the weekend jazz university

Welcome to Jazz School UK, and our innovative programme of jazz learning at the inspiring Shoefactory venue in Rushden, Northamptonshire, England.

If you're serious about your playing, we're serious about your learning, whether you're a jazz beginner or a seasoned gigster.

Jazz School UK has a flexible programme of study for players of all levels. Put together ensembles, theory classes, individual lessons, masterclasses, jazz events and Summer/Easter courses in any combination you want!

All the teaching offered is of Conservatoire quality (and backed by long and varied playing experience), and is designed to deliver the same long-term progress. You won't come out with a degree, (or a debt the size of a house!) but you'll know how to play…

 

Calendar

 

 

Our full programme of ensembles, jazz studies, courses and events is listed in this calendar, which has some great features. Details of session times and tunes can be found by clicking on the session date. There's a map of the venue, and also a "sign up" link for each individual session or to join as a regular player…

Ensembles

Learn jazz slowly and well! These sessions offer a chance for players of all instruments and levels to make sustainable progress in their jazz improvising.

Think of the ensembles as a Summer School, but spread over the year, so you get a chance to absorb the information and practise in between. After our first full year of the programme, our Jazz School UK players have all made huge improvements. The experiment is working, so come and join us! All the details - prices, tunes, dates - are in the Ensembles section of the site.

Jazz Studies

121 lessons

Individual lessons are a great way for all players to supplement practice, gigs and learning. Highly recommended for anyone preparing for college auditions, as well, to make sure that specific skills are in place.

Theory Classes

We run these monthly classes so as to go over in more detail the theory points that come up in the practical playing sessions.

Jazz Singing

These afternoon sessions combine work on technique and interpretation with work on repertoire and jazz improvisation skills.

Masterclasses

We invite some renowned instrumentalists to share their knowledge with you in this 2012 series of all-day workshops, followed by evening concerts. This season we have:

 

Details of Individual Jazz Lessons, Theory Classes, Jazz Singing sessions and Masterclasses are in the Jazz Studies section of the site.

Jazz Events

Easter Course

This three-day course (April 10-12) is aimed at jazz beginners on any instrument, and will cover all the theory, practical skills and basic repertoire needed to get going in a group. At last!

Summer Courses

This year we are running two Summer Weeks (July 30-August 4 and August 27-September 1) at the Shoefactory. If you want an intensive burst of jazz activity with plenty of focused learning and tutor input, this is the summer course for you!

Jeff Clyne Bass Festival

The weekend of June 2-3 2012 marks the second of our annual events celebrating the life and playing of the great and much missed bassist Jeff Clyne.

Concerts

Our instrumental masterclasses will also feature our wonderful guests
Jean Toussaint on saxophone (Feb 4)
Mark Bassey on trombone (March 31)
Phil Robson on guitar (April 28)
Trevor Tomkins on drums and percussion (June 30)
in evening performance. 7pm sessions open to all jazz lovers, with special rates for masterclass delegates as well as for regular Shoefactory members.

Details of Easter and Summer Jazz Courses, Bass Festival and Concerts are in the Jazz Events section of the site.

venue

The Shoefactory is an Arts Space created by two musicians and teachers Nick Weldon and Andra Sparks. Once the home of a million army boots, this beautiful Victorian factory now houses three large music spaces, each furnished with a Grand Piano. The building is full of light and calm, with an atmosphere perfectly suited to creative work. We love being here, and you will too!

There are lots of photos and a history of the building and its renovation over at

The Shoefactory at Rushden

Advice

We're happy to advise keen players on the best way forward. We hope you'll be able to come and do some work with us at the Shoefactory, but in any case we'll do our best to point you in the right direction. Just get in touch. Meanwhile, you may find some of our thoughts on jazz education and the current music scene helpful, so please have a look first at our Advice section.

Links

Our Links page has some useful links to teachers, musicians, courses, video, audio and jazz titbits!

Contact

All our details are over on the Contact page. But you can also keep in touch and find out our news and updates via a RSS feed of our blog, by joining us on our Facebook page, and by signing up to our mailing list.