Schedule of Events & Workshop Descriptions

WORKSHIPS--HEADER

New Directions Cello Festival 2016
Schedule of Events
(may be subject to change)

Friday June 3

11:00 – 12:30 Registration in lobby of Music Building B

Workshops:

1:00-2:00 Artyom Manukyan: Mechanics of Duet – workshop room 1
1:00-2:00 Joel Cohen: Baroque Improvisation – workshop room 2
2:10 -3:10 Jaques Morelenbaum: “A Quiáltera Brasileira” (The Brazilian Triplet) – workshop room 1
3:20-4:20- Kira Weiss: Flamenco Andaluz – workshop room 1
3:20-4:20-Greg Byers: Chords: Practical Voicings and Comping Insights – workshop room 2
4:30-5:50 Cello Big Band Rehearsal #1(The Cello Big Band plays new directions arrangements for cello choir. Open to all participants, guest artists and staff. Please come to all three rehearsals and play on the concert on Sunday.)
6-7 dinner

Evening Concert – Fulkerson Hall

7:30 Artyom Manukyan with Vardan Ovsepian
8:30 Mark Summer with Ken Cook
9:30 The Bee Eaters

Saturday June 4

Workshops:

9:00-10:00 Greg Byers: Jam Session: What’s Goin’ On? – wrkshp rm 1
9:00-10:00 Jaques Morelenbaum: Escola de Samba” (Samba School) – wrkshp rm 2
10:10-11:10 Greg Byers: Cello Boot Camp: Scale Mastery – wkshp rm 2
10:10-11:10 Jaques Morelenbaum: The Brazilian Cello– wrkshp rm 2
11:20-12:20 Workshop room #1 Mark Summer Percussion Techniques
11:20-12:20 The Bee Eaters: Rhythmic Integrity and Ensemble Playing – wrkshp rm 1
12:30-1:20 LUNCH
1:30-2:30 Mark Summer Sunny Moon for Two – wrkshp rm 1
1:30-2:30 Cello Joe: Singing and playing – wkshp rm 2
2:40-3:40 Artyom:– CelloArt, and Famous Bass Lines wrkshp rm 1
2:40-3:40 Cello Joe: Using a “Looper” – wrkshp rm 2
3:50 – 4:50 The Bee Eaters: Rhythmic Integrity and Ensemble Playing – wkshp rm 1
3:50 – 4:50 Alex Kelly: Extended Techniques – wrkshp rm 2
5:00-6:00 Big Band rehearsal #2
6:00-7:00 dinner

Evening Concert – Fulkerson Hall

7:30 Cello Joe
8:30 Greg Byers
9:30 Jaques Morelenbaum & Ricardo Vogt

Sunday June 5

Workshops:

9:00-10:00 Jaques Morelenbaum ”Waters of March” Jam session – wrkshp rm 1
10:10-11:10- Cello Joe: Let’s sing your song! Jam session – – wrkshp rm 1
11:20-12:20 Cello Big Band rehearsal #3
12:25 – 1:25 brunch/lunch

Sunday June 5 (free and open to the public)

1:30 Open Mic
2:00-3:00 Cello Big Band

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS

CELLO JOE – SINGING AND PLAYING
We will do some group exercises on how to incorporate singing with your cello playing. This is your workshop if you have little or no experience singing and playing. We will start by droning and singing over a basic two chord progression; ahs and oohs, calls and responses. We will continue to build on that to make music as a group.
All levels

CELLO JOE – USING A LOOPER
There’s no time like the present to try looping on the cello! Joey will bring loopers to the workshop and everything we need to loop. After a demo, everyone will have an opportunity to try it for a few minutes. We will create some collaborative layers of loops as well. Give it a shot! You can try CelloJoe’s looper out!
All levels

MARK SUMMER – PERCUSSION TECHNIQUES
The Over the course of thirty years in the Turtle Island String Quartet, Mark developed a number of great ways to play cello in a group. In this workshop, we will cover ideas that are mostly pizzicato based, but will also include ricochet bowings. We will then incorporate those techniques into a piece.
All levels

MARK SUMMER – SUNNY MOON FOR TWO
We will learn this piece together, improvising over it in C minor using the 12 bar blues form.
All levels

JAQUES MORELENBAUM – THE BRAZILIAN CELLO
We will look at some examples of the multiple uses of cello in Brazilian popular music and explore the variety of methods of achieving the rhythms and accents of Brazilian music on the cello. We will then improvise together using these ideas. The cello has enjoyed a long history in Brazil and has assumed a unique Brazilian identity. Hector Villa Lobos, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Egberto Gismonti, Wagner Tiso, Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil are some of the important composers who have helped to make this happen.
All levels

JAQUES MORELENBAUM – A QUILETERA BRASILEIRA (“THE BRAZILIAN TRIPLET”)
We will focus one of the most significant Brazilian rhythmic patterns, known as the “Quiáltera Brasileira.” If there is one defining technique which can make clear what is at the heart of Brazilian cello playing, this is it. We will improvise on this rhythm and experience the true “taste” of Brazilian cello!
All levels

ARTYOM MANUKYAN – MECHANICS OF A DUET
We will learn a simple tune together, then, each player will have an opportunity to play with pianist Vardan Ovsepian. We will explore the many aspects of what makes the mechanics of a duet a musical conversation: communication, understanding between two musicians, timing, dynamics, harmony and more.

Intermediate/advanced
ARTYOM MANUKYAN – CELLO ART AND FAMOUS BASS LINES
We will look at a number of different pizzicato techniques found in famous bass lines. We’ll then improvise over as many of the bass lines as we can in the hour, learning how the cello can be used as bass in Hip-Hop, Techno and many more styles.
All levels

THE BEE EATERS – RHYTHMIC INTEGRITY AND ENSMBLE PLAYING
We’ll be exploring ensemble playing, practice techniques for rhythmic integrity within various traditional styles, as well as accompaniment ideas. We hope to open up avenues for people to connect with each other musically; to open our ears further and freely communicate through the language of music.
All levels

THE BEE EATERS – RHYTHMIC INTEGRITY AND ENSMBLE PLAYING
We’ll be exploring ensemble playing, practice techniques for rhythmic integrity within various traditional styles, as well as accompaniment ideas. We hope to open up avenues for people to connect with each other musically; to open our ears further and freely communicate through the language of music.
Advanced

JOEL COHEN – BAROQUE IMPROVISATION
We will play a Baroque cello composition together. Next, we’ll explore how performers would have improvised over the form on the repeat of each section. It is surprisingly like jazz improvisation!
All levels

GREG BYERS – CELLO BOOT CAMP
While the traditional scale is nice, rote practice of any set pattern has its limitations, especially when it comes to using it in improvisation. This workshop is designed to show you the myriad of tactics for unconscious mastery of any tonality. Think you know C Major? I’ll put that to the test, as we cover finger boxes (horizontal scales), arpeggios, double stops, the importance of brain confusion, jazz patterns, improvisation exercises, and more.

Intermediate/Advanced

GREG BYERS – CHORDS: PRACTICAL VOICINGS AND COMPING INSIGHTS
This workshop is all about chords: What are they? How do they relate to scales? What notes are essential to defining them? How do you read chord symbols? What is voice leading? What are effective strategies for accompanying in various styles? All this and more will be covered.

Intermediate/Advanced

ALEX KELLY – EXTENDED TECHNIQUES

Learn extended cello techniques used in free jazz, traditional jazz, world music, pop and rock.
All levels

KIRA WEISS – FLAMENCO ANDALUZ
This workshop will explore Andalusian flamenco in terms of its historical roots, musical characteristics and translation to the cello. We’ll cover basic techniques of flamenco cello playing, as well as typical scales which are used in the “palos,” or forms, of flamenco including Bulería, Fandango, and Soleá.
All levels

GUIDED JAM SESSIONS

Cello Joe
Let’s play Your Song!
Have you got a song that you would like to have a group of cellists play along with? Let’s work out some arrangements on the fly for simple songs, with or without words.
All levels

Jaques Morelenbaum
“Escola de Samba” (Samba School)
Some of the patterns used in the drums section of the “Escola de Samba” (which hasmany different parts for percussionists) will be taught and distributed among participants, transposed for cellos, of course. Once the element of improvising on top has been added in, you may find your rhythmic sense forever changed!
All levels

Jaques Morelenbaum
“Waters of March”
Waters of March, by Antonio Carlos Jobim, is considered by the NY Times to be among the ten most important songs at the twentieth century. It is a very simple arrangement and can be easily sight read. Some participants will play the arrangement, while a soloist improvises over the chord changes.
All levels

Greg Byers

What’s Goin’ On?
Learn how to play this classic Motown hit by Marvin Gaye. We’ll break down the chord/scales involved, dissect the bass line, discuss comping strategies, and jump right into performing and improvising over this wonderful composition!
All levels

CELLO BIG BAND

The Cello Big Band includes everyone at the festival who would like to join in the fun; participants, guest artists and staff. We rehearse arrangements for non-classical cello choir on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and then perform on the Sunday afternoon farewell concert. There are sections for improvised solos in most pieces.