Young jazz musicians from historically disadvantaged communities in Cape Town are set to benefit from free professional jazz training in a new initiative by Artscape, the performing arts hub of the Western Cape.
The Paul Bothner Youth Jazz Master Class series is a partnership between Artscape, Paul Bothner Music and the College of Music at the University of Cape Town. It consists of six master classes between May and October.
Thirty-six youths registered and attended the first master class which was recently presented at the Artscape On-the-Side theatre. They represent jazz students of projects such as Mamela in Manenberg, Tomecy in Guguletu, the Belhar Music Collective and jazz ensembles such as Little Giants and Tuff e Nuff.
The master classes are designed and presented by Dr Mike Rossi, Head of Jazz Studies at the University of Cape Town’s College of Music. The monthly classes focus on music literacy and theory, technique, jazz improvisation, practical jazz ensemble work as well as music business and management.
Participants use their own instruments such as saxophones, trumpets, trombones and guitars while Paul Bothner Music provides percussion sets, amplifiers, keyboards and electric guitars for the classes.
Senior Artscape project manager Sticks Mdidimba the master classes will be used to identify participating groups for the Youth Music Festival in July this year.
”We believe the festival, as a premier event, will launch new jazz careers as participants get the opportunity to perform in a professional environment and are exposed to wider audiences,” Mdidimba said.
He said six youth jazz ensembles would be selected for the festival.
It is the first time in the festival’s three-decade history that jazz will be incorporated. The festival with its traditional classical flavour has produced household names such as Nina Schumann, Gerard Korsten, Natalie Dickson and Jurgen Schwietering.
Artscape chief executive Michael Maas said the project aimed to build bridges and promote cultural development in the Western Cape. – Sapa