the music performance education group
our cv
on these pages we show what we have done in the past, our record if you like of events, workshops, functions, and all the other bits we have done
Chris Biscoe .......
What a fantastic workshop!
Chris took us through a couple of arrangements, providing some excellent ways of dealing with arrangemnets with some good tips and feedback to those present. Chris then gave a virtuosso performance wth the rhythmn section finishing with an all in Jam session - fantastic!
The Christmas 2009 gig
The 2009 Summer Gigs
We had been lucky enough to secure an evening workshop with Steve Berry who is the course Director for the Burnley Jazz Summer School, a teaching fellow at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, he teaches at Chethams College (which produces all those Young Musician of the Year competitors) and also teaches at the Royal Northern College of Music.
Our most recent Workshop
'Confirmation and Consolidation'
This summer series saw us draw on melodic, harmonic and rhythmic ideas covered in previous workshops. The main focus was on understanding the new material produced by Gary Bayley focussed on concepts acquired from prior learning. The reduction in technical preoccupation allowed the group to concentrate on aesthetic / artistic judgments and about the way the whole band would sound. There was some suggested advanced listening, for example 'Autumn Leaves' from Miles Davis CD, Miles Davis in Europe (col5195062).
Greg Abate Masterclass Workshop
'July 14th saw the return of our now relatively long term partner GREG ABATE. In an action powered session (that over-ran by 50%) Greg analysed harmonies, made suggestions for bass lines, gave feedback on solo's, discussed and practiced the inclusion of quotations from other songs. Greg's workshop also acted as introduction to ii V I in a minor key.'
Ronnie's Jam Night
Ronnie booked The Union' at Denbury, and musicpeg did the phoning around. In the event it was a good turnout, Tom turned up with his supreme logistical skills, so photocopies for all (something for us all to learn about being prepared!), Graham brought his 'Bad Band' project guys and raised the roof, The monday workshop improvised a 'Blues in F' in true jam session tradition and removed the roof completely. Mr Philip Roberts, long time no see, turned out to support the venture. Renate took time out from her busy work schedule....Pat, Roger, John, Neil, Dave, Ian, Gary.......and sorry to the two guys whose names we didn't catch. Let's do it again soon, any takers to organise a jam?
Steve Buckley's workshop on the music of Dudu Pukwana
Steve began by playing us an example of Dudu's music and explained that capturing the spirit was the most important aspect. Although he had brought the notation along, Steve quickly assessed that it would be beneficial for us to learn a piece 'by ear' ......instantly taking us out of the comfort-zone.
Throughout the session Steve kept us informed (and amused!) with his anecdotes about his life in music and his personal preference for the more visceral over the 'technique for techniques sake' approach to playing the saxophone. At the end of the evening it all came together when we did a performance, with everybody having a chance to solo, and getting the hang of the ad-hoc interjection of riffs.........and all this with no notation in sight! Steve wrapped up a laid back and enjoyable evening with a twenty minute master class with the saxophonists in the group on sound production. Truly a session with something for everyone.
Josh goes on the record!
musicpeg monday workshops - 'afro-eurasian syncopations' - spring 2009
what happens when europeans play music by americans trying to imagine what their african ancestors sounded like? This music that emerged in the mid-1960s and has been with us ever since, albeit in a low-key way, cannot help be the foundation of 'world music'.
this workshop followed on from what went before but still offered a starting point for the newcomer wishing to come aboard.
a major difference from past workshops was the inclusion of 'technical input'. This is because, as we have seen, performing this style of music is less to do with 'sight reading' and being told what to do, and more about building up a set of transferable skills so that the experienced performer can make an expert job when finding themselves in a new situation with new material in the familiar genre. The 'technical input' just consists in making explicit certain structural features in the music that can be expected to have a general application; this enables the musician to know the material literally inside-out. Don't worry though we will still be doing more playing than talking and there aren't any 'tests' or 'gradings'.
tuesday workshops - 'Setting New Standards' - spring 2009
In the last workshop we saw how a pre-occupation with the harmonic structural feature III-IV-ii-V-! produced a similarity in the material loosely termed 'the great american song book' or simply 'standards'. This time stylistically we will be mixing it up and focusing on dealing with compositions that are heavily 'dominant seventh based'. In addition we will also be pursuing the breaking down of the 'soloist over the rhythm section' model in favour of a 'whole band approach'. The key to this will be that often neglected feature of rhythmic interaction. It all sounds a bit academic but expect business as usual with the majority of the time spent playing and some technical input for those that want to tune into it.
our workshops have been run from the music block of st cuthbert mayne school which is on
There are currently no workshops running until the spring of 2009. In the meantime you may be intgerested inthe national youth jazz collective which is open to seniors as well as youth!!!!
walk spirt talk spirit at the riviera - torquay
On the 12th of February (09) the combined forces of two musicpeg workshops came together to perform 'Walk Spirit, Talk Spirit' by McCoy Tyner. The two groups rehearsed independently then performed together at the ten minute 'gig'. Our brief presence at the Torbay Festival was given great significance when we learned on the evening that alto saxophone player Dave Yandall (fourth from left - see photo) had won 'Torbay Young Musician of the Year' award earlier in the week. The running order of solos was hurriedly re-jigged and the performance turned into a feature for the rising star.
after the gig - dave yandall is standing fourth from the left
'blues and roots workshop' - autumn 2008
our autumn/winter' 08 theme followed on from our previous 'afro-american workshop'.
the genre we found ourselves in that exciting period of the early 1960's where a new music was emerging from a melding of gospel, blues, jazz and soul.
the music was highly rhythmic and the performers had to have a 'feel' for it as much as 'read the dots'; in fact they only met some sight reading, much improvising and enough musical decision making to make them feel they had a real work-out! as ever, we wanted to develop individuals as musicians by having fun playing their instruments so it was a course that didn't use 'talk and chalk!
'jazz standards plus' - autumn 2008
our autumn/winter 08 program followed on from the previous 'jazz workshop' series. there were no hard and fast 'qualifications' you needed in order to enroll but you did need to be comfortable with reading 'the dots' at around grade 3/4 and are familiar with the principles of ii/v/i and 'modulation' (you did not need to be a master, just have an enthusiasm to learn more!). although jazz is about every conceivable way of organising sounds and as ever we endeavored to meet as many of those attributes as we could and our main focus wias on harmony. what happens when composers start (playfully!) bending the rules with ii/v/i? how do we combat all those little additional symbols that come after the main chord symbol e.g. cm7b6 vs cm7b9? how far can a blues be bent out of shape and it still be a blues form? we found that successfully decoding a harmonic structure suddenly defined a stylistic genre! so, there was a fair bit of cerebral work done!, but as i always maintained - the mathematic precedes the aesthetic but didn't replace it; charlie parker put it more bluntly - 'learn the (chord) changes......then forget 'em'.
'Jack Fear - the sight reading oracle'
We were joined by eighty three year old Jack Fear who brought with him some arrangements that he had done especially for us.
Jack is a veteran of the BBC and theatre 'pit' orchestras where visiting acts would bring their own sheet music 'if you were lucky you may get one twenty minute rehearsal' he said. MUSICPEG invited him along to show us how this can be possible!
He talked us through the parts and explained that on-sight reading was more about applying previous knowledge - 'when I played with Syd Lawrence and I was given a new piece I would scan through looking for phrases that I didn't know already then focus on just the rhythm of those'. Jack explained that getting the rhythm right was the most important first base then carried on up through a hierarchy to the dynamics and stresses needed to make the music sound like an authentic rendition in the genre/style.
Jack patiently attended to the detail, both group and individual, although because of the nature of the process didn't have time to fully put the rhythm section through it's paces - 'I shall have to come back' he said with a characteristic gleam in his eye, which probably means that he has already planned out more and trickier challenges for us......
http://www.syd-lawrence-orchestra.com/listentotheorchestra/tabid/85/Default.aspx
greg abate workshop and gig - yes, he came back!
on the 17th and 20th november.
on the 17th greg our american friend conducted a workshop based on the material we have been playing throughout the course.
the 20th we had a gig at the palace theatre, paignton with greg as the featured guest soloist.
greg abate spent time in the ray charles orchestra (among other great outfits) so we made him feel right at home with teh two workshop bands!
you can see pictures ogf the gig from this link
http://www.e-wins.co.uk/images/musicpeg/index.html
'Just in Time' - The Percussion For Everyone Workshop
musicpeg member Tom was contacted by the organiser of the 'Galmpton Skills Day' and subsequently agreed to provide some music for the street entertainment. He set about using musicpeg as a resource and booking some of the musicians he had met at the tuesday evening workshop. Tom devised a program of songs taken from the workshops, from his abrsm jazz examinations and a few personal favorites. As he then found out, putting on a performance (which was in the open air) took much more of his time than just assembling the musicians and selecting the tunes. In the end it was a highly successful and enjoyable concert due to Toms inherent organisational skills and his time investment in being systematic and structured. Anybody else in the ranks of musicpeg thinking of organising a concert event could well do without re-inventing that wheel and catch up with Tom for a chat about the finer points of planning, and managing a gig. musicpeg thanks Tom on behalf of the musicians taking part for providing a great performance opportunity, much enjoyment, much learning.
Bestowed with the honour 'Europes most original Saxophonist', Chris Biscoe dropped in to give a Saxophone Masterclass for musicpeg at the SPARC centre, Dartington.
One of the most adaptable players on the scene today (see http://www.chrisbiscoe.co.uk/ and his article on Charlie Parker in augusts Jazzwise magazine) Chris chose to take the participants through a series of conceptions of how to develop expression in soloing in a creative way rather than in the oft over-laboured technical sense. The idea was to use oneself as the resource, exercising aesthetic judgment as opposed to relying on the application of learned harmonic theory.
The house rhythm section for this event was Neil Burns (guitar), Ralph Langfield (electric bass), Phil Roberts (drums).
Some feedback about the session-
'I enjoyed it a great deal and learned some useful stuff. It gave me confidence to incorporate my ideas in a solo rather than always justifying what I play by relating it back to a tutor book'. 'Thanks for the session, there is very little on the market for any saxophone player other than a beginner......Chris was talking at the level I want'. And 'I could have done with some biscuits with the tea you provided....'.
And Chris himself was on a bit of a high at the end- 'the guys seemed to soak up the ideas, I kept thinking of links to other areas but we were out of time and we didn't get around to quarter tone fingerings and multiphonics.....and thank the rhythm section for me'. see pictures from the workshop
chris biscoe photo courtesy peter symes
gifted and talented students - a two day summer school for 14-19 year olds
this took place at st cuthbert-mayne school on the 30th and 31th of july 2008
15 students, four rooms and seven staff, this high support ratio saw a rapid development take place in an amazingly short space of time!
the expert staff covered the range - woodwind, brass, drums, guitar/bass/strings, recording technology, music technology, composition and improvisation.
meet the tutors
(l-r) damien - recording engineer, recording technology, production and post production (vocals), steve - course administrator, reed instruments, gary - course design and leader, all woodwind and brass, composotion and arranging, style and idiom, adam - music/computer technology, pre-production and production, jamey - drums, vocals, pre-production, recording technology, style and idiom, pat - schools liaison, course administrator and rhythm instruments, arthur - composition, all string instruments, pre-production and production, recording technology
here's what the students said .......
"i thought the activities were fun and enjoyed myself very much"
"thank you for teaching me loads of styles on the drums"
"do it agin!"
"thank you very much"
"it was very good fun and i really enjoyed it"
"brilliant!
we began by considering the personal side of music - 'what does this piece of music do for me?' but then wonder- if music is just down to subjective likes and dislikes then how can we ever assess music as good/successful/effective? and so on. furthermore if music were just a matter of taste how could the students work in groups with any sort of agreement in any common direction?
to answer these and other questions we listened to a piece of music and analysed it, effectively profiling it by using a range of musical terminology. a shared use of musical language enabling a common experience of music, that is to say, it enabled us to work together.
having established that it was possible to work together the formal input ended and it was over to the students,they set off on a common goal which was to produce a recording of a performance by the end of day two.
as exceptional students they were expected to progress by means of intuition, imagination, invention but also in a systematic, reasoned, structured way. a combination of these approaches ensured creativity and productivity.
it was expected that the final recorded performance contained aspects of composition, improvisation and prepared material assembled using music technology.
there was a lot to do in the limited time available so the students needed to be thinking not only about what to do but also about how it was going to get done!
the big gig 08 with mike westbrook
village band photo courtesy patrick hadfield
a superb final celebration concert led by guest tutor and jazz arranger and composer mike westbrook took place on saturday 12th july 2008. the legendary british composer and band leader took the workshop on tuesday 8th july for both monday and tuesday groups.
musicpeg commissioned dr westbrook to prepare a special arrangement of his composition 'love and understanding'. gary bayley rehearsed both workshop groups independently in the weeks prior and the two groups came together as one band under mike's direction as the culmination of a fantastic 4 band gig supported byan audience of over 100 people. the piece was performed as the finale to the concert with the addition of members of mikes 'village band'
n.b. an abridged version of 'love and understanding' appears on the mike westbrook cd 'citadel room 315' and is a good place to start for those curious to investigate his music.
greg abate workshop special
he conducted the workshop on the monday 7th july for both monday and tuesday workshop groups
greg reviewed and assessed the progress of both groups with the musical material they have been playing in the light of of his many years as a 'road warrior' alto saxophonist and as a classroom educator. he gave specific attention to detail as well as anecdotes from his past experiences with a variety of jazz legends. whilst it is true that greg made clear what the important issues are that the music required of the groups, his methodology was that individuals may be given friendly advice but never 'torn into'. he knew we were not a 'pro' outfit and ifor most of us it is a hobby, but members were free to approach him individually to gain a more detailed objective assessment of their playing style. so thansk to greg for a great workshop event
admission to this special workshop was conditional on prior attendance of all workshop dates since the inception in april 21/22.
see what greg has to say about us
first gig
our first gig for the african workshop was held on
click here to see the pics
jam session
workshop one (african, afro-american wokshop) - summer 2008
this is an exciting highly rhythmic music workshop featuring hypnotic melodies and grooves. at this workshop expect to find both those starting out in improvising and sight reading who welcome structured activities and also those who will be familiar with and continue to get a "blast! and buzz!" from this genre.
dates for workshop 1 : april 21, 28 may 12, 19, june 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, july 7/8
workshop two (the jazz workshop) - summer 2008
this workshop examines the harmonic structure of the "song" by introducing compositions from the canon of "jazz standards", we also look at a range of devices employed by the skilled jazz musicians, familiarity with which in effect constitutes a common "jazz performance language".
those new to the group performance context of improvisation with minimal direction from printed scores would benefit from joining the african workshop (see workshop 1 above) with its focus on musical awarness and "ear training".
dates for workshop 2: april 22, 29, may 13, 20, june 3, 10, 17 24 july 1, 7/8
here is a copy of the flyer we used to appeal to the younger musicinas for one of original workhops carried out in conjuction with torbay arts council 