jimmy weinstein's TRAVELING SCHOOL
improvisation and jazz workshops
Traveling School conducts creative music workshops in your school, community center or music festival. The school uses a unique approach to involve participants in an emotional and dynamic experience. The workshops are designed to encourage people to improvise, and place an emphasis on group interaction. Jazz, Rock and Blues idioms are the springboards, and Traveling School specializes in helping anyone learn to improvise. Beginners, conservatory students, professional musicians and teachers have all participated simultaneously at Traveling School workshops. Traveling School goes "on tour" with its staff. The staff is a group of facilitators that include teachers and student teachers. The staff coordinates workshops and performs concerts with the participants. Traveling School also conducts workshops on how to give workshops using the school's unique approach.
The concept behind these workshops is to inspire people who have diverse musical backgrounds to use their imagination and creativity to explore the possibilities of improvisation in a unique and holistic setting. This means taking part in a workshop where the idea is focused on playing and interacting in a group. The staff's main objective is to encourage participants in a safe creativity environment. An emphasis is placed on forging group interaction during a seminar that consists of tailor made ensembles. These ensembles are put together on the spot depending on the musicians participating. Therefore it is the staff's job to custom fit the participants into a dynamic group situation, where their maximum potential can be explored.
small groups and Collective Improv Ensembles
The idea of a dynamic ensemble is to form groups, where the participants have enough “space” to really experience an inspiring and valuable connection with each other. The groups are dynamic because they move in a direction of musical and emotional interaction . To set up this movement, very simple and open vehicles are employed which could include vamps, one chord blues, fragments, "connecting" exercises, free improvisation, imagery improvisation, rhythm exercises involving physical body movement and listening to examples of recorded music. For repertoire ensembles, players will be organized into groups ranging in size. The staff facilitates by playing with the ensembles and helping to conceptualize repertoire. The idea is to guide the participants, helping them to tap into their own creativity in order to play standard jazz repertoire. The class will also examine various points of view for improv within a conceptual context, i.e., textural and linear concepts within the established jazz repertoire of blues, rhythm changes and show tunes.
Programs can be devised together with Traveling School. Generally we like to follow a schedule as described below. Workshops normally run for a 2-7 day period. Full and half day schedules are also possible. Traveling School will custom plan a workshop according to the specific needs of our clients.
Schedules
Days can be divided into 2 sessions with a morning session from 10:00 to 13:00 and an afternoon session from 15:00 to 18:00, or 1 session per day with a 2-4 hour morning or afternoon session . Preparation for the final concert is integrated into the afternoon session.
Final Concert Presentation.
A very important aspect of our workshops is the final concert presentation. When its possible TS puts on a concert where all the participants including our staff play together. This concert is usually free and open to the public.Required Facilities and Equipment
Performance space for workshops/final concert, extra rehearsal rooms depending on the number of participants, drums, keyboard(s), guitar, bass and keyboard amps. Small mixing board, mics and monitors, cd/tape player, music stands.
Additional percussion instruments, when available: Timpani, mallet instruments (vibraphone, marimba, xylophone etc.) bass drum, gongs, miscellaneous latin percussion, extra snare drums.
Fees
Fees are based on the size of our staff which depends on the number of participants. Basically one staff member is needed for every 10-12 participants. Fees do not include travel and hospitality costs.
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President Associazione Traveling School:
TRAVELING STAFF Toni Miranda / guitar Matt Renzi/sax and clarinet Tina Omerzo/piano Stefano Solani/acoustic bass Paolo Porta/sax Francesco Guaiana/guitar Iñaki Askunze/sax and arranging Nicola Tuzzato/sax e scuola media Masa Kamaguchi/acoustic bass Gigi Di Gregorio/sax Marco Tindiglia /guitar Dan Fox/trombone Claudia Sanguineti/voice Anna Sini and Paolo Roberts/gospel
| Improvisation | Travelogue | Ensembles |
| Staff | myspace | Links |
| 2008 Agenda | Italiano | Contact |
Contact Traveling School
Jimmy Weinstein jwtrav@gmail.com
Liliana Santon lstrav@gmail.com
Via Fornaci 124 35129 Padova, Italy
Phone: Italy+39 333 464 3824 :
Spain+34 653 33 8004
