Basic Forms
How does one begin to move away from the printed page to bring our creative
abilities to the music of the church community? Each student at Music on the
Fly will participate in a daily session called "Basic Forms." Keyboard and
non-keyboard sessions will be concurrent. There is a long and august tradition
of improvisation in the history of music. In this session, historical models
will be considered, beginning with chant and sampling various movements such
as baroque ornamentation, variation forms, fantasias, classical cadenzas moving
up to the present. We will choose elements of improvisation and development
from these traditions that are worthy of emulation. Faculty will demonstrate
techniques and approaches for reinterpreting an existing piece. Students will
then work on developing their own applications.
Jazz
Participants of various levels will learn how to build an improvised solo
in the jazz setting. The morning sessions will explore blues, bebop, various
chord changes and modes, as well as different approaches to playing with the
rhythm section. The emphasis will be on making the most of what one already
knows and charting a path for progress that students can continue into the
future. Daily practice time to incorporate the concepts learned and daily
small group work will be important components.
Worship
Students will learn the skill of improvisation over common chord progressions
found in praise and worship music. Consideration is given to developing a
cohesive ensemble with the available musicians in a local church setting.
Emphasis will be given to developing forms and arrangements of current or
original songs for leading congregational worship. Modes and the blues scale
will be introduced as vehicles for improvisation. The idea of creative soloing
and/or musical interpretation of a text will be explored.
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