Re: Arranging Workshops

reed ( (no email) )
Fri, 10 Jan 1997 09:51:23 +0000

At 09:21 AM 1/10/97 -0500, you wrote:
>Hello all,
>
>I'm new to this list. I'm a jazz music major/saxophonist at a small state
>college in New England. I'm one of those adult students, 39 years old, many
>years of rock and roll bar bands under my belt, now finally studying the
>music I've always liked most.
>
>So much for the intro. I'm looking for a challenging arranging workshop, 1
>to 2 weeks in length, to attend next summer. I'm studying arranging right
>now using the Berklee book (Bob Doezema) and Rayburn Wright's "Inside the
>Score". By summer I'll only have maybe 3 big band arrangements under my
>belt, and a handful of smaller combo arrangements. Still, I'm looking for a
>challenge and information I don't already have at my fingertips. Or maybe
>what I really want is an experience of working with someone extraordinary.
>
>Any ideas?
>
>TIA,
>
>John Harrison.
>
FWIW, if I were you I would put together a reheasrsal/reading band.

Get a bunch of decent charts like Basie, Ellignton, Sammy Nestico,
new stuff, whatever, etc and get a band together to rehearse once a week
and play them.

Then once a week, write a chart for the band and maybe get a new
famous chart.

Having that pressure to get the chart out once a week for the band
will do wonders.

I know an arranger that has had such a band for about 40 years.

I think even Bill Holman does this of course I think he gets the
top LA studio players to come to his reading band.

reed

Reed Kotler
reed@justjazz.com
http://www.justjazz.com