Live Jazz Jams (Small Ensemble)
This class allows you to experience both contemporary and traditional styles in a small ensemble format. Using simple charts from the Jazz standard repertoire, advanced-beginner through intermediate level musicians will learn to listen & communicate with one another, explore rhythmic grooves and gain insight into the art of improvisation in a relaxed and fun atmosphere. Bring your instrument; jazz vocalists are also welcome. This workshop is based on individual attention and hands-on learning.

Level 1 (For grades 6-12)


Everyone Can Improvise! (Music Theory)
This class gives you the tools to build your own improvised sound with a revolutionary music theory approach that works for beginners through advanced musicians. Each week features both learning and playing, with an emphasis on being creative-no matter which instrument or style of music you play. Do you want to learn to write music? This theory also helps aspiring songwriters and composers in mastering their artistic expression. Everyone is welcome, regardless of level or previous experience.
Level 1 (For grades 6-12)


Instruments: Ancient to Future
This unique class enriches your world with an incredible, enjoyable, hands-on opportunity to play the 140 traditional ethnic instruments in Andy Wasserman's personal collection. Each week is a musical journey of age-appropriate multicultural lessons and live music from West African, Japanese, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Latin American, Native American, and South American regions. These acoustic instruments are played alongside Andy's huge collection of digital instruments: keyboards, synthesizers, electronic drums and digital signal processor and samplers. Everyone gets to play, listen, and jam together. All are welcome; no previous musical experience is necessary.

Here are 3 tracks of music that were recorded with a group of teens at the Fuzz Box Teen Center after 4 sessions with Andy Wasserman. There are 12 teenagers spontaneously jamming on Andy's instruments, both acoustic and electronic. The cultural themes on these tracks are Middle East, Native American and Japanese. This is a good example of what the teens can look forward to playing and recording for the culmination of the workshop course. Each teen gets a copy of the CD that contains their music jam session.

 

Here is a flyer for some of Andy's workshops for Teens that were hosted at a community arts center.

 

 

click photo for larger view

Live Jazz Jams (Small Ensemble)
This class allows you to experience both contemporary and traditional styles in a small ensemble format. Using simple charts from the Jazz standard repertoire, advanced-beginner through intermediate level musicians will learn to listen & communicate with one another, explore rhythmic grooves and gain insight into the art of improvisation in a relaxed and fun atmosphere. Bring your instrument; jazz vocalists are also welcome.This workshop is based on individual attention and hands-on learning.

SEMINARS AND SPECIAL CLASSES IN DIGITAL MUSIC TECHNOLOGY

These classes are given as private lessons, or in conjuction with programs at schools. Clinics and seminars designed for both students and teachers will be tailored to the specific needs of the individual and/or school. Wasserman will speak directly with students, as well atheir instructors and/or curriculum advisors before classes to create a custom clinic that reinforces what the student and teacher's are looking for or what will reinforce what is currently being studied.

For on-site clinics, preparation materials will be sent in advance so that students can study and practice for the upcoming clinic. These materials will prepare students for actual hands-on participation.

The primary focus of all clinics is to show how digital music tools can open new avenues of expression by adding the capability of performing melody, harmony and rhythm simultaneously. The musician is then able to express musical ideas that go beyond standard mehtods alone.

This is demonstrated by discussion and musical examples of the following concepts and techniques:

* the ability to create multiple layers of sound by controlling of many timbres and parts simultaneously
* explanation of each instrument and equipment type used in the professional studio and performance arena.
* to show, step by step, how to arrange the music using MIDI to build the parts of a large ensemble; building arrangements and compositions based on rhythmic, harmonic and melodic motifs
* arrangements and rehearsal techniques for live MIDI performance
* emphasis on achieving acoustic timbres and "real" acoustic-like expression with MIDI instrumentation; sound programming, the art of digital sampling; patch organization for live performance
* exploration of alternate tuning systems, scale structures and time signatures
* MIDI mixing, panning, volume and controller functions for live performance
* the art of sequencing for real-time MIDI triggering

WORKSHOPS IN MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface)

Introductory level

Introduction to the concept of MIDI presentation (with handbook) of the language of MIDI.

Concepts include:

* MIDI channels
* MIDI note numbers
* Program changes
* Controllers versus sound modules
* Velocity and gate control

Intermediate level

* Combining the various components needed to create a workstation relationships of MIDI controllers and sound sources, digital samplers, synthesizers, drum modules, effects units, and cables for hook-up.
* demonstrations of complete patch banks for performance
* how to create MIDI setups for controllers Advanced level
* The concepts involved in MIDI triggering systems
* MIDI controller programming techniques and applications
* creating sound banks in controllers
* multitimbral instrument concepts
* sending patch changes
* The fundamentals of digital sampling -
* how to record samples for MIDI playback
* sample editing
* creating loops and programs for samplers
* emulating acoustic sounds through sampling
* Composing and arranging techniques
* sequencing and motif creation
* layering of timbres and instrument ranges
* rhythmic structure and melodic organization

Master class in approaches to electronic instrumental performance

* modulation, aftertouch, panning & pitchbend
* advanced expression techniques
* controller-specific programming

MUSIC PROFESSION CAREER SEMINARS

Andy Wasserman gives seminars and private lessons to prepare students for jobs as professional musicians in many areas of today's marketplace.

Some of the courses of study and preparations for further study at colleges and universities include:

1) The Scoring for TV, video, film and radio lessons offer the student an opportunity to develop the necessary skills to compose and edit music for film and video by interweaving advanced music skills, technical proficiency and dramatic interpretation.

2) The Music Production and Engineering curriculum gives the student extensive hands-on training in studios equipped to meet professional standards. Working with fellow student musicians and faculty members in the recording studio, program participants will become familiar with the principles and practices of engineering and creative production techniques necessary to meet the challenges of changing technology and future stylistic genres. Learning to adapt to the role of producer and/or engineer, students develop the interpersonal skills needed to guide each project through the recording process to all participants' satisfaction.

3) Sound Design curriculum explores the world of electronic sound creation and manipulation and offers the opportunity to build a portfolio of original synthesized or processed sounds for a variety of musical situations and instrumental combinations. Classes will give an introduction to the nature of sound and the software tools which allow the sound designer to create their magic. This aspect of the training is designed to take the student through all the steps a professional sound designer goes through in the process of creating and editing sound for everything from video games to motion pictures.

4) Digital Music for Multimedia curriculum teaches the fundamentals of audio production for CD-ROM, DVD and the Web, and includes introductions to video and programming concepts that will enable the student to work collaboratively with other multimedia professionals. Courses teach fundamental music and audio skills in the vast field known as multimedia. Andy Wasserman will present the fundamental building blocks of multimedia from the standpoint of music and sound recording and interactive media design.

5) Computer Music curriculum emphasizes computer programming skills and their application toward innovation in sound design, performance and composition.

6) The Recording Studio and Production experience provides students an intense, comprehensive and well-rounded education in fundamental areas of a basic audio curriculum. The program will cover analog recording, digital recording, computerized music, sound for film and television, the entertainment business, the audio engineer's role, studio maintenance and an introduction to music-for- video production.

7) Digital Audio Workstation Engineering lessons will introduce this technology and its use in all aspects of digital audio workstation recording including music, sound effects and dialog editing. Students are trained in the basic elements of computer technology as they relate to analog-to-digital conversion, digital imaging, and sound for music and visual post production. These elements are applied in a nonlinear, tapeless recording environment.

8) The Studio Recording Engineering curriculum is designed to introduce basic recording principles and techniques. Beginning with an introduction to recording industry careers, students are taught the principles of sound, the operation of studio equipment and protocol for the jobs found in recording environments. Labs are held in a a studio setting in order to provide a universal understanding of basic audio recording. Wasserman teaches students the principals and techniques for creating professional recordings. Students learn the specialized techniques used in audio and post productions. Learn to record and mix from an artistic point of view. Classes and hands-on studio experiences will encompasses techniques taught in all other classes bringing the artist out of every digital musician.

9) MIDI Courses : Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) is the electronic marriage of music and computer technology that has revolutionized music composition, recording and arrangement. Students will be introduced to the history of the MIDI concept, its basic principles and techniques, MIDI production values, tapeless recording, MIDI effects, synchronization, troubleshooting and design of MIDI systems, and the effect of MIDI on the modern recording engineer/musician. Students learn how to interface computers with musical instruments for recording and live performance applications. See Workshops in MIDI section above.

10) Music Performance for Studio Production and Scoring curriculum will develop a musician's instrumental approach to covering the fundamentals of music production. Students break down music to its individual instrumental parts, in order to understand the art of producing sounds. Students will be encouraged to participate in playing instruments for class assignments. Applying the music production techniques. Students actively create and produce musical parts to form a mix. Extensive overdubbing situations push the student to new musical awareness. Building the firm understanding of the writing and aural recognition of notation, intervals, scales, chords and basic harmony provides a solid foundations for all other concepts taught. Creation and perception of musical tones, string, wind, percussion and electronic instruments from an acoustic view. Emphasis will be on listening and each instrument's role in the group setting as well as practical ensemble playing skills such as time keeping, cues, balance and dynamics. How these skills translate from the acoustic to electronic mediums (i.e. - digital sampling, synthesis, wave form modeling, etc.)

According to dancer and writer Roger Pryor Dodge, jazz was a dance music, but it, like all art, needed to evolve. Dodge was a classically-trained dancer who discovered jazz in the mid-1920s and partnered Mura Dehn in the 1930s. He had been featured in Skycrapers, billed as the first jazz-ballet in 1926, and then began choreographing his own jazz dances to the likes of Ellington’s "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo" and "Black and Tan Fantasy." In his 1945 article, "The Dance-Basis of Jazz," Dodge took a long view on the debate, neither condemning jazz to the dance hall nor condoning its complete divorce from the rhythm of dance. Cautioning that the jazz musician should never lose touch with the rhythm of the dance floor, he anticipated that the jam session would develop jazz as a "listener’s music." That split, observes saxophonist/composer Phil Woods, did have repercussions. "When they stopped dancing to jazz, jazz lost a lot of credibility and popularity. People don’t really understand what jazz is anymore."

In addressing this deep connection between music and dance, Andy Wasserman created a course and book with accompanying CD entitled "Music for Dancers." It is suited for any dance style, but espectially to the medium of Jazz rhythm tap dance. Andy has taught this course at a number of dance festivals including The Rhythm Explosion, The New York City "Tap City" Festival, and the St. Louis Tap Festival. To read a testimonial from a choreographer and dance instructor who took this course, click here for link.