New England Conservatory of Music;
Boston, MA
www.newenglandconservatory.edu

Department of Music History/Musicology:

Survey of Jazz History
The first half of the semester is a study of musical concepts and procedures that have been used throughout the history of jazz, using recorded examples from its entire history. The second half is a study of style, examining the five principal styles: New Orleans, swing, bop, free jazz, and fusion. For each style, identifying general characteristics, relationship to styles immediately preceding and following, major artists, and the cultural context from which it emerged.
Texts: Barry Kernfeld. What To Listen for in Jazz.
Robert Walser, ed. Keeping Time: Readings in Jazz History.
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Black American Folk Music
Traces the evolution of the music that initially emerged from the acculturation of West Africans taken as slaves to the North American colonies. Covers the period from the first arrivals in 1619 to the “race” recordings issued during the inter-war period of 1920-1940. Major genres covered include spirituals, ragtime, gospel and blues.
Texts: Christopher Small. Music of the Common Tongue.
Peter van der Merwe. Origins of the Popular Style.
Paul Oliver. Songsters and Saints.
Paul Oliver. “Blues.” The New Grove Gospel, Blues and Jazz.
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Ellington, Monk, Russell
After establishing the roots of Ellington’s music in blues, ragtime and popular song, in-depth examination of a few selected recordings of important works by each of these jazz composers:
Duke Ellington: Mood Indigo, KoKo, Concerto for Cootie, Mr. J.B. Blues, Cotton Tail
Thelonious Monk: Straight No Chaser, Eronel, Epistrophy, Evidence, Misterioso, Criss Cross
George Russell: Cubana Be/Cubana Bop, Ezz-thetic, The Day John Brown Was Hanged, All About Rosie, Stratusphunk
Text: Ken Rattenbury. Duke Ellington, Jazz Composer
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Jazz Studies & Improvisation Department:

Developing Long Term Melodic Memory
Develops aural memory skills through memorization of recorded melodies through intensive listening only, without using transcription or a musical instrument. Students demonstrate success in memorization by singing the melody. Melody is played on the instrument only after melody has been successfully sung. Each student selects three melodies for in-class improvisational performance. Students work on the ability to sing any interval less than an octave, ascending and descending, from any given pitch.
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Contemporary Improvisation Department (formerly Third Stream Studies):

Graduate Third Stream Ear Training
Develops aural memory skills through memorization of recorded melodies through intensive listening only (use of notation or instrument prohibited). Student demonstrates success in memorization by singing melody. Melody is only then played on instrument. In addition, drills on identification of intervals and chords, both in isolation and in context of chord progressions.
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Aural Training & Improvisation after Schoenberg
The student, without the aid of notation or musical instrument, memorizes recorded melodic excerpts from expressionist works by Arnold Schoenberg and Anton Webern. The students then demonstrate success in memorization by singing the excerpt. The melody is then put on instrument. Improvisations are created extending the melodic motives through linking different transpositions of the original, inversion, retrograde and retrograde inversion. Students develop the ability to identify all possible combination of three notes (trichords) by ear with the aid of atonal theoretical concepts.
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Private Studio Instruction in Improvisation, Aural Memory, Guitar
Course of study is tailored to styles and repertoire at the intersection of the student’s interests and the teacher’s knowledge. Model compositions and improvisations are memorized and analyzed as examples for the student’s own creative work. Exercises and creative projects are geared towards developing ear skills in the context of improving improvisation and aural composition skills. Though I teach students of all instruments these general principles, with guitar students I often use the text: Mick Goodrick. The Advancing Guitarist
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Contemporary Improvisation Ensemble (Music of Burt Bacharach, Music of Brian Wilson)
Though repertoire varies each semester (the most recent being the music of Burt Bacharach (2000) and the music of Brian Wilson (2001)), all repertoire is learned by ear. Approaches to performance attempt to integrate improvisation with aural arrangement/composition, with minimal reliance on notation. Emphasis on polyphony and listening.

Department of Music Theory:

Guided Improvisation
Course for classical performance majors only. Those with little previous improvisational experience are introduced to the process through a series of graduated “free “ improvisations, with various parameters set (e.g. duration, choice of pitches). Students work together with duo partners in creating and performing short improvisations together. All performances are recorded and critiqued. Eventually, each student chooses a favorite recorded melody. This set of melodies is a memorization assignment for all students. Each student performs a solo improvisation on her chosen melody. Continual discussion of process, of identifying criteria of success, and generation of new ideas for structuring improvisations.
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Curry College; Milton, MA
www.curry.edu

Private Guitar Instruction
All students learn a set of six chord progressions in six different “open chord” keys. In the process they are introduced to techniques including proper sitting position, holding position, use of right and left hands. They also learn counting syllables, internalizing a steady pulse. Once they have mastered progressions, they begin learning music from recordings of their choice, which I transcribe and teach to them. Once the student’s musical personality begins to be identified through her repertoire choices, I suggest other related repertoire. Styles may range from rock to folk to pop to jazz to classical, depending on the student’s interests.
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Rock and Roll 1945-1970: From the Margins to the Mainstream
Traces the evolution of the musical language that was first identified as “rock ‘n’ roll,” then “rock and roll,” then simply “rock.” Studies a collection of styles that began as”minority” music, played mostly by African-Americans and recorded mostly on small independent labels for the specialty market labeled “rhythm and blues.” Traces the gradual acculturation of white performers to the style (e.g. Elvis Presley c. 1955) and the inroads the music began to make into the mainstream pop charts until, by 1970, the “rock” style had become the new definition of mainstream popular music.
Text: Charlie Gillett. The Sound of the City
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