Improvisation Sessions - Christopher D. Azzara - Eastman Community Music School

The Eastman Community Music School is repeating its seminars of improvisation this Fall, free and open to the public, and again each semester for the next several years. Players of the Native American flute can appreciate improvisation being a core part of playing music "from the heart," and I look forward to these sessions sponsored by the amazing Eastman Community Music School. You are encouraged to "bring your instrument and join in ... hands-on, no-pressure, inspiring sessions."

The Fall series of seminars information is below, followed by further details as provided by the Eastman Community Music School.

All sessions will take place on three Saturdays, 12:30-2:00 in Messinger Hall, Room One, at the Eastman Community Music School, 10 Gibbs St, Rochester, NY 14604.

• Session 1: Improvisation: How to Get Started 
• Saturday, November 15, 2014, 12:30 – 2:00

• Session 2: Familiar Repertoire as Inspiration for Improvisation: Six Elements and Seven Skills for Learning to Improvise
• Saturday, November 22, 2014, 12:30 – 2:00 

• Session 3: Making Connections: Listen - Improvise - Read - Compose 
• Saturday, December 6, 2014, 12:30 – 2:00

If you wish, you may R.s.v.p. to the Finger Lakes Flute Circle Meetup group page to let us know you'll be going!

Session 1, November 15:

RSVP

Session 2, November 22:

RSVP

Session 3, December 6:
RSVP

The ECMS faculty have determined to find ways to heighten the importance of improvisation / composition in all of our teaching and ultimately in our students artistic output. To that end, the Eastman Community Music School is presenting three hands-on, accessible seminars on improvisation this semester (Fall 2014) and each semester for the next several years. Our guest artist this semester (back by popular demand) is renown pianist, arranger, author and music educator Christopher Azzara (see bio below). 

These sessions are free and open to the public. Music students of all levels and backgrounds, their parents and music educators are particularly encourage to attend. Please bring your instrument and join in - these will be hands-on, no-pressure, inspiring sessions! Please feel free to attend any session/s you are able to attend. Professional development certificates will be available to music educators. 

Improvisation Sessions - Christopher D. Azzara:

Improvisation in music is the spontaneous expression of meaningful musical ideas and is important to the music learning process. During these interactive sessions, Christopher Azzara will present key elements of improvisation including personalization, spontaneity, interaction, and being “in the moment” and he will explore the relationships among improvisation, listening, reading, and composition. To some, the very thought of improvisation invokes fear. If we learn to let go of that fear, we find that indeed we are improvisers. Azzara will discuss how improvisation enables musicians to express themselves from an internal source and is central to developing musicianship in all aspects of music education. 

Christopher Azzara will provide practical, accessible ideas for learning to improvise again this fall. Using repertoire as a foundation, these sessions will address specific improvisation techniques including learning repertoire, developing musical motives, understanding chord progressions, spontaneity, interaction, improvising melodic phrases, and Seven Skills for learning to improvise. The sessions will explore a variety of performance genres and include principles for embracing improvisation as an integral part of performance and instruction. 

Christopher Azzara – Bio http://www.esm.rochester.edu/faculty/azzara_christopher/ 

No need to register, just show up and have fun!