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vocal jazz academy level 1
Course Descriptions Class Schedule
Here are course descriptions for Bob Stoloff's Vocal Jazz Academy Level One.
“INSTRU-VOCAL” ARTICULATION OF DRUMS, BASS & BRASS INSTRUMENTS Teacher - Bob Stoloff
Vocal articulation of contemporary drumbeats, bass lines and brass articulations using rhythmic patterns, special tonguing techniques and vocabulary for each of these instruments. Bob's "instru-vocal" approach to improvisation stems from a long history of playing musical instruments since he was a child. With years of extensive coaching on trumpet, bass, drums and flute behind him, he entered the vocal arena serendipitously in 1978 as a “scat” singer extraordinaire. In retrospect, Bob's interest in singing made perfect sense considering all the academic and professional performing experience he had playing in classical, jazz and contemporary music ensembles. The combination of listening to recordings and live performance opportunities provided Bob with a keen ear and diverse palette of stylistic colors to make music with. This desire to “play” the voice like a musical instrument was a natural and significant transition in Bob's musical career!
One of the more popular modes of vocal expression has always been the simulation of musical instruments. “Instru-vocal” languages were successfully explored by many singers including Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, John Hendricks, Al Jarreau & Bobby McFerrin who all ventured into the realm of interpreting percussion, bass and a variety of horns within their solos. Vocalists who have a passion for instrumental articulation will enjoy Bob's call-response exercises that define the nuance of these instruments by using vocabulary especially designed for the voice.
SCAT SINGING Teacher - Bob Stoloff
Using call-response and round-robin story-telling formats, Bob will teach scat singing techniques including scat syllables, accents, rhythms, phrasing, melodic and harmonic considerations, and how to improvise a solo over basic chord progressions like blues, rhythm changes and basic turn-arounds. Participants will practice improvising solos to jazz standards from Bob’s “Recipes” book, beginning with Summertime and All of Me. As the course progresses, singers will enjoy the continuation of scat singing techniques with application of more advanced syllables, accents, rhythms, phrasing, melodic and harmonic considerations.Participants will learn how to improvise a solo to additional American jazz standards from Bob’s “Recipes” book, including Girl From Ipanema, Autumn Leaves and more. Additionally, students will navigate transcribed solos recorded and performed by a collection of vocal and instrumental artists.
RHYTHMANIA! Teacher - Bob Stoloff
This session will serve as a comprehensive guide for vocalists to practice rhythms using a unique vocabulary designed to emulate the sounds of musical instruments.GROUP IMPROVISATION GAMES Teacher - Bob Stoloff
STAGE PERFORMANCE TRAINING Teacher - Bob Stoloff
Stage Performance Master Class is perhaps the most popular training session Bob offers to singers interested in solo performance. This comprehensive session embraces all contemporary styles of music. Vocalists will be excited to learn how to execute appropriate band cues for count-offs, cut-offs, repeats, turnarounds and changes in tempo. Songs will be interpreted in different styles by applying various time feels commonly used to change the groove. Essential vocabulary and instru-vocal communiqué will be reviewed to prepare singers for the future role of bandleader or performance artist.
This session also offers musicianship training to vocalists interested in performing with the rhythm section during the final concert. Each participant will receive a review of stage performance skill protocol for the song they have selected to perform, include count-off & cut-off rhythm section cues, intros, endings stage presence and style interpretation.
VOCAL TECHNIQUE FOR JAZZ SINGERS Teacher: Stefania Patanè
Stefania is a jazz singer and educator and she’s also Certified Master Teacher of the renown Estill Voice Training, an original training model approved by voice scientists and artists all over the world for its unique effectiveness in voice control, created by the researcher and singer Jo Estill. Stefania has adapted many exercises from the EVT to jazz singing, scat, vocal improvisation and instru-vocal. In this way the singers can improve their voice control while improvising and singing jazz. The lessons include vocal exercises for jazz harmony, phrasing and solos, that are simultaneously a combination of vocal technique and ear training. These exercises help to better use the entire vocal range, to develop pitch and rhythm, precision, to discover different sounds and to improve dynamics,while always maintaining vocal hygiene.
THEORICAL-PRACTICAL HARMONY Teacher: Angelo Schiavi
PRACTICAL HARMONY - Practicing the theorical rules using piano and voice, melody architectural model based on chords that originate from the major ionian, melodic minor and harmonic minor scales harmonization.
ANALYSIS - Analysis of the song changes and connection to the melodies
COMPOSITION - Simple songs composition, starting from a stated harmonic progression
ARRANGEMENT - Small combo organization and individual parts writing
Course Descriptions Class Schedule
Here are course descriptions for Bob Stoloff's Vocal Jazz Academy Level One.
“INSTRU-VOCAL” ARTICULATION OF DRUMS, BASS & BRASS INSTRUMENTS Teacher - Bob Stoloff
Vocal articulation of contemporary drumbeats, bass lines and brass articulations using rhythmic patterns, special tonguing techniques and vocabulary for each of these instruments. Bob's "instru-vocal" approach to improvisation stems from a long history of playing musical instruments since he was a child. With years of extensive coaching on trumpet, bass, drums and flute behind him, he entered the vocal arena serendipitously in 1978 as a “scat” singer extraordinaire. In retrospect, Bob's interest in singing made perfect sense considering all the academic and professional performing experience he had playing in classical, jazz and contemporary music ensembles. The combination of listening to recordings and live performance opportunities provided Bob with a keen ear and diverse palette of stylistic colors to make music with. This desire to “play” the voice like a musical instrument was a natural and significant transition in Bob's musical career!
One of the more popular modes of vocal expression has always been the simulation of musical instruments. “Instru-vocal” languages were successfully explored by many singers including Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, John Hendricks, Al Jarreau & Bobby McFerrin who all ventured into the realm of interpreting percussion, bass and a variety of horns within their solos. Vocalists who have a passion for instrumental articulation will enjoy Bob's call-response exercises that define the nuance of these instruments by using vocabulary especially designed for the voice.
SCAT SINGING Teacher - Bob Stoloff
Using call-response and round-robin story-telling formats, Bob will teach scat singing techniques including scat syllables, accents, rhythms, phrasing, melodic and harmonic considerations, and how to improvise a solo over basic chord progressions like blues, rhythm changes and basic turn-arounds. Participants will practice improvising solos to jazz standards from Bob’s “Recipes” book, beginning with Summertime and All of Me. As the course progresses, singers will enjoy the continuation of scat singing techniques with application of more advanced syllables, accents, rhythms, phrasing, melodic and harmonic considerations.Participants will learn how to improvise a solo to additional American jazz standards from Bob’s “Recipes” book, including Girl From Ipanema, Autumn Leaves and more. Additionally, students will navigate transcribed solos recorded and performed by a collection of vocal and instrumental artists.
RHYTHMANIA! Teacher - Bob Stoloff
This session will serve as a comprehensive guide for vocalists to practice rhythms using a unique vocabulary designed to emulate the sounds of musical instruments.
- Learn how to read and notate simple rhythmic phrases
- Vocalize shakes, spills, plops, flips, bends, hits, flams, kicks, cymbal crashes and drum fills.
- Practice single, double, triple and doodle-tongue embellishments used to articulate scat syllables.
- Increase your rhythmic vocabulary
- Explore the nuances of jazz, pop, R&B, blues, funk, swunk and shuffle in even and swing feels.
- Examine the rhythmic ingredients that fuel Bossa Nova, Samba, Baion, Mambo, Songo and Guaguanco grooves.
Bob’s unique approach to group improvisation teaches singers how to create music by weaving together spontaneous rhythmic, melodic and harmonic motifs. Group Improvisation Games offers a diverse palette of musicianship skills to the a cappella vocal ensemble including composition, tonality, harmony, dynamics, meter, instru-vocal articulation, motivic development, group blending, choreography and how to improvise using text. In addition, participants will develop confidence in their own intuitive musicality while learning about building community through both cooperation and leadership. The work deepens with the addition of background rhythm section tracks to provide rhythmic and harmonic scaffolds for vocal team improvisation. Emphasis on time feels, musical styles, groove variations and spontaneous composition.
STAGE PERFORMANCE TRAINING Teacher - Bob Stoloff
Stage Performance Master Class is perhaps the most popular training session Bob offers to singers interested in solo performance. This comprehensive session embraces all contemporary styles of music. Vocalists will be excited to learn how to execute appropriate band cues for count-offs, cut-offs, repeats, turnarounds and changes in tempo. Songs will be interpreted in different styles by applying various time feels commonly used to change the groove. Essential vocabulary and instru-vocal communiqué will be reviewed to prepare singers for the future role of bandleader or performance artist.
This session also offers musicianship training to vocalists interested in performing with the rhythm section during the final concert. Each participant will receive a review of stage performance skill protocol for the song they have selected to perform, include count-off & cut-off rhythm section cues, intros, endings stage presence and style interpretation.
VOCAL TECHNIQUE FOR JAZZ SINGERS Teacher: Stefania Patanè
Stefania is a jazz singer and educator and she’s also Certified Master Teacher of the renown Estill Voice Training, an original training model approved by voice scientists and artists all over the world for its unique effectiveness in voice control, created by the researcher and singer Jo Estill. Stefania has adapted many exercises from the EVT to jazz singing, scat, vocal improvisation and instru-vocal. In this way the singers can improve their voice control while improvising and singing jazz. The lessons include vocal exercises for jazz harmony, phrasing and solos, that are simultaneously a combination of vocal technique and ear training. These exercises help to better use the entire vocal range, to develop pitch and rhythm, precision, to discover different sounds and to improve dynamics,while always maintaining vocal hygiene.
THEORICAL-PRACTICAL HARMONY Teacher: Angelo Schiavi
PRACTICAL HARMONY - Practicing the theorical rules using piano and voice, melody architectural model based on chords that originate from the major ionian, melodic minor and harmonic minor scales harmonization.
ANALYSIS - Analysis of the song changes and connection to the melodies
COMPOSITION - Simple songs composition, starting from a stated harmonic progression
ARRANGEMENT - Small combo organization and individual parts writing