Summer Jazz Academy for Youth-2009
The long awaited Summer Jazz Academy for Youth-2009 finally happened, presenting the participants with a lasting feeling of creativity and friendship. The 3rd session of the Urals International Summer Jazz Academy founded by the Ministry of Culture of Sverdlovsk Oblast, the Musical College named after P.I. Tchaikovskiy, and Jazz Center Kamerton took place in Yekaterinburg from September 30 to October 2, 2009. The U.S. Consulate General in Yekaterinburg sponsored the Academy by inviting two prominent American jazz musicians - James Beatty, clarinet and Adam Klipple, piano (see linked story).
The educational session started with an open rehearsal of American and Russian jazz men at the Urals State Variety “Estrady” Theater where students could watch the engaging process of the musicians' first meeting rapidly developing into a fascinating improvisational dialogue. The next day the Academy was officially opened by the Minister of Culture Natalya Vetrova and U.S. Consul General Tim Sandusky at the renowned Makletskiy concert hall. For the next four hours the audience was treated to competition performances by over 100 young jazz musicians in four age categories ranging from 7 to 25 years old, as well as two performance nominations (ensemble and solo). Among the judges on the panel were Adam Klipple, Jim Beatty, Consul General Tim Sandusky, the director of the Musical College Victor Pastukhov, trumpeter Sergey Pron’ and soloist of the “Estrady” Theater’s jazz band Olesya Slukina . The Academy's geographic representation keeps expanding each year, with students of musical schools, colleges, and universities coming from as far away as Samara, Ufa, and Leningrad Oblast, as well as Yekaterinburg and Sverdlovsk Oblast.
Most of the Academy time was devoted to master classes and practice. Jim Beatty taught brass and reeds students on the technical skills of playing those instruments and the art of interaction in a jazz ensemble. His presentation on the “Beginnings of Jazz and the Musicians Who Created It” was an insight for both students and teachers, as Jim spoke about legends like Louis Armstrong whom he had personally met, while playing songs that ranged from Scott Joplin’s ragtime to Miles Davis’ improvisation. Adam Klipple reunited with the students he had met at the First Jazz Academy in 2007, a warm and touching moment shared by students and teachers. A demanding teacher himself, Adam started by checking the "homework" he had given the students two years ago - jazz and blues chords - after which Adam worked with each of the pianists and vocalists in his group teaching them improvisation and jazz stylistics.
The Academy’s final gala session gathered a full hall of jazz fans. The results of the three-day interaction were obvious: ensembles regrouping, free improvisation and new technical elements - all of that and more could be noticed by those who watched the Academy in progress. The U.S. masters enjoyed playing with their gifted and perceptive Russian students. A special treat and surprise to the public was a performance by Consul General Tim Sandusky on guitar accompanied by the Academy’s adult participants. The group performed Tim's composition “T-JAM Blues” which was cheered by the enthusiastic audience. The concert ended with an ovation to all the students, teachers and organizers of this wonderful holiday of music, creativity and devotion. The next workshop is planned for June 2010.
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