Why Study This Course?
Do you want to develop your ensemble playing and improvisation skills in a supportive environment? The Richmond Jazz School Big Band offers you the chance to play alongside experienced jazz students. You’ll be part of a full band, including rhythm section, saxophones, and brass. This course is perfect for musicians looking to enhance their jazz performance abilities and gain confidence in a big band setting.
You will:
Develop your ensemble playing skills.
Improve your ability to improvise.
Learn from experienced jazz musicians.
Perform with a full big band.
Participate in RHACC's vibrant jazz community.
This course covers:
Jazz Big Band Standards: Playing classic jazz big band repertoire.
Improvisation: Developing improvisation skills over chord changes.
Ensemble Playing: Enhancing ensemble playing techniques.
Idiomatic Approach: Learning to approach jazz music in an authentic way.
Performance: Regular performance opportunities at RHACC and other venues.
This is a practical, hands-on course led by an experienced tutor with industry expertise. You'll learn through rehearsals and by sharing ideas with fellow students. The Big Band is directed by Henry Lowther, and often features his compositions. You'll receive personalised feedback to help you reach your musical goals.
This course is not suitable for beginners.
You should be able to read music well.
You should have some ability at improvising.
Previous experience in a jazz ensemble is an advantage.
We are looking for players of drums, bass, guitar, piano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones, trumpets and trombones.
There is no formal assessment. You'll receive constant peer-to-peer feedback to help you improve. After this course, you could explore other jazz courses at RHACC to further develop your skills.
For further course information or advice and guidance, please email info@rhacc.ac.uk. We're here to support your learning journey.
Please note that tutors may occasionally be changed at short notice. While teaching styles may vary, we ensure consistent quality across all of our courses. For this reason, a change of tutor does not qualify for a refund.