The Magic of Jazz Education Through Combo Improvisation:
The Essence of Jazz Education

International Workshops on 5 Continents!

1. China (2012-2013)
2. Australia (2003 & 2005)
3. Brazil (2007)
4. Chile (2003)
5. Hawaii (2006) and 2008
6. New Zealand (2005)
7. Poland (1996, 1998, 2001, 2009 and 2012)
8. Switzerland (2009)
9. Ukraine (2001 and 2012)
10. Australia, China and Fiji (2015)
11. More Being Scheduled in 2016 & Beyond!
    
    

Jazz Education Accomplishments in 49+ years! Click here.

Clinic Topics Available: click here based on over 600 pages offering:

Step-by-step techniques and practical guidelines in the
Complete Guide to Instrumental Jazz Instruction

This comprehensive set of books is designed to meet three specific needs: a) College music education courses dealing with jazz education; b) music teachers who have never taught jazz before but want to make it part of their regular music curriculum; and c) teachers who are looking for proven ways to turn out better jazz players and ensembles. Here's a remarkable new guide that's tailored to meet those needs comprehensively and thoroughly!

COMPLETE GUIDE TO INSTRUMENTAL JAZZ INSTRUCTION:
Book I Big Band Instruction
Book II Improvisation Instruction
Book III Combo Instruction

Written by two nationally-known music educators with a combined experience of almost 60 years in virtually every segment of jazz education, it's packed with practical daily help in virtually every phase of jazz instruction and performance. For example, you'll find:

  Step-by-step techniques for organizing a jazz education program.... from strategies for winning the approval of administrators and designing curricula, to scheduling jazz in your overall music program.

• Practical directions for setting up a large jazz ensemble, including audition and selection of musicians, arranging optimal seating and setups for rehearsals and concerts, establishing a repertory, plus directories listing sources of basic jazz literature and charts.
  Specific information on how to establish and sustain a jazz combo situation, including model programs, rehearsal techniques, numerous sources for charts, performance strategies.
  Down-to-earth advice on selecting jazz equipment, including saxophones, trombones, trumpets, drums, cymbals, auxiliary percussion equipment, bass amplifier, electric bass and piano, guitars and guitar amps, sound modifiers, PA systems, and recording equipment.
  Rehearsal techniques for improving your ensemble's tone, intonation, dynamics, breath support, blend, balance, articulation, and rhythm development.
  Extensive information about how to teach improvisation, with multiple approaches, numerous sources of methods and materials, and plenty of successful strategies that will enable even inexperienced teachers to succeed.
  Detailed blueprints for putting together a concert or festival, from selecting the right music to deciding on the format and length.
  Suggestions for getting additional money for your jazz program, including little-known funding sources and innovative fund-raising ideas.
  A multitude of ideas regarding extra-musical considerations such as programming, promoting, and succeeding with festivals or contests.

For quick access and easy use, all of this useful information is organized into logical and distinct segments that, upon completion of all three books, form a clear and comprehensive picture of virtually every activity encountered in instrumental jazz instruction.

Jazz Education Highlights!

John travels the world to share jazz education concepts.

• Presented clinics at the 2009 International Association of Schools of Jazz in Lucerne, Switzerland and 2009 Pulawy International Jazz Workshop in Pulawy, Poland.
1. Digital Magic": Seamlessly From 'Live' Recording (to MP3) To Web Posting in Minutes! at:; http://www.kuzmich.com/Lucerne.html
2. IASJ Concert: Fast and Dirty Demonstration Starter! at: http://www.kuzmich.com/IASJ/IASJ%20Demo%20Recordings.html
3. Pulawy Jazz Technology Recording Sessions at: http://www.kuzmich.com/Pulawy.html
   
   
• The Hawaii workshops represent quite a story. Enjoy two animated GIF slideshows at: http://www.kuzmich.com/Hawaii2006.html.
  

• The South American workshops are in Brazil in July, 2007 in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. See July, 2008 issue: http://www.kuzmich.com/articles/improvisation.pdf. "Breaking The Improvisational Barrier Without Your Axe!"

• Quick highlights of 49+ years as a jazz educator at: http://www.kuzmich.com/Jazz_Workshops.html
  
  
• Find out why 49+ years is better than less with an entry-level improvisation workshop videos taken at Ponahou High School in Honolulu, Hawaii in 2006 using jazz ensemble, girl's choir, symphonic band and string orchestra. If I can teach improvisation in those non-traditional jazz settings, jazz band was very easy and even more straight-forward. Here is the "Rest of the Story" to demonstrate that jazz improvsation can be taught to everybody via a 50+ minute workshop in its entirety at http://www.kuzmich.com/Ponahou_Entire.ram (50 minutes 40 seconds) or conveniently arranged the workshop concepts into nine separate videos below.
  
  
  1. Introducing John Kuzmich, Jr.: 54 seconds
  2. Introduction Workshop Comments: 2 minutes 26 seconds
  3. Jazz Fundamentals: 2: minutes, 54 seconds
  4. Emulating A Rhythm Section: 1 minute, 23 minutes
  5. Blues Form: 1 minute, 23 seconds
  6. More Form Concepts In Learning A Tune: "Comin' Home" by Ben Tucker: 6 minutes, 34 seconds
  7. First One-Note Solos: 6 minutes, 34 seconds
  8. Jamming With "Comin' Home": 5 minutes, 21 seconds
  9. Coda: More Jamming: 1 minute, 28 seconds
  
  

  If you need to download a free multimedia player for audio and/or video playback for PC Windows and Mac users, go to: RealOne Player

  
  
• Jazz education has come a long ways since the mid 1960's when John began teaching at the high school level. Learn the insides of what he has learned in 49+ years with a multimedia presentation about John's experftise in music technology with jazz education implications at: http://www.kuzmich2.com/Camtasia_Videoconferencing/Intro.html