Sponsor
Donate to The Hudson Independent
Arts & Entertainment

A Chance for Kids to Learn Jazz ‘Improv’

• Bookmarks: 130 • Comments: 1


January 12, 2023

By Jeff Wilson–

Jazz drummer Ron Vincent smiles and watches his bandmates approvingly as he plays. The veteran musician’s passion for the genre is clear to everyone who comes to see the spirited monthly jam sessions at Tarrytown’s Jazz Forum. It’s an adult scene of course, but Vincent wants to share his love of improvisational jazz with young people as well.

Sponsor
Donate to The Hudson Independent

To that end Vincent and his co-director (and spouse) Nancy Kennedy are launching the Jazz Forum Student Ensemble, an 11-week program beginning in February which offers aspiring young musicians in grades 5-12 the opportunity to become jazz improvisors. Students interested in joining must have at least 2 years’ experience on their instrument (all instruments are welcome), know the scales and be comfortable reading music. School band training is helpful. Vincent spoke in an interview about improvisational jazz, the art of creating melodic lines spontaneously. The word fun kept coming up. “It’s fun to be able to create something on the spot, to improvise, to make something up,” he explained. “That’s the reason musicians stick with it – it’s so much fun.” Vincent discussed his M.O. of starting the course with a very manageable piece so the students don’t get frustrated coming out of the gate. “The idea,” he said, “is that they succeed when they try. I pick material that will allow them to succeed right away. Once kids get the courage to try it, they find that it’s fun, not as hard as they thought it would be. They get interested in learning more about it. It’s just how to address them at their level and move along,” he concluded.

This is Vincent’s first time teaching at Jazz Forum, the not-for-profit club located at 1 Dixon Lane in Tarrytown, where he signed on at the invitation of Jazz Forum Arts’ executive director and trumpeter Mark Morganelli. Vincent is not new to coaching young musicians, however – he’s worked with other nonprofits and at his Dobbs Ferry home for the past 10 or 12 years. “I started out with three kids in one ensemble and it blossomed to the point where I had 24 kids in three ensembles on three different days,” he recalled. “It really took off.”

A ringing endorsement of the program came from Leah, a now-23-year-old  Hastings resident who played flute in Vincent’s ensembles from 7th grade until she graduated (and currently studies piano with Kennedy, who was also her ensemble teacher). Leah was won over almost immediately. “I fell in love with [jazz improv] by the second lesson,” she confessed.

Leah gushed over not only Vincent’s teaching, but also the way he encouraged her and built her self-esteem. “Ron transformed me. I’m a very different person in my level of confidence than I was as a kid,” she admitted. Leah went so far as to praise Vincent’s selection of material. “The music Ron picked was so good that I kept my entire music binder.”

The program runs every Monday, 5:30 to 7:00 pm, from February 6 to April 10, followed by a community service concert. (Kids are looking forward to taking classes onstage at a real jazz club, said Vincent.) The cost is $650 per student, with a limited number of scholarships available. To enroll, go to www.jazzforumarts.org, click on “more” from the banner, then “Jazz Forum Student Ensemble.” Clicking on “Register Your Interest” leads to a questionnaire to fill out, after which you will be contacted by the directors.

“Once they get a taste of it, they come back for more,” Vincent promises.

Read or leave a comment on this story...


Sponsor
Andrea Martone - Tarrytown, Sleepy Hollow real estate agent

Smoke and Ash Cloud from Canada Prompts Local Governments to Issue Safety Measures

This story has been updated--and may well be again. By Barrett Seaman-- What began as a light mist in the...
Read More

Irivington Junior Maxwell Ma Takes Third Place at ScienceAwards

Irvington High School Junior Science research student Maxwell Ma won a grand prize award at the Westchester Science and Engineering...
Read More

Scenes From The Tarrytown Street Fair

The day was brisk but dry, trending toward warm under the afternoon sun. Thousands--the Chamber of Commerce estimated 7,000--made their...
Read More

Rotary’s Duck Derby and YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day Return to Patriots Park

By Robert Kimmel-- Patriots Park’s is expected to be packed with people this coming Sunday, June 11, drawn there by...
Read More

Girls Night Out

By Barrett Seaman— It was unseasonably chilly to be camping out in the woods but a lot more comfortable than...
Read More

A Ketamine Clinic Opens in Westchester

By Shana Liebman-- After eleven years operating two clinics (in Long Island and Manhattan), NY Ketamine Infusions has come to...
Read More

Members of Sleepy Hollow High’s Class of ’73 Gather Fifty Years Later

A lot can change in 50 years, which is one good reason why reunion organizers made name tags with photos...
Read More

It’s All Going To The Dogs

By Barrett Seaman— At the top of Cedar Street in Dobbs Ferry, surrounded by restaurants, gift shops and salons is...
Read More

New Art Installation Celebrates Irvington’s Mascot

By Rick Pezzullo-- Bulldogs have long been the mascot of the Village of Irvington school district, signifying strength and courage,...
Read More
130 recommended
588 views
bookmark icon