This retreat has been designed with YOU in mind...

By limiting the number of participants, the Jazz Harmony Retreat is able to cater to the individual needs of each individual. It is of vital importance that each participant be given the individual attention that will enable them to move through concepts as quickly as their aptitude will allow. The instructors are devoted to educating in a manner that fosters growth on an individual basis. For this reason, there will be a limit of just 12 online participants with spaces being granted on a first come, first served basis. 

All Experience Levels Welcome

Upon receiving your registration, you’ll be sent a short diagnostic exam that will be of great assistance to us. When we get it back, our faculty will easily be able to pinpoint your weaknesses and select an experience level that is a good match for you. Because of this pre-testing procedure, you and your instructors will be able to hit the ground running – making it a sure bet that by the end of the first day of the retreat, your honeymoon with harmony will have begun. 

“Hands On” Study in a Safe and Friendly Environment

One of the biggest hindrances to adult learning is the fear of having one's limitations exposed. To some, this can be downright terrifying. At The Jazz Harmony Retreat, you will be working with user-friendly instructors who welcome you just as you are and are inspired by your eagerness to better yourselves.  Initiating a change like this in your life is something of which you should proud. You'll immediately experience your courage being celebrated and your limitations being short lived. 

Quick Acquisition of Skills

The faculty members you'll be working with at the retreat have years and years of experience in jazz instruction. They have refined their crafts in such a way that they are able to take you from point A to point B in the fastest possible way. You may even start by learning what chord symbols actually mean and how to develop a vocabulary of skills that will enable you to express yourself through them.

The bulk of your jazz harmony study will come via sitting at the piano and experimenting with a new world of ear candy. Through your hands and through your pencil, you'll be exploring jazz harmony as originated by the masters. Some of the sounds will be familiar to you and others will be brand new. By combining your bold determination with the comprehensive assignments we give you, you'll quickly find yourself with a wide range of beautiful sounds at your fingertips.  

Vocal Arranging

You will learn to write arrangements for your own ensembles employing stock voicings that are used by all professional arrangers. By the end of the retreat, you will have written an entire arrangement of your very own. You will leave the retreat truly ready to write yourself silly throughout the year. 

Jazz Piano

Yes, even YOU can play jazz piano and in a relatively short amount of time. You will be shown how to practice and succeed with Jazz Piano, even if you have more than two thumbs!  You will be given the instruction needed to be able to play jazz piano at a level that caters to your specific abilities. By the end of the retreat, you'll be able to play piano better in whatever way you find most helpful for your own ensemble.  Perhaps that means you want to be able to “comp” over a 12-bar blues by yourself in a rehearsal. Perhaps this means you want to learn to play by yourself a standard on the piano, or perhaps you want to learn how to play in a rhythm section better so you can better instruct your students. In addition to this, you will be shown how you can continue your studies throughout the year so that your progress doesn't end when the Jazz Harmony Retreat does. 

 

Jazz Solo Singing & Improvisation

Although our aim is to take you as far as you can possibly go in terms of harmony, you can’t use the same part of your brain for ten to twelve hours each day. We will also be sharing with you "play-time sessions" in active listening sessions, solo performance, the ins and outs of the sound system, new literature reading session, and even improvisation! Once again, this may strike fear in the hearts of many beginners reading this. You needn't be alarmed. Not only will we show you how to make this a fun part of your day with your own students, we'll be showing you by means of making it a fun part of your day! Regardless of your past experiences OR your current level of musicianship, we will help you to realize the joy that can be found in exploration. The ultimate goal of ALL we teach you, and subsequently what you teach your own students, is to create. This portion of the Jazz Harmony Retreat helps you to embrace that process!

Fellowship

You and your peers will have a chance to mix and mingle, allowing you to share with one another what you’re experiencing at the Jazz Harmony Retreat. It's also a great time to swap stories about your daily life at school, exchange ideas, and get new perspectives from individuals going through situations similar to your own. In addition, you have the opportunity to pick the brains of the faculty regarding anything pertaining to your studies and/or career. Upon completion of the retreat, you'll find that you've inherited a small network of like-minded educators who are "in the game", so to speak. Pioneers who are taking the initiative to do what it takes to really make a difference in the lives of their students. Since you'll literally have gone through the Jazz Harmony Retreat together, you'll have made life long friends. A support group like this can prove to be invaluable.