BRATTLEBORO — The Vermont Jazz Center (VJC) continues to offer both in-person and online classes. Beat the mid-winter blues by joining an invigorating musical experience.
The Jazz Center has a wide selection of ensembles for all interested musicians. On Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022, VJC will launch its winter-spring educational programs. This season's offerings make good use of the Jazz Center's remarkable summer faculty, who can Zoom in from afar, as well as local instructors.
For those able to commute to Brattleboro, VJC is hosting onsite ensembles and jam sessions at their Cotton Mill venue. The Jazz Center has outlined Covid protocols that are above and beyond those required by the state of Vermont and the CDC. All attendees will be fully vaccinated, wear masks when not playing instruments, and follow responsible distancing.
The following ensembles will hold in-person sessions: Guitar Ensembles (levels 1 and 2) with Draa Hobbs, Latin Jazz Ensemble with Eugene Uman and Julian Gerstin, Youth Jazz Ensemble with Eugene Uman and Mike McKinney, portions of the Soubrette Jazz Choir (see next paragraph for details) with Anna Patton, Blue Note Ensemble (levels 1 and 2) with Claire Arenius, and Samba Percussion Ensemble with Julian Gerstin and Ron Kelley.
Online offerings include: Singing the Standards with Jay Clayton, Interpreting Jazz Ballads on Guitar with Freddie Bryant, Rhythm Lab with Brian Adler, Jazz and Spirituality with Claire Arenius, and Zoom Tunes with Malik McLaurine, Franz Robert, and Ben Barnett.
Anna Patton's Soubrette Jazz Choir will begin with a five-week online course starting on Tuesday, Feb. 8, and continue with an in-person format on March 15, if conditions permit (see below for more information). In-person jam sessions are ongoing, and the VJC welcomes musicians of all ages and abilities to attend.
The winter-spring semester will run for 10 weeks, from Feb. 13 until the beginning of May. The program will culminate in a concert featuring all in-person ensembles. The fee for most classes is $250 with the exception of Latin Jazz and Blue Note I ($200), Samba ($160), Youth Jazz ($100), and Zoom Tunes ($15 per session). There is a $3 suggested donation to attend jam sessions.
To register, visit vtjazz.org, or contact Ginger Morawski at ginger@vtjazz.org. For questions about class content, contact Eugene Uman at eugene@vtjazz.org.