Student Centered Experiences:

Secondary Ensemble Based Classes:

• Intro to Jazz Workshops:
  • Understanding swing feel
  • Internalising performance practices
  • Understanding and applying stylistic elements
• Intro to Improvisation Workshops (Band/Choir/Orchestra):
  • Demystifying instrumental (and vocal) improvisation through building a toolbox including
    • Imitation
    • Call and Response
    • Functional Solfege
    • Chord Scales
    • Transcription
• Advanced Big Band Workshops:
  • Understanding tonal/modal harmony through practice
    • Applied Jazz Chorales
  • Survey of Big Band Styles
    • Building performance practice through study of Basie, Ellington, Mingus Big Bands

Secondary Composition/MYP/DP/Theory Based Classes:

• Jazz Composition Workshops:
  • 'Writing a Standard' - How to create authentic, era appropriate 32 bar heads based on 
    • Contrafact writing
    • Melodic analysis and transformation
  • Composition Games - Using tools to generate ideas for new original music
  • Intermediate-Advanced Orchestration techniques
    • Arranging for 8+5 big bands
    • Mechanical Voicings
    • Species Jazz Counterpoint

Elementary Ensemble Based Classes:

• Intro to Improvisation Workshops (Orff Instruments/Recorder/Beginner Band):
  • Improvisation games
    • Functional Solfege
    • Imitation
    • Rhythm Reading/Pitch Independence
    • Partner and Group Improvisation

Teacher Professional Development Experiences:

Teaching Improvisation in Ensemble Based Settings:

• How to approach improvisation in ensembles through scaffolded instruction including:
  • Restrictive Pitch/Rhythm Call and Response/Imitation
  • Moveable Do Solfege
  • Higher Concept Theory Based Improv

​Teaching Composition using Jazz Harmony and Practice:

• Jazz Harmony bootcamp (How and why it is different and more useful than Tonal Harmony)
• Orchestrating and Arranging for instrumental ensembles
  • Teaching Big Band/Orchestra/Concert Band arranging through advanced techniques

IBDP Music and Jazz:

• Covering all of your AoIs, Contexts, and Portfolio Requirements through Jazz as a Lens
  • Rhythm Changes as a framework for EWM
  • Improvisation as Creation/Composition
  
  
  
  

Previous/Upcoming Workshops/Presentations:

• AMIS Honour Jazz Festival Workshop Conductor - International School of Düsseldorf, Germany (September 2024)
• AMIS Music Educators Conference Presenter - Saigon South International School, Vietnam (November 2024)
• ISKL Jazz Day Workshop Leader/Guest Conductor - International School of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (May 2025)
• AMIS Music Educators Conference Presenter - International School of Kenya, Kenya (November 2025)
• SISQ Jazz Festival Workshop Leader/Guest Conductor - Swiss International School of Doha (January 2026 - Upcoming)
• UNIS Hanoi Student Workshops and Staff Pro Dev Leader - United Nations International school Hanoi (February 2026 - Upcoming)