Classes & Lessons

Jazz & Improvisation

Levine’s jazz department offers outstanding opportunities to develop musical skills and explore the art of jazz.  Our world-class jazz faculty cultivates students’ technique and deepens their appreciation of jazz through performances focusing on historic jazz musicians.  Whether you are a traditionally trained student who is curious about the world of jazz or are you an experienced jazz musician looking to expand your skills, Levine’s Jazz Department is an exciting place to develop your talent.

Hilda & Leonard Kaplan Foundation Grant

Levine recently received a multi-year grant from the Hilda & Leonard Kaplan Foundation to strengthen our jazz program.  Thanks to this generous gift, Levine will:

• Provide year-round coaching of jazz ensembles and an expanded jazz performance series, featuring Levine’s jazz faculty.
• Offer master classes with artists of international renown, providing an inside look at their creative processes and techniques.

Violinist Diane Monroe will offer a master class on Saturday, March 13th, 2010, 2pm, at our NW Campus.  For more information, click here.

For the full 09-10 schedule of the Hilda & Leonard Kaplan Foundation Jazz Series, click here.

Watch the Levine School Jazz Quintet perform Chick Corea's "Chick's Tune" at the Swiss Ambassador's residence:

Classes

For class times & prices, please download the jazz section of our course catalog.

Improvisation (Prep) MD
The instructor guides students of all instruments using elements of melody, harmony, rhythm, structure and expression. Students develop the ability to improvise in many styles, including jazz, and also learn how to listen to and interact with each other while improvising in groups.

Jazz Theory (Prep - Adult) MD
This course covers fundamental information about pitches, intervals, triads, seventh chords, voicing, harmonic progressions, chord substitutions and scales, including seven diatonic modes, blues scales and symmetrical scales. Students will analyze recorded performances and write their own jazz solos.

Virginia Big Band (Prep) VA
This ensemble offers training for middle school and high school students who wish to play in a jazz band. Students study jazz repertoire, develop improvisation skills and build on their ability to work as a group. Performance venues have included the German Embassy and the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. For audition information, please contact the Virginia Campus at (703) 237-5655.

Summer at Levine Jazz Camp

This program is a great way to learn what jazz is all about! It's a perfect introduction for students looking toward their high-school jazz programs, or who are just curious about the nature of jazz. Spend a week learning the basics of improvisation and studying with members of Levine's stellar jazz faculty.  Click here for more information.

Jazz Faculty

Piano
Robert Sykes*
Jeffrey Chappell
Saxophone
Noah Getz*
Bill Mulligan
Trumpet
Chris Battistone*
Violin
Eddie Drennon
Bass
Pepe Gonzalez*
Percussion
Andrew Hare*

*Members of the Levine Jazz Quintet, Artists-in-Residence