The inaugural Australian Jazz School course was run in Ballarat from Monday, April 1st to Friday, April 5th2024. Course tutors Simon Purcell and Julian Siegal from the UK were invited and attended the course providing all the relevant knowledge, information, and experience in running these types of courses for over 30 years in Europe and the UK. They were joined by some of Australia’s finest and world-class jazz musicians Ben Robertson, Ronny Ferella, and Michelle Nicolle, assembling what is one of the best jazz educational tutor teams Australia has known.
We were joined on the course by 34 students from all over Australia and from New Zealand. Four drums, bass, piano, and guitar. Twelve front-line players including saxophones, trumpets, recorders, and flutes, and finally seven vocalists. Age ranges for our adult students were from early twenties through to mid-seventies! Our students were grouped into four small group ensembles for the week’s rehearsals and performances. Each ensemble would be with a different tutor for each day whilst Michelle would work with the vocalists and join small group ensembles as needed.
Special mention needs to be made to Dr Rick Chew and the Federation University Camp Street campus where the course was held. Each small group had their own space which was very large and with no noise bleeding as the rooms were far enough apart from each other. Our technician, Sharn, was amazing, she was everywhere and very supportive of all the students and tutors to go about their classes and rehearsals.
Small Group Ensemble Work
We assembled on the Monday morning in the lecture hall, where initial information and greetings were completed along with student registrations. It was then time to set up small groups, and instruments, and start playing some jazz.
The 2024 Course Schedule:
Students are encouraged to jam with each other outside their ensembles after the first day, the objective is to pull together their own arrangements of tunes that can be performed in the evening Jazz Club. It was impressive that even though this was the first course for the students, they grasped this concept with both hands and leveraged the pre-course materials they were given to use with gusto, such that each night the Jazz Club was pumping, especially when the tutors performed their star-studded exquisite sets.
By Wednesday everyone was starting to feel the effects of playing, singing, learning, and performing jazz for 12-14 hours a day, so it was nice to have the listening session with tutors. Students really enjoyed this session, and we’d be doing this one again next time. As the week progressed, so did the student’s abilities and confidence. Every student was making amazing progress and enjoying the extremely supportive nature of the course. Each night the Jazz Club was held at the George Hotel function room, a very intimate and welcoming venue for all to enjoy some fabulous jazz tunes.
Tutors Performing in the Jazz Club
The course culminated in the Friday night public concert held at the George Hotel Rafters Club room, with a large audience in attendance the small group ensembles played their best tunes, the course choir performed, and the tutors did another excellent set. All students were elated with their progress, and it was great that they performed publicly.
In summary, the course was extremely successful, with nearly all students wishing to return if the course is run again in 2025, which is seriously being contemplated.
Thanks to all the tutors, Federation University, students, and others for their support.
The Australia Jazz School 2024 Course Ensemble!