Three Edinburgh musicians are part of a team behind a course to help young jazz musicians to fully develop their talents.
Saxophonist Helena Kay, bassist Andrew Robb and drummer Andrew Bain will be teaching on Summer Jazz Camp Scotland which takes place at Wiston Lodge near Biggar from 7 to 11 August.
They’ll be joined by trumpeter Ryan Quigley, whose touring and recording credits include work with Quincy Jones, Aretha Franklin, Michael Buble, George Michael, and Burt Bacharach, and pianist Tom Gibbs, who has played with leading musicians on both the New York and London jazz scenes and who teaches at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
“It’s a highly qualified and talented group of tutors who have a wealth of professional experience and can give students the tools they need to become confident and expressive musicians,“ says Helena Kay, a former Young Scottish Jazz Musician of the Year who recently released her second album, Golden Sands, to wide critical acclaim and currently features in the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra.
Andrew Robb is also a former Young Scottish Jazz Musician of the Year and is now a lecturer at Leeds College of Music and Andrew Robb, who has been influential in developing the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland’s jazz ensemble, was recently appointed Head of Jazz at The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff.
Helena Kay believes that jazz music is a powerful tool for personal and artistic growth and says that the tutors will be striving to give all students on the course the passion and self-belief that will allow them to improvise, collaborate, and perform with ease.
The course curriculum is designed to cover all aspects of jazz music, from the fundamentals of jazz theory to advanced techniques in big band and ensemble playing.
“Above all, we want students to enjoy playing jazz and to feel a sense of achievement in their own playing and in playing with other musicians,” says Helena Kay. “Wiston Lodge itself is an inspiring environment. The accommodation is ideal and the food is all about balance and nutrition. Everything is set up so that students can get the most out of the experience.”
