JMI School Workshops

This is a performance workshop where we will bring out a quartet of musicians led by one of JMI’s senior staff to perform standard jazz repertoire for your students, explaining the fundamentals of music and improvisation in the process.

This workshop goes for 1-hour and will focus on the following:

• Roles of different instruments in jazz
• Using scales and arpeggios to develop your own melodies
• Rhythmic language in jazz and how this relates to other genres
• Different musical styles and how to apply these concepts to those styles
• How to get started with your musical journey

Your students attending this workshop will be observing for the most part, so it is ideal for any music students at your school.  This workshop can be delivered to groups from 10 to 40 students.

These workshops costs $330 incl GST for high schools and can run any time that is suitable for your students.

The JMI Improvisation Workshop is a session that is focused on developing improvisational skills in your students.  The workshop can go for 1-2 hours and is delivered by a member of our esteemed faculty.  We can deliver the workshop at any time that suits the high school and can be catered towards the proficiency and current knowledge of your students, whether they are beginner, intermediate or advanced.

Topics include:

• Basic building blocks of harmony
• Breaking through the fear of improvising
• Improvising through chord progressions
• Using syncopation and rhythm in improvisation

This workshop is practical and interactive and will involve getting your students to play on their instruments.  This workshop is ideal for either:

• Your big band; or
• A small group of up to 15 students

The improvisation workshop will cost $198 incl GST per hour plus a travel fee for schools outside the Greater Brisbane region.

Having difficulty in getting your Big Band to swing? Don’t worry, we can help!

JMI’s senior lecturers are available to come out to your band rehearsals and work with your band on the following essential elements of jazz:

• Getting your rhythm section to work together
• Jazz phrasing and articulation
• Ensemble blending and dynamics

This workshop is perfect for preparing your big band for a performance, or helping to get your band to take the next step in their development.

The rehearsal workshop will cost $198 per hour incl GST  plus a travel fee for schools outside of the Greater Brisbane region.

This workshop can be held at the same time as your usual big band rehearsal time.

This workshop for young and emerging singers is led by JMI’s course coordinator and head of voice and is designed to work with your singers on the following fundamentals:

• Vocal technique including breathing, alignment, registration and basic vocal physiology
• Ear-training for singers and the application of theory
• Workshopping Jazz repertoire
• Leading a band including counting in tunes, Jazz lingo and band communication
• Group singing and harmonies
• Improvisational skills – How to phrase in Jazz using lyrics and how to scat sing
• Performance and stagecraft skills

This workshop is perfect for someone who is:

• Interested in learning to improvise
• Looking to audition for a tertiary music degree
• Interested in developing music theory skills
• Interested in working professionally as a musician in the future
• Looking to broaden their understanding of contemporary music genres
• Interested in a unique learning opportunity for preparation into tertiary learning

This workshop can be delivered in groups from 5 to 40 students and depending on the number of students, most will have the opportunity to perform and get feedback on repertoire. This workshop costs $198 incl GST per hour for high schools and can run any time that is suitable for your students.

JMI is offering 2-hour professional development workshops for teachers.  These workshops are very interactive and practical, focusing on how teachers can continue to develop strategies for teaching young people to become better musicians.

This 2-hour workshop will break down the fundamentals of music theory and how theory can be applied in a practical setting in both classroom music and instrumental music programs.

Topics in the workshop include:

• Unpacking rhythm and harmony for students
• How to inspire students to practice
• Developing improvisation skills in students
• Developing critical listening skills in students

These workshops are ideal for any school music program of any size, regardless of whether the teachers are focused on classical music or jazz.  These workshops are best delivered in groups of 4 to 10 teachers.

The cost of this workshop is $440 incl. GST.