Join us for an incredible 2 hour masterclass by Jenna McLean and Chris Smith! This class is for all ages and instruments. They will cover topics improvisation theory, rhythmic improvisation, groove, and group interaction. At the end of the masterclass they will also have a Q&A session.
This event is FREE. To help keep these events free and open to everyone, we have a suggested donation of $20.
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About Jenna:
Jenna McLean is an accomplished modern jazz vocalist with a penchant for celebrating timeless standards with improvisational prowess, swing and simplicity that feels familiar yet contemporary. Her diversity of skill in many genres contributes to her songwriting style and inspires her to continue investigating ways to honor the jazz tradition and still push forward in time.
Jenna was a semi-finalist in the 2023 American Traditions Vocal Competition, the 2019 winner of the Downbeat Student Music Awards Graduate Vocal Soloist Category, and a 2019 recent recipient of the Pathways to Jazz Grant. She has performed at renowned venues nationwide including Dazzle Denver, Nocturne Denver, Black Cat, The 1905, Rudy's Jazz Room, The Jazz Station, and has performed and presented multiple times at the Jazz Education Network conference and the Five Points Jazz Festival in Denver. She has had the pleasure of performing alongside renowned musicians such as Joel Frahm, Pat Coil, Bobby McFerrin, Aubrey Logan and the New York Voices, and also performs regularly with incredible Denver-based jazz musicians such as Annie Booth, Ben Markley, Eric Gunnison, Tom Amend, Dawn Clement, and others.
Jenna is Assistant Professor of Commercial Music/Applied Voice at Idaho State University. She has a Doctor of Arts degree in Jazz Studies from the University of Northern Colorado where she completed a dissertation entitled "A Study in Effective Teaching Methods in Jazz Voice Technique in Higher Education". She has completed a secondary emphasis in vocal pedagogy studying under Dr. Melissa Malde. She also completed her Master of Music Degree in Jazz Studies at UNC, and has a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Wyoming. Jenna is a member of NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) and JEN (Jazz Education Network) and is certified in Level I of Somatic Voicework™ with Jeanie LoVetri.
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About Chris:
Recent performances include the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Dick Oatts Quintet, Troy Roberts, Andrew Gould Quartet, and Randy Brecker. When in New York City I perform with the Birdland Big Band, come catch us Fridays 5:30-7pm. It’s an amazing big band performing in one of the world's best venues. At Birdland alone I perform for about 10,000 jazz fans each year. Additionally, my performance schedule stays busy with work in venues such as The Blue Note, Smalls, Chicago Jazz Festival, Telluride Jazz Festival, Dizzy’s Club, and the Jazz Showcase. With my teaching position in Austria I also look forward to performing more regularly in Europe. To catch a performance check out my schedule page.
I absolutely love to teach. In March 2022 I began a new role as Professor of Jazz Drums at University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz, Austria. The opportunity to be a full-time teacher of talented students and work with a world-class faculty is a dream come true. I will be in Graz inspiring generations of students for many years to come. My higher education teaching experience includes undergraduate and graduate level drum set, jazz history, music business, jazz pedagogy, rhythm section workshop, jazz ensembles, percussion ensemble, and orchestral percussion. Past appointments as a clinician and lecturer include the University of American Library in Paris, University of Wyoming, Temple University, and University of North Texas. I have a Bachelor in Jazz from Northern Illinois University, a Master in Jazz from Manhattan School of Music, and a Doctorate of Arts from the University of Northern Colorado.
My passion for jazz history led me to write The View from the Back of the Band: The Life and Music of Mel Lewis. The book is published by the UNT Press and available here in paperback and e-book. Telling the story of legendary drummer Mel Lewis the book is a comprehensive resource combining meticulous biographical information, a discography, drum transcriptions and analyses, original interviews, and never before published photographs and memoirs of Mel.
Lastly, I hope you head to Jazz Drum Hang and check out my online educational site. Whatever your musical goals, I want to help you achieve them. The site features hundreds of hours of video lessons, is updated weekly, and is the perfect tool for students of all ages and abilities. Check it out www.jazzdrumhang.com