Teaching & Workshops

Next Workshop TBA

Here is David Valdez' blog entry to read while you wait for the next workshop:

http://davidvaldez.blogspot.com/2006/09/randy-porters-be-bop-harmonic-devices.html

I had my first private lesson with pianist Randy Porter today. It's been years since I had a formal lesson with anybody. Randy has one of the deepest harmonic and rhythmic concepts I've ever encountered, plus he is my favorite saxophonist's (Charles McPherson) favorite pianist. We looked at a couple of standards and he gave me some new ideas to think about.

Randy seems to be able to play anything over anything and still sound great. These harmonic devices seemed to be true classical BeBop. My buddy Tom said that McPherson had shown him some of the same things when he took a lesson with him. I would highly encourage anyone to study with either of these modern Jazz masters. Charles McPherson lives in San Diego and is always available for private students and Randy Porter is in Portland, Oregon. If you're lucky you may just be able to hear them play together, otherwise check out their recordings.

David Valdez, 9/29/06

Next Workshops TBA- jazz workshops w/randy porter and guests at heavywood studio

yes, it's been a while since i've cleaned up the studio and invited y'all back for some stretching of both sides of the musical brain with some seriously focused workshops. so, finally, here it is... a whole series of them! i've been honored to have had some amazing 'alumni' participate, and know that once we get going the challenges of improvisation fire up those endorphins and stimulate some inspired jazz. many of you are busy with various summer activities and gigs, but please let me know if you can make any of these and i'll get to organizing the sessions. these workshops are a highlight of my year and i've been putting together old and new teaching techniques and ideas to help us reach a higher level of musicianship together.

as you may know, guest teachers of past workshops include:

madeline eastman vcls
ellio villafranca pno
alan jones drms
reinhardt melz drms
gary hobbs drms

i'm truly humbled by the talented participants that have signed up in the past, so though i won't mention names, suffice it to say that if you're advanced you will be in good company! singers note workshop-3. that one's for you!! o.k., now the details...

Workshop 1-advanced improvisation. "the jazz gym". this is the classic workshop of the past, but with new ideas and techniques added which challenge us to play with a deeper level of satisfaction and confidence.

Workshop 2-intermediate improvisation. "solo, comp, swing". focusing on keeping the flow of the 3 primary elements of all music, melody, rhythm and harmony, while improvising. all instruments welcome.

Workshop 3-singers and accompanists. "the vox/keys connection." guitarists welcome, too. on the spot arranging and stylistic input to create a more sophisticated, inventive collaboration between singers and instrumentalists.

Workshop 4- "bebop!" it is no coincidence that success in this idiom, which is musically analogous to the baroque era, is often followed by high degree of ability in many others styles. do this and you can do anything! w/ todd strait and ed bennet

Workshop 5- beyond jazz ...."do what'chu wanna do." songs and ideas that may not be mainstream, but are sometimes closer to our heart and perhaps for some, more relevant.

all sessions are 4 hours, 9 am-1pm or 2 pm-6 pm and cost $80 each. anyone signing up for 4 or more pays only $70 each! more guests TBA.

thanks for your time,

BELOW IS THE OLD SCOOP....

NEXT WORKSHOP with Madeline Eastman on Thursday, January 24, 2008 7-10PM

JAZZ PIANO and VOICE -Making Music Together - Sign up below!

Reinhardt Melz, Dan Gaynor and Justin Durrie at The Workshop - 2004

Get to the next level...

A jazz workshop for the serious student/professional

Focused instruction/ playing/ recording from 10 am to 2 pm at Heavywood Studios
Classes are comprised of 2 jazz groups working through concepts of jazz improvisation and performance with a concentrated day of musical growth

An in depth look at jazz music's most important elements:

RHYTHM

feeling and playing time with more freedom and control

studying musical tension and resolution (over the bar, polyrhythm, odd meters)

HARMONY

drilling the basics and implementing the more advanced and exotic

looking at harmonic leaders such as Bill Evans, Barry Harris, George Shearing, John Coltrane, Richie Bierach and others

MELODY

setting a higher standard for creating a new song within a song

getting beyond chord/scale theory and "playing what you hear"

exercises to balance various note durations with space

finding ways to tap the melodic wisdom of masters such as Charlie Parker and apply some general principles to all styles