My week-long jazz masterclass begins tomorrow. I’ve been looking forward to it for a year and I’m over the moon.

I’m not entirely sure what to expect. I know that there are jam sessions in local cafes every night. I intend to make the most of any and all performing opportunities but that means I’ll likely be away from home from 8:00 am to midnight each day. What will I need to bring in order to transform myself into a cool chanteuse in the evening after all-day classes in 95 degree weather?

The rough schedule I’ve seen indicates that we will have some separate classes (vocalists and instrumentalists) and some all together. That makes sense. It would be odd to sing all day every day without other musicians. Several sessions are about rhythm. Now I’m hoping I’ll learn better how to play percussion. That would be a nice bonus.

My goals for the week include:

  1. Have amazing musical experiences
  2. Meet potential collaborators
  3. Learn how to scat without self-consciousness
  4. Improve my skills with percussion
  5. Be bold

I could ruin it for myself in the following ways:

  1. Be unwilling to make a mistake
  2. Be afraid to try something I’m not already good at.
  3. Be shy and unwilling to speak Italian (see #1 above)
  4. Hang out only with people I already know (who speak English) (see #3)

I expect there will be posts on the Fabrijazz Facebook page, and I hope to report how it’s going on my own page. Watch for us and wish me luck.

P.S. Tell me the title of your favorite jazz standard in the comments. Maybe we can play it.

2 Responses

  1. Funny valentine because it reminds me of The Talented Mr Ripley which was filmed in Italy. Dumb reason but my favorite festival was the Perugia Jazz.

    1. That’s at the top of my list too, from Pal Joey, thought I don’t really think of Kim Novak as a favorite singer. Just went to Perugia festival this year for the first time.

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