There is no need to have a complete knowledge of scales and chords to begin expressing oneself through improvisation. Many jazz masters use simple, but expressive musical devices. This session focuses on helping teachers equip their students with the tools of expression demonstrated by jazz masters. These tools (melody embellishment, timbre, inflection, etc.) are useful in facilitating confident and expressive improvisation as the student's harmonic knowledge develops over time.
Matt Pivec
- Biographical Information
As a performer of jazz and popular music, Matt has worked with Ray Charles, The Temptations, Dave Rivello, Bob Brookmeyer, Maria Schneider, Julia Dollison, Melvin Rhyne, and the Buselli-Wallarab Jazz Orchestra.
Matt received the Doctor of Musical Arts (Saxophone Performance and Literature) and Master of Music (Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media) degrees from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. He received the Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
Currently, Matt is the director of jazz studies at Butler University where he conducts the Jazz Ensemble 1 and teaches courses in the jazz studies curriculum. In February 2009, Matt founded the Butler Youth Jazz Orchestra, a select jazz ensemble comprised of high school students from the Indianapolis area.