Filing-in The Gaps — Improv coaching for all instruments

Berkeley CA

Description

ALL INSTRUMENTALISTS (string, horn, & mallets players, guitarists & bassists, too) ALL STYLES (jazz, Latin, African, funk, pop, classical) ALL LEVELS (beginning through pro) If you’re just starting out your journey as an improviser, you'll love what happen when the doors swing wide open If you're already gigging and even teaching, you'll love the feeling of filling in all those "gaps" and blowing the lid     off of what you thought you were capable of. "I feel very grateful for the time we got to spend together. You opened my ears and mind to the next logical steps in jazz and other types of improvisation. My ability to explore more interesting harmonic and melodic concepts has expanded into larger, more interesting melodic leaps plus more effective use of altered and whole-tone altered scales. As I come to terms with the role of the cello in a jazz setting, I feel like everything we worked on is very present in all my improvisational endeavors." -Sam Bass (cellist/recording and touring artist with Les Claypool) "Michael has been able to detect my strengths and weaknesses quite specifically and pinpoint ways for me to improve. His approach is systematic and a good mix between technical and artistic..." -Alan Wick (clarinetist) • HARMONIC THEORY ~ navigate easily through different flavors of harmony and create your own harmonic colors       on-the-fly, even if the piece has no chord changes. • WESTERN & EASTERN SCALES ~ scales from the East are no longer "exotic", they're just guaranteed to spice-up       your playing. • EAR-TRAINING & THE VOCAL CONNECTION ~ the fastest way to build your confidence as a player is to build       your ear and let it come through your voice, you'll get hired more often, too! • TRANSCRIPTION ~ writing out tunes (as well as solos) that inspire you is a great learning tool and the next step        for building your musicality. • RHYTHM & FINDING YOUR GROOVE ~ when your rhythm is solid everything falls into place as your phrasing      takes on a new freedom, regardless of the meter. • FREE IMPROVISATION ~ a great technique to loosen-up your creativity and creates spontaneous music with friends       that really works. • COMPOSING & ARRANGING ~ you've probably thought about it for a long time, now's the time to jump in and hear       your creations played like you hear them. Michael Smolens has been teaching improvisation to students and professionals for five decades. He has published extensively and lead workshops on the art of practicing and also teaches through the California Jazz Conservatory and Sonoma State University. He has recorded and/or performed with vibraphonist Stefon Harris, tabla icon Zakir Hussain, drummers Akira Tana & Alan Hall, horn players Paul McCandless, Paul Hanson, Sheldon Brown & Erik Jekabson, string players David Balakrishnan, Evan Price, Sam Bass, & Aaron Germain, and vocalists Rhiannon, David Worm, Bryan Dyer, Katy Stephen, & Claudia Schmidt. Great West Berkeley location, minutes from the Bay Bridge. For more information call or email - Michael"at"SecondSightMusic.com. Check out his articles and videos at www.SecondSightMusic.com/teaching_library.html