Jazz Institute Now Holding Auditions

The Connecticut School of Music (CSM) is swinging into the fall season with the newly formed Jazz Institute aimed at musicians of all ages. 

 The Jazz Institute at CSM (www.ctschoolofmusic.com) will hold auditions throughout September and will begin sessions the first week of October. Musicians will be divided into small-group ensembles that meet weekly in Greenwich and Westport.

All ensembles will learn to embrace the elements of jazz, promises Ken Kuo, founder and president of CSM. "Jazz is compelling music with historical roots," he said.  "Our teaching will be in-depth. Our sessions will address improvisation techniques, theory, foundation and repertoire.

Ensemble rehearsals, one-on-one instruction and a concert finale will round out the program. "Live performances will culminate each 10-week session," says Program Director Matt Buttermann.

"Our emphasis will be on the traditions and standards of jazz and we will focus on the important contributions of jazz legends like Duke Ellington, Miles Davis and Art Blakey. 

With a master's degree in jazz studies, Buttermann is a passionate performer and a sought-after educator. He has performed throughout the country with jazz greats including Mulgrew Miller, Clark Terry, Jimmy Heath, Freddy Cole, Wycliffe Gordon, and Larry Coryell, among others. He was named "Best Jazz Guitarist" in Arizona in 2004 and is the recipient of numerous awards and honors for his work in education and performance throughout Arizona and the New York City area.

 Buttermann has taught jazz at several New York City schools and arts organizations, including Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York and Mind-Builders Creative Arts Center.

Buttermann currently works in educational programming at Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC) in New York, which produces 20 education programs and resources, including jazz programs for inner-city middle-school and high-school students.

 Kuo and Buttermann recently pooled resources and collaborated on a well-received performance at JALC.

"Last June, more than 100 students participated in a great multicultural event that was devoted to the performance of jazz music," notes Kuo. "We performed in the Allen Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center, located in the new Time-Warner Center building. The event was so successful, that we have been invited to come back and play there again."

 The joint performance united youngsters of all backgrounds and cultures, who joined collectively to perform classical music and jazz compositions.

 With Buttermann at the helm, Kuo knew that adding the Jazz Institute would bring new opportunities to musicians of all calibers. "We have the best teachers at CSM and all of our teachers enjoy collaborating musically with our students," he says. "We aim to give music students of all ages the best experience possible. Every year we do something new." 

For information on the Jazz Institute or Connecticut School of Music classes and programs, call (203) 226-0805 or e-mail: info@ctschoolofmusic.com