July 2009

2009 Wrap up

The 2009 festival is now complete. Thanks to all our workshop particpants for a great week of music making. This is probably the largest and best group of workshop parcipants that we have had since starting the program. It was a fun week of great music making all around.

Special thanks to our Sponsors and volunteers. Without you our program could not run and continue to thrive. Special thanks to Bill Roberts and R&R Music in North Delta for providing us with instruments and a great PA system to use for the week. Thanks to MainRoad Construction and BC Arts Council for your support in this project. Thanks to all of our patrons and volunteers who were there to help us this week financially, as well as move equipment, set up venues, sell tickets, and just be around at events. Thanks to the Corporation of Delta Parks and Recreation for their support with facilities and Craig and the crew at Ladner Community Centre. Thanks to Delta Arts Council for their support with the theatre and especially to Ernie who came to operate sound and lights for us. Thanks to all of our guest artists this week for coming and sharing their art with us, and for graciously working with our workshop participants. Thanks to Dave, Steve, John and Chris for being there for us and making a difference. Thanks to our teaching assistant Chad Leyte for being available this week and helping us out with the workshop.
It was great to see so many young musicians turn out to our open jam session at Petra’s in Tsawwassen. Thanks to all of you who took the time to come and enjoy some great music making.
In the coming weeks participants will be contacted about sharing photos and mp3’s of some of the performances. There is quite a bit of editing to do but within the next couple of weeks there will be some pictures and sound bytes from the workshop for you to download.
From all of us at the workshop, Steve, Jared, Rob, Brad and Stan – Thank You!!
We are looking forward to seeing you back next year so put it in your calendar:
July 6 – 10, 2010.

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Day 5

Today was the final day of the sixth edition of the South Delta Jazz Festival. After a morning of some fine tuning rehearsals to get ready we moved all our gear from the community centre over to Delta Hospital to prepare for our afternoon performance under the Envision tent for the folks at Delta Hospital. Our five student workshop combos performed from 12 until 3pm on the outdoor stage at the hospital. Thanks to Envision Credit union for providing the tent for this year’s event, and for Delta Hospital Foundation for organizing such a fine event.

This evening was our final performance of the festival. Steve Maddock delivered a wonderful concert of standards with Lorne Kellett at the piano and the faculty band. A great evening was had by all. What a great wrap up to a wonderful week of music making.
Looking forward to next year!

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Day 4


Jazz workshop day 4, the week continues… Today featured local Vancouver saxophonist David Branter in two performances and a masterclass with our saxophone students. Dave performed with the faculty band at lunch and gave us a small taste of what was to come this evening. Dave chose a mix of compositions including standards and original compositions by both himself and Jared Burrows.

Dave gave a saxophone masterclass this afternoon. His class was about jazz improvisation and use of Bebop scales. He took our students through a series of quick exercises that explored the use of myxolydian scales and a few patterns to help unlock the doors to modern bebop playing and help us aquire the technical facility to play such complicated patterns.

Dave teaches at Vancouver Community College and has a website of saxophone essentials that has some online lessons, complete with mp3 and video clips. I would encourage our musicians to check it out.

Tonight’s evening concert was a gas, easily one of the best performances of the fesitval so far with Dave and the band receiving a rousing standing ovataion at the end. Bravo!!

Tomorrow is the final day, with the student ensembles performing at Delta Hospital from 1 – 3pm, and the special evening concert with Steve Maddock and Lorne Kellett at the Tsawwassen Arts Centre. Tickets are going fast, only $10 – available at South Coast Casuals and at the door.

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