Birmingham Jazz

All donations to our education fund gratefully received.

Birmingham Jazz in partnership with Sound It Out community music group has been running workshops in schools over the past four years. These have focused on creativity, inclusion and instrumental development. Our youth ensembles have included sitar, dj decks, tabla, dhol drums, beat boxing and many other instruments alongside the more traditional saxophones, trumpets, drums, guitars and bass.

This fantastic group will be perfoming a showcase gig at Rush hour Blues on Friday 4th July at Symphony Hall , 5.30pm-7.00pm. Entry is free! www.thsh.co.uk

www.myspace.com/birminghamjazzyouth

We are delighted to announce the release of the Birmingham Jazz Youth Group live CD recorded this Spring. Following a fantastic weekend session of group improvisation the recording features the Family Concert at the CBSO Centre on Saturday 25th April .The CDs will be available from this Friday 10th July at Rush Hour Blues at the Symphony Hall Foyer where the Youth Group will be performing.The gig is from 5.30pm - 7pm and is free entry. The CDS will be priced at £10.00 and all proceeds will go to the Birmingham Jazz Education Fund.

http://www.thsh.co.uk/rush-hour-blues-summer-2009

The Elements project was a joint project between Birmingham Jazz and Sound It Out Community Music. Working with young people from Hampstead Hall and Hodge Hill schools.

The aims of this project were:

• To run a partnership project with Hamstead Hall School, other consortium schools and Birmingham Jazz involving young people from a variety of backgrounds and genres. This project will focus on composition and ensemble skills through creative approaches to music.

• To increase pupils understanding of the influence of black musicians on contemporary and jazz music through a three day residency at the school during Black History Month.

• To develop the compositional skills of participants by providing them with weekly small ensemble composing sessions and half termly 'drop-in' sessions.

• To provide monthly opportunities for pupils unable to commit weekly to the project or wanting one-off experiences to take part in drop in 'big band' sessions, performing participants' work and in the process giving participants the opportunity to hear their compositions performed.

• To develop the participatory skills of local jazz musicians through offering 4 structured shadowing roles, with experienced facilitators providing mentoring.

• To develop the partnership between Hamstead Hall School, Grove Primary School (changed to Great Barr Primary School) and Holyhead School (changed to Great Barr School) and establish positive departmental links.

• To expose young people to contemporary and jazz music by providing opportunities for participants to perform at and attend selected Birmingham Jazz gigs for free with an attractive price for parents.

Here's some images from the project:

A new prize, adjudicated by one of the biggest names in jazz, will recognise outstanding musicians trained in Birmingham. Run in partnership by Birmingham Conservatoire (part of Birmingham City University) and Birmingham Jazz, the Dave Holland Jazz Ensemble Award is open to jazz ensembles featuring current students and graduates of Birmingham Conservatoire's Jazz Department.

The competition was run jointly with Birmingham Jazz and Artistic Director Tony Dudley-Evans was on the panel of adjudicators. The winners of the award were the John Randall Quartet.