Frequently Asked Questions

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.

Unsolicited testimonials

Dear Mike,

I just wanted to say thank you for the amazing jazz course you have put together. I was very fortunate that I came across your Jazz Academy site and signed up for the course (Summer Jazz 2011). It was my first ever jazz course and I have learnt a tremendous amount from it.

At first it was daunting and I felt I was inadequate in many ways, but then I felt more relaxed and it made me motivated to learn jazz seriously. I had never played in an ensemble before this course. What a wonderful experience you have provided! Being away from hectic London, the Yehudi Menuhin School was perfect for the course aswell. I have enjoyed meeting the tutors and fellow students in a very friendly atmosphere.

I found your piano seminars especially intriguing and engaging. Your knowledge of music was astounding and you explained things so clearly to us. I liked how you threw in anecdotes and jokes and made us laugh at the same time. Listening to you play so beautifully and magically inspired me to explore further into jazz. By the way, I had 'You've Changed' stuck in my head for a week. It is one of the most enchanting tunes.

Thank you again for giving us such a fantastic experience. It certainly was the most intense week of the year for me. I enjoyed being immersed in jazz. See you soon at one of your concerts!

Sincerely yours,

Akemi Fujita

Dear Michael,

A quick note to thank you and your team of tutors for making Winter Jazz 2010 a special experience. I enjoyed the course you ran at Aberystwyth all those years ago, but we know that the difficulty in getting a critical mass of players together (a perennial problem in this remote and underpopulated area) meant that it was hard work for you and the people attending it. Since then I have tried one other, much larger, course (I won't say where and when) and didn't like it at all. Too much aggression, competition, ego and a generally unproductive vibe. This put me off jazz courses for many years. But Winter Jazz was so different-great tutors, lovely students, excellent venue, plenty of time and space to learn and perform. I especially enjoyed being able to gatecrash Trudy's vocal sessions (thanks Trudy!) and work on my accompaniment skills. Gabriel was great fun and I had a ball with the funky grooves he introduced to his improvising sessions. Gareth is something special and he brought the very best out of the ragged crew in his tutorial group. Pat, Martin and Fred Thelonious are just perfect as musicians, teachers and, well, people. And then there's M Garrick himself, the Capo di Capi, setting standards that journeyman keyboard pounders like me can only dream of.

Anyway, enough of the gush. I just wanted to say you've created something special with Winter Jazz, you've cured my cynicism about such events and I will be very surprised if I don't return to one of the Jazz Academy fests before too long.

I hope you're over your mid-winter malaise-it didn't seem to interfere with your peerless piano performances-and that our paths cross again in the near future.

With best regards,

Sid Thomas

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.

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.