BRATTLEBORO — Open Music Collective has just started its spring semester with new classes and perennial favorites from teachers Jamie MacDonald, David Goodrich, and Draa Hobbs.
The Jazz Vocal Repertoire (JVR) class, on Mondays at 5 p.m., features all-new songs picked with a nod to the music and teachings of Sheila Jordan to celebrate the award-winning jazz vocalist's recent honor by the National Endowment of the Arts.
The class will be taught by Jamie MacDonald, who was Jordan's student and accompanist.
On Thursday evenings, a new class for first-time JVR students will feature some “new songs” as well as songs from previous semesters. Talented high school students are especially encouraged to attend.
Learning songs, writing charts, working with rhythm sections, counting off tunes and improvising will be covered in all classes.
Jazz ensembles will resume on Tuesdays at 5 p.m., Wednesdays at 5 p.m., and Thursdays at 3:30 p.m.
A discounted youth-oriented jazz ensemble class continues on Saturdays at 10:30 a.m..
All ages are welcome in any of the jazz ensemble classes, where students can study jazz by listening to specific pieces, sharing historical information, and playing classic arrangements and compositions in a “safe, informative, and encouraging environment,” the OMC writes.
Jazz standards and bebop melodies will be picked for each individual class for a tailored learning experience, all levels.
On Wednesday nights, Summer Jazz Intensive teacher David “Goody” Goodrich will teach The Composing Improviser, an eight-week course exploring compositional devices as vehicles for improvisation.
Students will compose pieces with a focus on specific rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic content and then explore how to use them as a basis for improvisation, developing skills to deepen both practices.
Local Jazz Artist Draa Hobbs will teach beginner guitar class to introduce adults to the instrument in a relaxed, student friendly classroom setting. This class leans towards the adult student, but mature teens age 13 and older will be considered.
The Open Music Collective, at 74 Cotton Mill Hill, Studio A-335, a Vermont nonprofit, provides a space for music education, offering music classes and lessons for all ages, including ensembles, master classes, and summer camps. Limited scholarships are available.
For questions or further information, contact the Open Music Collective at 802-275-5054, email info@openmusiccollective.org, or visit the school's website.