Rhythm and Jazz workshop for youth

Media Market Agency Prague concerts together with Rhythm´n´Jazz project are intended for young audience in terms of wide distributive concept of European countries. Therefore we plan collective shows of artists of various nationalities for certain opportunities that we can see together on stage, jazzmen from Germany, Czech rep, England, Slovakia, Spain, Poland etc. The main accompanying commentary is in three language mutations: czech, english and german. Prepared for the shows, there is also a version understandable for slovak and polish youth. Concerts for teen-agers can be concieved in many ways. The artistic production MMAP deals with concerts for children and teen-agers since the nineties therefore has many patterns similar to music-educational shows, already tested in practice. As the most effective way, was proven to be the classic concert production with accompanying commentary. The meaning of such productions has been increasing lately from many reasons. Children can download from internet, music or videos; however what they can’t download is the uniqueness of live concert in real time. This is nevertheless not only about the atmosphere or whatsoever, but as well about the sound of a jazz ensemble, flowing from the stage. Paradoxically, this sound has for many hearers absolutely unknown character and dimensions. A concert, is mainly an unrepeatable experience and its uniqueness, we can only partially catch into music tin. An artist on stage isn’t a digital product and with his presence, he hands over the audience apart from music, many other surplus values. Most musicians of Rhythm´n´Jazz for teen-agers project are active pedagogues with the practice of teaching both individuals and collectives, and that provides them not only adequate knowledge, but also good familiarity of working with young people. They use their experiences to reach a goal, which should be any trachers priority – effort to arouse interests, or by some auditors, to ablaze for jazz music.

 
Concert Rhythm´n´Jazz for teen-agers I.  (3rd to 5th grade, elementary school)
Children till the 5th class are a very perceptive audience and most of it, what they get to know there, is completely new for them. Concert Jazz´n´Relax for teen-agers is therefore about learning new things. From music instruments, stage-tech to jazz music styles and improvisation. Children can join the musicians in certain songs during the concert, where they get percussions, simple music instruments or they can play on their own bodies. They can clap or snap one’s fingers for example.
They also learn, how a proper auditor on a jazz concert behaves and how his behavior is different from a classic music auditor. Purpose of this jazz concert is to get in subconscious of a very young hearer, that it exists music style, which is different to those, which they are used to listen to in radio or television. That this music comes from America, that it can be fun and it would be definitely worth it to visit such concert again.

 
Concert Rhythm´n´Jazz for teen-agers II.  (from 6th to 9th grade,elementary school)
Concerts for children at this age are used to be concerts of confrontation between cultures or generations. A teen-age auditor already has his ideals and he presumes, that he resolutely stands behind his opinion. But he often doesn’t know, where his opinion comes from, he doesn’t know the conjunctions, he doesn’t know what music influenced his contemporaries fifty or more years ago. He has no knowledge about rock’n’roll or country, or that behind the success of Michael Jacksons albums were mostly jazzmen.
These children can be a very critical audience. That’s why musicians from Jazz´n´Relax for teen-agers insist on well chosen introduction and on a friendly atmosphere in the hall, to prevent stress and to make them interested. Such audience can then get plenty of interesting information. The artists reveal systematically historical, musical, or even technological contexts of jazz process and mention other allied styles from the twenties. Terms, that the hearer should remember from this concert are for example: Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Glen Miller, Louis Armstrong, Swing, Dixieland, Bebop, Blues, Fussion, improvisation, Jam Session, etc.  

Concert Rhythm´n´Jazz for teen-agers III.  (high shools)
The viewer at high school age is very sensitive to all real, authentic, auctorial and new. Concert Jazz´n´Relax for high schools is therefore the most similar to a real jazz concert. Emphasis goes especially to quality and trueness, because the performers know very well the importance of these aspects on next progress of young hearers. A high school student has still much to learn, but this jazz show will rather imply and point out, than describe everything in detail.
A student such as this should know some melodies inevitable to classic jazz standards fund and he also should can file them in accordant style and period. That is why together with our own repertoire, these will be played, fro example : The Girl From Ipanema, Wave, Stella by Starlight, Misty, Bye, Bye Blackbird, Autumn Leaves, Blue Monk, Lady be Good, etc.

The icing on the concert cake – rhythmic percussion
For comprehension of  rhythmic pulse of jazz, it’s suitable, that the viewer can verify some things in practice. An ideal oportunity is to try out, how rhythm behaves directly, and that during the concert together with musicians. Visitors therefore get simple resonant and percussion instruments available, due to them, they can try out, how hard it is to keep in rythm. Most of them will improve that way. Children can take these instrument home aftherwards as a souvenire and as an instrument for next rythm tryouts. Teachers don’t have to be concerned though about unmanagable, too noisy atmosphere. Children have to be persuaded with the right communication and an active attitude, that they can accept such present during the concert. In the case that they don’t, they will atleast be rewarded with relaxed legs after long sitting.