Blog

Our thoughts, greatest news and professional tips and tricks!

Uploading a Video to YouTube


As part of our ‘Them Dirty Blues’ exercise I would like you all to record a video of you playing the transcription and then uploading it to the web.

Here’s a short video for those of you who don’t know how to record and post to YouTube via your own software – YouTube allows you to do it directly! The quality will be better if you use something like iMovie and then upload it to the web, but this isn’t a bad option for free!

If you’re on a mobile device (like iPhone or iPad) then it is really easy to upload a video directly from the YouTube app.

RICO Reeds Masterclass at Southport International Jazz Festival

Here’s a 10-minute video highlights package from my RICO masterclass at the 2013 Southport International Jazz festival.

Some of the questions are:

1. How can I follow the changes in a standard?

2. How do you improve playing by ear?

3. What is the best method to keep my reeds in working order?

and much more …

I hope you find this useful!

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Two Students Battling It Out Over Rhythm Changes

I thought I’d share this video of two of my students, Matthew (aged 16) and Rob (13), playing a Greg Fishman duet called ‘Lincoln Avenue’. Both Matt and Rob are sightreading, so you’ll have to forgive them some wrong notes.

 

Enjoy – and remember these guys can play like this because whatever scale I ask them, they can play it!

 

 

Getting (and Keeping) Gigs!

We all love to perform. Just last Sunday I had the pleasure of playing with the Tribe of Judah Gospel Choir in London.

My family came down for the service, which was held in a 3000-seater conference centre. My 1-year-old son loved listening to the music, but the highlight of the event (for me) was when he got on stage after most people had gone and I was jamming with the musicians – he just wanted to dance to the music, he just wanted to show people how inspired he was by the music. He wanted to perform something.

As adults (or teens) we can also want to get to that point where we get the chance to perform more often. Here’s some solid advice I’ve picked up after 15 years of playing – from musicians such as Branford Marsalis, Chris Potter, Eric Alexander, Eric Revis, Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts, Harry Connick Jnr, Courtney Pine and many, many more.