Amazing opportunity to work with world-class Jazz exponent
On 4 June, the Senior and Intermediate Jazz bands were given an amazing opportunity to do a two hour Jazz workshop with well-known Baritone saxophone player, Denis DiBlasio. After acquiring his Masters at the University of Miami, Denis became a member of the Big Band of Maynard Ferguson, where he spent five years as musical director. He currently serves as the Executive Director of The Maynard Ferguson Institute of Jazz and is Director of Jazz and Composition at Rowan University in Glassboro in New Jersey. He travels the world performing and running personalized clinics with people of all ages and has recordings, compositions and texts. Given that he is a world-class composer and musician, he taught the group many interesting things to do with jazz. He gave the rhythm section (which consists of drums, bass guitar and piano) some pointers and gave the frontline (which was made up of brass and woodwind) some constructive advice, especially when it came to successful strategies for improvisation. I would like to thank Mrs Clarke for making this opportunity possible.
by Charlie Victoria, Middle School Girls’ Music Captain