Jazz Academy

"There is more to jazz than meets the ear!"

Introduction

Jazz Academy Vacation Courses:

Winter Jazz - 27-30 December 2008

Piano People - Spring 2009

Summer Jazz - late August 2009

Jazz for beginners

All instrumentalists, jazz singers and accompanists

String players

91 years of Jazz Improvisation: 1917-2008

All periods and preferences

Nightly jazz club

Associated Board jazz syllabus

Click here for details of Jazz Academy records featuring Michael Garrick and his various groups.

Beechwood Campus Established in 1989, Jazz Academy takes place at Beechwood Campus in Royal Tunbridge Wells. The venue is in a beautiful setting with unlimited parking, residential accommodation with onsite catering and licensed bars. But that's not all!

Jazz, the music of the last and the new centuries, is our focus and for us, it celebrates good-humoured human spirit, not birthdays or long faces!
We don't pay that much attention to generation gaps at Jazz Academy (average ages 16-75): we're here to illuminate and pass on our experience, skills and great love of jazz, the music that thrills us to the bone.

Enthusiasm Your only qualifications need to be a real curiosity, an ability to play or sing (in your own judgement) with reasonable facility and above all, an enthusiasm for sharing and learning with an open mind.

Environment We look forward to welcoming back (as often happens) previous students and making way for lots of new ones. Our environments are chosen for their friendliness, good catering, greenery, swimming pools and ample, free parking.

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Quotes: "Jazz Academy is a different world. Fantastic!"
"Great value for money"
"It did me a power of good"
"A revelation...my first real insight into jazz"
"I learned a hell of a lot"
"It's given me a good firm kick up the butt!"
"I've been on lots of Jazz courses - Jazz Academy was the first one where I really learned something"
"It's better than a fortnight in the West Indies!"
- Quotes like these from former students echo our general aim - a great deal of fun plus a feast of good music. See below for an unsolicited testimonial from a student who attended the summer course.

Timetable A typical day's timetable for all three courses starts shortly after 9am and runs throughout 5 periods till 5.30pm. It includes:

Instrumental tutorials

Illustrated jazz history

Ensembles

Harmony classes

Graded improvisation

Playalong sessions with tutor rhythm sections

Jazz beginners classes

Vocal groups

Opportunities for individual tuition

Composing and arranging

The Jazz examination syllabus from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music can also be studied by those who may be interested.

Specific details for the courses are given below:

Winter Jazz What happens between Xmas and New Year, apart from more eating, more drinking and more insufferable relatives?! (If you really want to stay together though, bring them along at the reduced friends and relations rate). WINTER JAZZ is the answer - an oasis of cool excitement for all instrumentalists and vocalists at Beechwood between Chrismas & New Year (27-30 December).
Piano People Here the focus is on piano and rhythm section work, all instrumentalists and singers who wish to improve their keyboard skills are welcome. The next Piano People takes place during Spring 2009.
Summer Jazz In late Summer, the Jazz Academy Summer Course is for all instrumentalists and vocalists. A wide variety of people and instruments makes this a most enjoyable musical experience for anyone who is interested in learning more about jazz. The next Summer course is late August 2009.

Please note that both the Christmas and Summer courses follow more or less the same format, the main difference being the length of each course. Piano People is structured differently as the emphasis is on piano/keyboard/rhythm section skills.

Evening Jazz Club Our jazz club runs from 7.30pm to 10.30pm; time slots are freely bookable as are tutors to play or sing with. You can be sure of a warm and positive reception regardless of ability or performing experience. Friends, family and jazz fans are welcomed to a swinging scene and a fully licensed bar.

Why choose Jazz Academy?

Matthias Garrick (congas) inspires juniors Jack and Naomi

Value for money: Jazz Academy's Summer Course runs for six full days in total (Winter Jazz is three days long). Every minute of the day is utilised to the full! You won't be left twiddling your thumbs!
Opportunities for performing: All students have the chance to perform either solo or as part of organised or ad-hoc groups in the nightly club which is situated on campus.
Click here for pictures taken at the Jazz Academy Club 2006.
Courses to suit all musicians: Jazz Academy courses are designed to appeal to any musician who has an interest in jazz and a reasonable ability to play their chosen instrument or sing - in their own estimation. Classically-trained? In a Rock/Pop band? String player? School music teacher? Jazz Academy's tutors are specialists in helping all of these tpes of students as well as those from a purely jazz background. You won't be left out!
Quality of tutors: Jazz Academy tutors are all experienced, professional musicians and are drawn from institutions such as Guildhall School of Music, Royal Academy of Music, Trinity College, Birmingham Conservatoire and the Associated Board. Their wide experience with students of all abilities includes inspirational work with primary and secondary schoolchildren. You'll find that all tutors are friendly, approachable and willing to help you learn.
Wide range of styles covered: Jazz Academy courses are designed to appeal to the widest range of jazz interests, from the earliest pre-jazz and ragtime styles to the tastiest avant-garde and 'cutting-edge' of today's performers. There's something for everyone!

The course brochure for Winter Jazz 2008 is now available. You can download it here. Please check that you have enabled popup windows for this site or the download will not work! Early registration is advised. If you are unable to download the brochure please telephone the numbers below.

Registration (Piano People 2009 / Summer Jazz 2009)

The brochures for Piano People 2009 & Summer Jazz 2009 will be available soon.

Enquiries welcome on 01892 541464 or 01442 864989.

Vocal tutor Trudy Kerr accompanied by Michael Garrick (piano)

Frequently Asked Questions

Relaxing on the terrace during tea break!

How did Jazz Academy start? Having done lots of jazz work in Hampshire and Manchester with children of all ages, John Dankworth asked me to start a Summer Jazz course for his Wavendon All Music plan. A few years later I was teaching at the Royal Academy of Music and in 1989 with the help of my old Wavendon colleague Arthur Lockwood began Jazz Academy there, moving to Beechwood nine years later.
The great advantage of vacation courses - apart from the non-stop fun - is no exams. You learn as much or as little as you need, no questions asked. Age? Eight to eighty is about it, but nothing surprises us. It's about love of the music and pooling our experience. Tutors learn more all the time and love to pass on to others what makes them tick.
Michael Garrick
Why are Jazz Academy courses value for money? It's because you get more hours of teaching per day. The teaching day starts earlier and finishes later - there are five sessions per day.
What's the atmosphere like on the courses? Jazz Academy tutors are experienced in making sure that all students get a fair chance to learn during the week. Classes are self-grading: you can change classes if you wish

Are there opportunities to perform during the week? Yes! Each night there is the evening Jazz Club which gives all students a chance to play. We have been told that performing opportunities are best at Jazz Academy courses.

What if I've just started to learn an instrument? Jazz Academy courses are designed for students who can already play their instrument or sing - but you don't need Grade 8 (or to have taken any exams, for that matter) to get the most out of the courses! Intermediate level players are in the majority and students who can already read music will find that they benefit most from the courses

I can't make it for the whole course, can I attend just a few days? Yes, there is a "per-day" rate for just such cases. Don't forget to state on your enrolment form clearly which days you will attend.

Charles Brereton (piano and Associated Board Jazz examiner) entertains Susan Moylan (flute) and daughter Naomi

An unsolicited testimonial

Dear Michael,

A note to thank you and the whole of the Jazz Academy Team for an absolutely superb Summer Jazz 2006 at Beechwood. My learning experience last week extended far beyong my expectations; but first the memory lingers of the sheer niceness of Jazz Academy tutors, fellow students and Beechwood staff. What a vital element of Jazz Academy's 18th anniversary course!

Next, I was fortunate to study with three core JA tutors, Paul, Martin and Steve. Down at the shallow end, in Paul's ensemble I was often amazed at how he was able to break down already bite-sized chunks into even tinier portions that slipped enjoyably down the throats of complete jazz innocents. These ideas later resurfaced quite distinctly jazz-flavoured in the evening jazz club. Perhaps I can take a little pride in occasionally lifting my own feet from the bottom to swim tentatively towards a jazz depth of five feet or so, and there I, too, found that Paul's morsels had a remarkably bouyant effect on my solos.

Gabriel Garrick (trumpet) leads wind aspirants with Pauline Davis (piano)

Most useful for me with specialist saxophone tuition was Martin. His schoolmaster charicatures began with the calling of the register and his seriously memorable tutorials reminded me more than anything of the "Beano" or the "Dandy". And his comments became inkier as and when the Essex Girls, or anyone else for that matter, required. And through this humour his very salient and serious points stuck. And still stick. I loved it.

Steve is the voice of reason. He explains everything, however complex, so clearly and so reasonably that you just have to agree with him. And then do it. Or keep trying to... Serious stuff, but again, so nice.

Michael, your own appearances motivated me every time. All the course talks were great, but your placement of Roots, Humour and the Human Condition was very, very moving. Thank you. But most of all, and to all the JA team - thank you for your wonderful music. Marvellous.

Yours Sincerely,

Martin Holland.

...

Course founder Michael Garrick is one of the UK's leading jazz educators.
Formerly Professor of Jazz Piano at the Royal Academy of Music, Trinity College of Music and John Dankworth's Wavendon Allmusic Plan, he's led his own groups since the '60s (presently a trio, quartet and jazz orchestra) and has approaching 1000 compositions in his catalogue.
Click here for details of Jazz Academy records featuring Michael Garrick and his various groups.

Click for a photo of the Michael Garrick Jazz Orchestra
Written by Charles Brereton and published on behalf of Jazz Academy.
Text copyright � 1997-2008 Charles Brereton & Michael Garrick
All Rights Reserved.

Last update: 14th September 2008