Litchfield Jazz Camp
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The Litchfield Jazz Camp began in 1997. The camp has been featured in Time magazine, on CNN and in the JazzTimes Education Guide. Litchfield Jazz Camp offers students 13 to adult of varying abilities the opportunity to study with internationally recognized jazz musicians on the campus of the Forman School, a Connecticut boarding school. Students learn in an intensive, noncompetitive environment, in courses ranging from one to four weeks. Students work in skill-matched combos, both at the camp and on the Gazebo Stage at the Litchfield Jazz Festival.
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[edit] Curriculum
- Combo - Upon arrival, students (after registration) are evaluated by faculty. On the following morning, all student ensembles are posted in the cafeteria. Each ensemble is directed by a faculty member and teaching assistant/junior faculty member. As many as 15 ensembles of approximately 8-10 musicians each make up the jazz camp. Ensembles meet two times daily, working on jazz repertoire, improvisational concepts and ensemble playing.
- Jazz Theory - All students attend theory class each morning. Students are placed in a theory class at their level based on an evaluation taken on registration day.
- Masterclass - All students attend a master class each day for one hour, working with student musicians who play the same instrument under the direction of appropriate faculty. During this time they may also watch a film on the history of jazz or faculty may discuss their personal musical experiences with the students.
- Private Lessons - Students have time over the course of their week to schedule a private lesson with an instructor. Most students take at least one lesson.
- Composition - An interactive, hands on workshop exploring various non-traditional approaches to composing and arranging. Students will connect to methods and techniques forged by notable and established “Downtown” composer/improvisers. The approach to composing and arranging emerged in the mid 80’s into the 90’s and coalesced around a group of players broadly associated with the now legendary downtown Manhattan venue – The Knitting Factory. The style came to be a major influence on much of today’s music scene. The course will explore the works of Mario Pavone, Steven Bernstein, Marty Ehrlich, the late Thomas Chapin and others. Students will be encouraged to construct pieces, which will be explored by the workshop ensemble and performed at weeks end.
- Instructors: Mario Pavone, Peter Madsen, Dave Ballou, Jack Walrath and others guest composers/improvisers.
- Art & Science of Recording - The Arts & Science of Recording is a two-week, hands-on recording seminar for musicians and aspiring recording engineers. Learn production, recording, mixing, editing and mastering techniques, using computer based recording tools. Musicians and aspiring engineers alike will gain the experience of diving into recording right away, a hands-on experience designed to teach the technical side of computer-based recording while concentrating on production of a complete, great sounding album, ready for marketing and promotion.
Students will learn: • Basics of recording to computer hard disk • Production concepts • The Recording process • Mixing and editing • Basic mastering • Post production and basic marketing and promotion
The course is taught by Ed Tetreault and Paul Bollenback. Mr. Tetreault is the Manager of the Peabody Conservatory Recording Arts & Sciences. Mr. Bollenback, a jazz guitarist, has performed with Gary Bartz, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Joey DeFrancesco, and many others. He teaches at Queens College, the New School, Peabody Conservatory and has been teaching at the Litchfield Jazz Camp since 1999. He also has his own jazz record label – Elephant Dreams.
- Vocal Program - In addition to the instrumental program, singers work with vocal instructors on repertoire, theory, and being a leader. Then they are placed in combos to prepare for the concert at the end of their session as well as on the Litchfield Jazz Festival. Vocal instructors include Karrin Allyson and Vanessa Rubin.
- Faculty Concerts - Three times a week a concert featuring the senior faculty takes place and twice a week a concert featuring the teaching assistants takes on campus. These concerts are free and open to the public.
- Student Jam Sessions - Nightly there are student jam sessions that occur after the evening concerts.
- Student Concerts - On Friday evening of each week (excluding session four, when the concert occurs on Thursday night due to the Litchfield Jazz Festival) all student ensembles are featured in performance for family, the camp population and the general public.
[edit] Faculty
The faculty at Litchfield Jazz Camp are among the finest jazz musicians in the country and the world. They are all touring and recording jazz musicians. Litchfield Jazz Camp’s music director is tenor saxophonist Don Braden. He and resident artists guide students through classes in performance, improvisation, jazz history, rhythm and percussion, music theory, the business of music, composition and recording engineering. Instruction is offered in voice, piano, guitar, bass, drums, Latin rhythms, saxophones, clarinet, flute, and brass. Evening jam sessions and resident and visiting artist concerts add to the course work. Our faculty includes:
- Kris Allen - Alto Saxophone
- Karrin Allyson - Vocal
- Dave Ballou - Trumpet
- Lousie Baranger - Trumpet
- Rogerio Boccato - Drums
- Paul Bollenback - Guitar & Art & Science of Recording
- Claire Daly - Baritone Saxophone
- Mike DiRubbo - Alto Saxophone
- Jimmy Greene - Tenor Saxophone
- Winard Harper - Drums
- Jeff Hirshfield - Drums
- Steve Johns - Drums
- Dave Liebman - Soprano Saxophone, Guest Artist
- Peter Madsen - Piano
- Tony Malaby - Saxophone
- Virginia Mayhew - Tenor Saxophone
- Peter McEachern - Trombone
- Mario Pavone - Bass
- Michael Pavone - Guitar
- Jeremy Pelt - Trumpet
- Valery Ponomarev - Trumpet
- Vanessa Rubin - Vocal
- Dave Santoro - Bass
- Lauren Sevian - Baritone Saxophone
- Dave Stryker - Guitar
- Joris Teepe - Bass
- Ed Tetreault - Art & Science of Recording
- Jack Walrath - Trumpet
- Mark Whitfield - Guitar
Faculty is subject to change
[edit] Daily schedule
Students arrive on campus by 12:30 PM each Sunday for combo and theory assessment. Classes are held Monday through Friday.
8:00am Breakfast
8:55am Morning Meeting
9:15am Combos
10:50am Theory
11:45am Lunch & Optional Private Lessons
1:30pm Combos
3:15pm Master Classes
4:30pm Freeplay & Dinner
6:30pm Evening Activities & Concerts
10:00pm Dorm Check-in
[edit] Litchfield Jazz Festival
All students perform with their combos on a dedicated second stage on the Litchfield Jazz Festival the first weekend of August. Included in their tuition is a three day lawn pass for them to enjoy the music. In addition to playing, students receive instruction from Litchfield Jazz Festival stars. These have included Toots Thielemans, Sonny Rollins, Tom Harrell, Bill Charlap, Kenny Werner, Kenny Rankin, Stanley Turrentine, Paquito D'Rivera, James Moody, Danilo Pérez, Jane Monheit and many others.
