Alice Eaton puts her piano skills to the test at a new jazz academy in Hampstead

SHOW me a Mozart sonata or Bach fugue and I can sit down at a piano and produce a fair rendition, give or take the odd wrong note. But take away the music and I am lost.

This was what I was faced with when I signed up for the Streetlights Jazz Academy, a brand new course that teaches jazz to musicians looking to learn new skills or improve on their existing technique.

While it isn't difficult to find a classical music teacher, the same cannot be said for jazz so a course like this is a real find. But what really sets this academy apart is that students learn from some of the best in the business who are making a living at the top of the UK jazz scene, from the uniquely talented Julian Joseph, Byron Wallen and Tony Kofi to the great Jason Rebello.

The weekly classes are held in the evening to fit around work or school commitments, and cater for the piano, saxophone, drums, guitar, bass, vocals, trombone and trumpet. Although beginners are welcome, it does help if you know your way around an instrument to start with. The structure, like the music, is fairly fluid and aims to cover jazz theory, soloing, live performance and improvising skills in one-to-one or group sessions. Each 12-week term aims to focus on a different style of jazz and the work of one or two chosen artists.

Although I have played the piano for more than 20 years, my first lesson is extremely nerve-racking. I am used to having the notes put in front of me and simply following the dots, so the idea of sitting down and playing whatever I feel like is pretty terrifying. But they say feeling the fear is good and I would have to agree.

My teacher, jazz, pop and reggae keyboardist Michael Martin, is thankfully, an extremely patient man and takes time to slowly explain the rudiments; reading jazz symbols, practising various scales and chord progressions, before taking the plunge at learning my first 12-bar blues. Despite feeling like a complete beginner all over again, there is something very liberating about approaching the keyboard with a simple key structure and just letting your imagination do the rest. I decide what to play and, for the first time in years, I actually listen to the quality of every chord rather than just worrying about getting the right notes.

21-year-old Leo Selleck has been playing the alto saxophone for a number of years and signed up to the course to improve his jazz technique.

"I feel completely roasted each week," he laughs as we all gather together for our first jam session. The camaraderie during this part of the evening is great as we are all in the same boat, making the same mistakes.

"Although my teacher has taken me completely back to basics, it has actually been more challenging as I am being a lot more pedantic with my playing. We have been breaking down the music, looking at the theory and then jamming together in a relaxed atmosphere which has improved my playing considerably. This style of class is definitely filling a niche."

Chris Mountford is the 22-year-old brains behind the academy. Himself a keen jazz drummer, Chris already runs regular classes in north London for aspiring pop and rock musicians under the umbrella of The Streetlights Music Academy, as well as leading his own 15-piece band The Chris Mountford Collective. He believes this latest string to his bow is a unique one.

"Our tutors are the best of the best and that is what makes us stand out," says Chris.

"There are a million and one jazz courses in London but, in my opinion, none of them brings the level of expertise that we've got. They are not just teachers, they are players, who have to play professionally every day. They know exactly what it takes to become an extremely successful jazz musician."

As the tutors are fitting in with their busy performing schedules, students can be taught by several different musicians during the course - a concept that Chris believes is one of the keys to success.

"We have several scheduled tutors for each instrument which means our students will experience different styles and approaches to jazz and this will ultimately give them a far better vocabulary."

Although my vocabulary is still very limited as I struggle to let the music speak for itself, at least I am finally giving it a go and am certainly having fun trying.

The new term starts at the beginning of January. To find out more, visit www.poprockandjazz.com, call 0845 3707 595 or email streetlights@btconnect.com

Kevin Robinson, trumpet and live performance tutor at the academy. Image by Marilyn Faraday

9:30am Friday 30th November 2007

Print

Email this