Jazz Education
Ken Gable provides jazz workshops and clinics for beginning jazz programs and for established programs looking to take their program to the next level.
Workshops for Teachers
• Professional Development for non-Jazz Educators
Provides teachers the tools and strategies to effectively teach students the three main characteristics of jazz: Swing, the Blues, and Improvisation. This is an interactive workshop where the teachers will be participating on their primary instruments.
• Beginning Jazz Method: “Ditch those Big Band Charts!”
Most beginning jazz programs perform only Big Band charts where only the students that “can” improvise are the ones to take the solos. Improvisation is about learning how to create melodies on the spot, but many parts in a big band chart don’t even have the melody. As a result, most students don’t feel confident improvising and would rather just play the written solo.
This workshop will provide teachers the method on how to teach students the art of improvisation through learning melodies and song form. This is an interactive workshop where the teachers will be participating on their primary instruments.
Clinics
• Jazz Improvisation: Beginner Starter Kit!
Students will learn the step-by-step process of learning a jazz standard which includes: Memorizing a melody, learning the song form, identifying target notes, chord/scale analysis, and researching the original and/or most notable recordings.
• Pre-Festival Clinic
This is an opportunity to receive a positive critique of your festival program. It is recommended to have this clinic at least two weeks prior to the festival date in order to have time to implement the feedback.