Jazz Playing Broadened for Seven Elstree Musicians

The beautiful and extensive grounds and buildings of Stowe School were the back-drop to a Jazz day attended by seven Elstree musicians last Thursday. The hospitality offered by he school matched the surroundings and the boys were treated to frequent refreshment breaks, in between some thought-provoking tutorial sessions. After a welcome in the Marble Hall with its jaw –dropping plasterwork , statuary and domed ceiling, the boys made their way to the Roxy Room for their first rehearsal. This turned out to be a day like no other – not a stitch of written music at any point! The boys had to rely on their ears and eyes, and many were taken well out of their comfort zone! The initial session did not involve playing instruments at all. The boys tapped, clapped, sang and learnt to use numbers to work out melodies. They were introduced to the terms and signs for head, backing and bass, and learnt the different types of rhythms used in jazz – funk, rock, swing etc. with their different ways of dividing the beat.
After negotiating a maze of food bars offering a choice of hot and cold food, the boys carried their lunch trays thought to the dining room, and after tucking in heartily, had some free time to play on the steps and pitches outside.

The stunning chandeliered Music Room was the venue for the afternoons rehearsal, and the boys began to put together the various elements that go to make up a jazz piece – melody (in unison and harmony), backing, bass and improvisation, with some of the Elstree boys being given the solo spot.

The tuck shop visit provided a business opportunity for some astute boys, lending money with high interest rates, and purchasing with a view to selling on at inflated prices. The final rehearsal introduced the blues with its distinctive flattened notes, and a presentation to parents finished the day.

For some this trip provided an opportunity to try a new idiom, and for all , it offered an entirely new approach, and one which will have broadened their insight into how jazz music works, and engendered a new freedom in their playing and improvising.