A-JAM Jazz Mentorship

Thursday, April 1, 2021

Drummer Andres Montez named 2021 A-JAM student honoree!

Please join us in welcoming drummer Andres Montez into the A-JAM program for 2021! Andres is a student of Joe Caploe and Dr. Armin Marmolejo at Palo Alto College. Read Andres Montez' personal statement about his road to jazz and his hopes for the coming year in A-JAM. On behalf of the distinguished A-JAM panel of judges, Aaron Prado (piano, theory) and Brian Christensen (reeds, theory) / Northwest Vista College), Joe Caploe (drums, percussion / Alamo Colleges), Gregory Gonzales (reeds, voice / St Philip’s College), Joan Carroll (voice), Richard Oppenheim (saxophone), and Ron Wilkins (trombone, voice), I wish Andres a wonderful year as our A-JAM honors student! Thanks to everyone who participated in this year’s auditions. Congratulations and thank you for your continued hard work! - Dr. Cartwright

"My personal experience with jazz started in high school, where I attended South San Antonio High School and joined the jazz ensemble there under the direction of James Morales. Hearing the rhythm of the jazz music and the bass of the drums within it for the first time sparked my interest in jazz which later turned into an obsession. Since then I have strived to learn as much as I can about jazz drumming and the language itself. I studied at San Antonio College for a year under Joe Caploe and was in the Jazz Ensemble under Andrew Gignac. Currently I am attending Palo Alto College where I am in the Jazz Ensemble under Dr. Armin Marmolejo.

One thing that drew me most to jazz is the freedom in the music. I love how open and free flowing it can be and the ability of being able to “trade” off with other musicians. Another reason is the passion and respect jazz musicians treat the craft and the tradition yet also, try to enhance and build upon it.Thus, always trying to push new limits with the music while keeping true to the original.

Although some may shy away from auditions, I relish in the opportunity in which I can take my playing and musical comprehension to the next level. It would truly be a dream come true to surround myself in an environment full of great musicians and educators willing to share their knowledge with me. My professor Joe Caploe was the first to tell me about the A-JAM program last year. I auditioned last year but was not selected. At that moment, I made it my goal to audition again to demonstrated how much I have grown as a musician and that I have what it takes to be selected for the A-JAM Mentorship program. I hope to gain invaluable lessons in music and life itself.

I am confident that it can change the course of my music career, not only as a player but as an educator for the future. Learning and having to adapt to the various styles that will be introduced to me will not only help me but will develop me into a better musician pushing the limits of my own playing techniques. Not only will I contribute my playing skills and musical comprehension, I will also bring heart and discipline for the music during this opportunity.

I am eager to represent not only myself but also my professors and school with my continued hard work and dedication to increase my knowledge of jazz music. I was informed about the A-JAM mentorship program by my professor Joe Caploe and my fellow colleague, former winner of the program, Fernando Munoz. Both shared how the A-JAM Mentorship program is an awesome, one of a kind, experience. Being able to play and learn in an environment with top tier musicians, can only help the participant to become a better player. Traveling to a different country, meeting others with the same passion, and experiencing the different forms of jazz music will make for a lifetime experience culturally, educationally and but most importantly, musically. Accordingly, I would like to thank you and the panel of judges for giving the wonderful experience within the A-JAM Mentorship and looking forward for a chance at a lifetime opportunity to enhance my passion and career.

Now having been selected, I would first like to thank the panel of judges and the A-JAM mentorship program for the once in a lifetime opportunity. I am truly honored and excited for the opportunity. Thank you once again.” – Andres Montez, Palo Alto College

Friday, January 29, 2021

DEADLINE EXTENDED ONE WEEK! Online application due Friday, February 5, 2021 at 11:59 PM

APPLICATION DEADLINE EXTENDED ONE WEEK! Online application due Friday, February 5, 2021 at 11:59 PM. Contact us for more information. You can do it!

Calling all Alamo Colleges jazz students! Now is the time to apply for A-JAM 2021! Application deadline is January 29, 11:59 PM for all materials. The process is online and remote this year due to the pandemic. So you'll need to record a prescreen video and then participate in a remote audition interview on Tuesday, February 9 at 5 PM via Zoom. Contact Dr. Cartwright if you have any questions. Good luck and keep swinging!

Calling all Alamo College jazz students! Check out this unique opportunity to up your game exponentially and have fun while you're at it. You'll have to work really hard, but the rewards are great. Join us. Complete your application during the winter break and hit the ground running in February. Click the link, download the sheet music and play-alongs, and get cracking. Contact me or your applied instructor if you have any questions. May the fourth be with you!

A-JAM JAZZ ALLSTARS PROGRAM AUDITIONS
OPEN TO ALL ALAMO COLLEGES STUDENTS

APPLY ONLINE VIA CANVAS:
Application materials available to all Alamo Colleges students and faculty
via the A-JAM collaborative CANVAS COURSE LINK
Questions? Contact Katchie Cartwright, PhD, Program Director
kcartwright2@alamo.edu / Facebook / A-JAM blog

MATERIALS TO PREPARE:
Download: two required play-along tracks and sheet-music
Scales/arpeggios: major, harmonic minor, dorian, and mixolydian, all keys
Sight-reading: chordal (lead-sheet), rhythmic, and melodic

COREQUISITES:
Current registration in the following courses: improvisation (MUSI 1131), applied lessons, and jazz ensemble (if available)

IT COULD BE YOU NEXT YEAR!
One lucky A-JAM student may be invited to the annual meeting of the International Association of Schools of Jazz (IASJ) to perform—virtually or in person--with top students and professionals from all over the world.

Featured in the photograph above is Fernando Muñoz, A-JAM allstar who represented Alamo Colleges at IASJ, Zagreb, Croatia. Read about his journey on the A-JAM blog.

Thursday, December 17, 2020

Announcing A-JAM auditions! Deadline January 29, 2021!

Thursday, October 3, 2019

"Inspired to Reach for a Higher Level" - International Jazz Meeting, Zagreb 2019 - A Teacher's Perspectives

Alamo Colleges faculty member saxophonist Brian Christensen accompanied student Fernando Munoz to the annual international jazz meeting, the "pearl beyond price" that is the capstone event of the A-JAM mentorship program. The 2019 meeting was held in Zagreb, Croatia.

Below, Brian shares his thoughts about the experience, from which he returned "inspired to reach for a higher level of performance, not only as a jazz musician, but as a teacher as well." Auditions for the A-JAM program in 2020 are coming up in November 2019. Be sure to let your students and colleagues know about the program. It could be you taking part next year!

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The IASJ Jazz Meeting was an eye-opening experience for me. The meeting brought talented jazz students and faculty from music schools in the United States, Europe, and South America to Zagreb, Croatia for an intense week of jazz performance and discussion. While the players were from diverse locations, and while they may have spoken many different languages, all of them could get together and communicate using the language of jazz.

The morning of the first day of the meeting was full of student auditions. Students were called up on stage to perform with each other on a piece of their choosing. Based on these performances, students were put into six different combos that would perform on last two nights of the week. Interestingly, the combo selection wasn’t necessarily made based on who the strongest players were on each instrument. They were chosen based on who the faculty felt would play the best with each other.

Once the combos were made, the students went off to different rooms to work on their music along with faculty members who would serve as coaches. They spent about three hours a day working on their material, most of which was original works composed by the students, in preparation for two nights of concerts at the end of the week.

While I had anticipated that the students would all be very good improvisers, the level of their composing skills was a bit surprising to me. There were several fantastic student compositions played on the last two nights of concerts. A major difference between this conference and the music in the South Texas region is that there was more focus on playing with modal music with more open forms, and even free improvisation at this meeting. The South Texas jazz scene is more geared towards the performance of jazz standards from the first half of the twentieth century, and there are few places where you would hear modal music and free improvisation, so the focus of jazz education is usually on learning those standard jazz tunes. Hearing these young players who are already working on creating their own compositions makes me think that some of my jazz improvisation lessons should involve encouraging my students to start composing their own music as well.

The nightly jam sessions Zagreb’s Jazz and Cabaret Club allowed the students and teachers to interact by playing jazz standards as well as giving them the opportunity to talk and get to know one another. In general, the players on stage were welcoming and open to each other, and the level of playing was very high with many great solos each night. There was also plenty of inspiring conversation that went late into the evening. Not surprisingly, we all had to be reminded to leave at “closing time” to allow the staff at the night club to go home.

To me some of the most memorable parts of the meeting were the “Ongoing Dialogues” that were held each day. There were interesting presentations on the musical history of Croatia and introducing Serbia-based jazz trumpet player and composer Dusko Goykovich. Two presentations were focused on jazz/rock fusion and improvisation in rock and roll, and these were followed by interesting discussions with Dave Liebman, who was intimately involved with jazz/rock fusion along with Miles Davis. There was also a very informative presentation analyzing jazz “Real Books” to drive home the point that there are many inaccuracies in these fake books and that students and teachers should go to original sources, listen to recordings, and figure out what the correct changes and melodies are for each song. It’s ok for a performer to choose to play a piece in their own way, but they should at least be aware of the how the original music was played before they make the piece their own.

There was also plenty of discussion around the many issues that are being faced by jazz schools today. It was interesting to hear that many of the issues facing larger and more prestigious jazz schools are similar to the ones faced by smaller schools. Recognizing young players who may not have traditional musical skills but who have great musical talent and desire to learn and making sure they are included in the system is an issue that we all face. Many young players today are used to processing music differently from older performers, yet many institutions keep their focus on ways of performing that go back centuries. Hearing how other music schools are dealing with issues like the inability of many students to read music well made me aware of the fact that we need to adjust our expectations and change our approach to teaching students who are talented, but may be weak sight-readers or have no prior knowledge of music theory.

The morning masterclasses were a treat for me. Teachers and students spent some time working on being better performers on their own instruments, and for Fernando and me, our masterclass teacher was none other than Dave Liebman! We did lots of work on sound, breathing, and embouchure, and our last lesson was on time and rhythm. These are aspects that we can all continue to improve, and it was great to hear the information on sound and embouchure coming directly from a student of Joe Allard as well as thoughts from all of the other saxophonists in attendance.

Another highlight for me was the teacher’s concert, which took place on the second night of the week. It was great to hear all of the teachers perform, and the combo that I played in chose to perform one of my original pieces! They played it so well that I wish there had been a recording of it. I won’t forget the feeling of having such a fantastic group performing one of my songs!

I would like to thank Dr Cartwright, Alamo Colleges, and the A-JAM Jazz Mentorship program for giving Fernando Munoz and me the incredible opportunity to attend the IASJ Jazz Meeting in Zagreb. The week was intense, with many great performances and discussions on jazz. After meeting, hearing, and playing with so many great jazz players, I have come back inspired to reach for a higher level of performance, not only as a jazz musician, but as a teacher as well. - Brian Christensen

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

A-JAM Combo 2019 to Perform at JazzSAlive

For the first time ever, our A-JAM Jazz Mentorship combo is to perform at the prestigious JazzSAlive festival. That's this weekend, Friday and Saturday September 20 and 21 at Travis Park. This is a huge honor. Kudos to all involved!

Congrats to A-JAM alumni Fernando Munoz Jr., Liam Dixon, and their bandmates! And congratulations to their teacher mentors, Brian Christensen and Joe Caploe. See you there! #alamocolleges #jazz #mentorship #sanantonio #festival

Monday, September 16, 2019

A-JAM Auditions, November 25, 2019!

November 25, 2019 - 5pm
Palmetto Center for the Arts Rehearsal Hall (Palmetto 152)
By Appointment Only
Open to All Alamo Colleges Students

SCHEDULE YOUR AUDITION:
Katchie Cartwright, PhD, Program Director
kcartwright2@alamo.edu / 210-486-4828

More information is at palmettoarts.org

AUDITION MATERIALS:
Prepare 2 contrasting jazz pieces (of your choice)
Bring 3 copies of your written music
Scales/arpeggios: major and minor, all keys
Sight-reading: chordal (lead sheet), rhythmic, & melodic

PREREQUISITE:
Successful completion of basic course in improvisation
Bring transcripts, unofficial are fine

IT COULD BE YOU NEXT YEAR!
One lucky A-JAM student is invited to the annual meeting of the International Association of Schools of Jazz (IASJ) to perform with students and professional musicians from all over the world.

Featured in the photograph above is Fernando Muñoz, A-JAM allstar who represented Alamo Colleges at IASJ, Zagreb, Croatia. Read about his journey on the A-JAM blog.

Thursday, September 5, 2019

"I felt myself getting better" - Student's Perspective on the International Jazz Meeting in Zagreb

Read the thoughts and reflections of Fernando Munoz, our 2019 A-JAM student representative at the international jazz meeting, which was held in Croatia this year. Watch for Nando on the San Antonio jazz scene, as he incorporates some of what he learned through A-JAM in his local musical practice.We are proud of his accomplishments and wish him the best in his future endeavors. Here's what he wrote...

"As a San Antonio musician, I saw A-JAM as an opportunity to test myself with the best young jazz musicians from around the world. Although it was humbling at times, that is exactly what I was able to do. Zagreb, Croatia is an amazing city with centuries-old buildings and historic cathedrals. At a first glance, Croatia, which was a part of the former Communist Yugoslavia, is the last place I’d expect to see a thriving jazz scene, but to my amazement the Zagreb nightlife is alive with music and culture, and the greatest American art form, JAZZ takes center stage. There are several nightclubs designed for jazz music and live performances. The people of Zagreb have a great appreciation of the art form.

As for the International Association of Schools of Jazz (IASJ) conference, but for a very few, every student there was a great musician. They were all very passionate about jazz and enjoyed playing their instrument. Each musician seemed to be on the same page, each of us were there to learn and work to get better. The master classes with David Liebman were simply amazing. He has an extensive jazz background and he shared stories of his experiences on the road with Miles Davis. He taught us new techniques and shortcuts to use for practice. He explained the best and worst practice habits. Individually, he taught some things I’ve never heard of before, but in using them, I’ve felt myself getting better.

The IASJ teaching staff was great as well. Each teacher was a great musician from all over the world. One of the greatest things about the conference was that the teachers hung out with the students at the end of each day. All of the staff spent time telling their stories about their musical journey and giving advice as well.

The conference started with a David Leibman concert and was followed by registration the next morning. The audition was on the afternoon of the second day, and it was used mostly to see how advanced each musician was. Almost all students were placed into talent-equal combos with as much diversity as possible. The combo I was placed in had students from Argentina, Finland, Germany, Israel, Italy, and America. The combo rehearsals were very good; each combo had its own teacher. The staff really emphasized that improvisation was a big part of every performance. We also had sectionals; Dave Leibman was a very vocal in the saxophone sectionals, giving amazing feedback, tips and asking questions of the students.

At the end of each day, many of the students attended the local jazz clubs to participate in the jam sessions. The jam sessions were cool as well. Many great tunes were called, and I knew most of them. However, there were some tunes called I hadn’t played before. As for the top ten list, only a few of those tunes were called out to play. What was really different about the Croatian jam sessions compared to the San Antonio jam sessions, were that many of the called songs featured vocalists, and the jazz vocalists there were extremely talented. Performing at the jam sessions was a fun and educational experience; the jazz club patrons loved the music and were very supportive.

As time neared for the combo concerts, students were practicing on their own, in small combos and together after hours. Each combo had their own originals and created their own takes on some of the standards. There were some really good originals, which definitely inspired me to start writing my own material. The combo concerts were held on the last two nights of the week. Every student was excited to perform and show their skill to the teachers and classmates. The combo concerts were amazing, it was very inspiring to see students from different cultures and countries perform together. The concerts were intimidating, especially for the saxophonists with Dave Liebman sitting on stage directly behind you. This was the part of the show you could not practice for. You could practice your music, your horn lines, and the horn charts, but you could not get mentally ready for the pressure of that show. Some of the students who were amazing during the sectionals and practice didn’t perform as well as they could have at the combo concert and they were the first to admit it. I felt stressed, but not as pressured as some of the others. That was the moment I realized the importance of performing live and why attending jam sessions is so important. You get to play live in front of an audience, and with some amazing musicians most of the time. Playing alongside great musicians only helps you to develop your musical skills yourself and gives you valuable experience. This was good for me, because it was something I have been doing since I was 14.

David Liebman told us he started the IASJ to connect help young jazz musicians network with other young cats from other countries or states. That’s why the IASJ trip was so amazing for me, because that’s exactly what happened! I met and became friends with some great musicians from all over the world, and now whenever I’m in certain parts of the world or here in the United States, I know I can link up with the people I met and we can hang, jam, and maybe even work together on some gigs. This trip has definitely inspired me to work even harder, to travel more, and understand that there is so much more to the jazz universal language."

Intercollegiate, intercultural, and intergenerational, the A-JAM mentorship program is open to music majors in any of San Antonio's five Alamo Colleges. Auditions are held each November. During the spring semester, A-JAM honorees perform locally and are coached by regional professionals and visiting artists. One lucky student is invited to the unique annual international jazz meeting of the International Association of Schools of jazz (IASJ) in June, where s/he performs with fellow students from all over the world for one intensive week. The meetings are held at a different host school each year. Singer Jeané Gaines, Northwest Vista College, participated in the IASJ meeting in São Paulo, Brazil in 2011 as the first A-JAM grand honor awardee. You could be next!