. You will get to meet other young musicians and have opportunities to develop new skills, get involved in masterclasses, jams and performances, and have lots of fun!
The new Jazz Hang programme is aimed at young people aged between 10 – 14 years old (from Year 6 upwards). You should be passionate about music, eager to learn more about jazz, willing to commit to weekly after-school sessions, and up for playing in front of and with others, with at least a basic technical knowledge of your instrument.
For more information, please contact JazzhangTW@trinitylaban.ac.uk
APPLY FOR JAZZ HANG 24/25Sign up to our 2024/2025 Programme by Friday 09th August
What do you need?
• To know where the notes are on your instrument
• For woodwinds/brass – to be able to produce a clear tone
• To understand basic time signatures (e.g. 3/4 or 4/4)
• To have a basic understanding of major and minor scales
• Basic note-reading skills are useful but not essential!
• A commitment and willingness to learn
• An interest in jazz! No prior knowledge needed!
History of project:
The London Jazz Scene is on fire right now with artists like Mercury Prize-winners Ezra Collective, Nubya Garcia and Moses Boyd tearing it up at festivals and on TV, and performing around the world. Trinity Laban has been working with Tomorrow’s Warriors to deliver The Jazz Hang, which began in Autumn 2020. Since 2023 – and with the support of London Music Fund – Lewisham Music are new project partners. The Jazz Hang is aimed at young musicians aged 11-16 who are at an early stage in their engagement with Jazz and want to learn more about it, but don’t know where to start.
The Jazz Hang Masterclass
A regular feature of The Jazz Hang has been Masterclass sessions, in which Tomorrow’s Warriors and Trinity Laban have joined forces to deliver an afternoon packed with a range of varied and practical workshops. All interested 11 – 16 year olds can apply to take part in these Masterclass sessions, as well as the young musicians on the weekly programme.
You will learn from the very best on the scene, with leading jazz educators from both Tomorrow’s Warriors and Trinity Laban. Skill up on your jazz harmony knowledge, ensemble playing and improvisation!
Past Masterclass tutors have included Sultan Stevenson, Camilla George, Richard Henry, Shirley Tetteh, Andrea Vicary, Romarna Campbell, Tony Kofi and Dian Gasper.
A previous Masterclass participant described the day as “great fun! You’ll come across some things you would never have come across before in your life. Just trust me and go do it!”
Taster Sessions
These occasional half-day workshops provide a practical and informal taste of jazz learning, and the opportunity to experience some great live jazz and meet other like-minded young musicians. Following the taster sessions, you will have the opportunity to apply for the weekly Jazz Hang programme.
Amongst the highlights for past participants were:
“I loved playing the music and learning lots more about Jazz.”
“I liked being able to play my instrument with professional musicians as well as others my age.”
“I loved improvising on a GRAND PIANO. And listening to Jazz which made me smile. I felt like I was in a band.”
Launch of The Jazz Hang
In 2020 Trinity Laban and Tomorrow’s Warriors announced they were joining forces to redress the balance in representation at grassroots level in the UK jazz scene, through reaching out to young musicians from diverse backgrounds and introducing them to jazz. The Jazz Hang was designed to nurture the next generation of musicians and continue to bring about positive change in representation in the wider music industry.
Find out More
The Jazz Hang in the News
“Jazz has always been a music of defiance, of critical thinking, of overcoming barriers. Together we continue to lay the foundations for a dynamic and diverse UK jazz scene and build a rich community of artists.”
Read Music Teacher’s interview with Janine Irons, Gary Crosby and Hans Koller about the launch of The Jazz Hang.
Find out more
