Brian Wilensky Abington Journal Correspondent
LA PLUME--Keystone College will host its third annual Jazz Institute next week featuring some of the area's leading jazz musicians.
The Keystone College Jazz Institute is a weeklong day camp where young jazz players can learn from jazz artists such as Marko Marcinko, James Buckley, Tom Hamilton, Tony Marino, Eddie Severn and Bill Washer.
The camp takes place in correspondence with the sixth annual Scranton Jazz Festival at the Radisson Hotel in downtown Scranton, Friday through Sunday, August 6 to 8.
The Jazz Institute usually attracts high school-age students in small groups--usually 15 to 30 students. However, the smaller numbers allow individualized attention for each student.
“Each year there is a wide range of experience. We always manage to match up skill levels when we put them into groups to play together," said Marko Marcinko, founder of the Pennsylvania Jazz Alliance. “We have several students that have come back each year and then gone on to music school at Berklee, Temple, UArts and other schools," said Marcinko.
The camp will cover music theory and ear training, improvisation, performing in combos, vocal style and technique, performance and practice routines, guitar and bass technique, rhythm section technique and jazz history.
The importance of improvisation in jazz is a driving proponent in the camp. “School bands usually focus on playing in a big band on stage," said Marcinko. “It's important to learn improvisation in small groups because there are more small group gigs. It's even historically accurate because that's where it all started."
“Playing in small combos gives the students a chance to stand alone," said Jim Buckley, Jazz Institute teacher and music teacher in the Scranton School District. “But it's not a threatening environment either.
“We try to enlighten them with all the tools necessary to be a functioning musician by applying things like scales and modes to gain the ability of hearing the inner music's inner chess game."
Groups put together by the Jazz Institute will perform at the Scranton Jazz Festival August 8. “It's a nice prize at the end of a week's work for the students to be able to play for a crowd on a major stage," said Marcinko.
The Keystone Jazz Institute will take place July 26 to 30, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Anyone interested can still sign up by contacting Crystal Siegle at Keystone College, 570.945.8580.
LA PLUME--Keystone College will host its third annual Jazz Institute next week featuring some of the area's leading jazz musicians.
The Keystone College Jazz Institute is a weeklong day camp where young jazz players can learn from jazz artists such as Marko Marcinko, James Buckley, Tom Hamilton, Tony Marino, Eddie Severn and Bill Washer.
The camp takes place in correspondence with the sixth annual Scranton Jazz Festival at the Radisson Hotel in downtown Scranton, Friday through Sunday, August 6 to 8.
The Jazz Institute usually attracts high school-age students in small groups--usually 15 to 30 students. However, the smaller numbers allow individualized attention for each student.
“Each year there is a wide range of experience. We always manage to match up skill levels when we put them into groups to play together," said Marko Marcinko, founder of the Pennsylvania Jazz Alliance. “We have several students that have come back each year and then gone on to music school at Berklee, Temple, UArts and other schools," said Marcinko.
The camp will cover music theory and ear training, improvisation, performing in combos, vocal style and technique, performance and practice routines, guitar and bass technique, rhythm section technique and jazz history.
The importance of improvisation in jazz is a driving proponent in the camp. “School bands usually focus on playing in a big band on stage," said Marcinko. “It's important to learn improvisation in small groups because there are more small group gigs. It's even historically accurate because that's where it all started."
“Playing in small combos gives the students a chance to stand alone," said Jim Buckley, Jazz Institute teacher and music teacher in the Scranton School District. “But it's not a threatening environment either.
“We try to enlighten them with all the tools necessary to be a functioning musician by applying things like scales and modes to gain the ability of hearing the inner music's inner chess game."
Groups put together by the Jazz Institute will perform at the Scranton Jazz Festival August 8. “It's a nice prize at the end of a week's work for the students to be able to play for a crowd on a major stage," said Marcinko.
The Keystone Jazz Institute will take place July 26 to 30, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Anyone interested can still sign up by contacting Crystal Siegle at Keystone College, 570.945.8580.
