3rd-5th May 2019
Steve Thompson arrived in Jersey for a weekend residency at Chateau Vermont bringing with him 10 of his students from St Dunstan’s College, London along with their Director of music Dominic Oldfield for a Street Jazz weekend project.
14 local JAM students joined forces with our guests to form a Street Jazz band. The students integrated well from the off set for a long but fulfilling day. From 9-5pm the students were incredible at taking on the task of sight reading 7 new pieces – all with the added pressure of performing them twice the following day! Thanks to Steve’s fantastic arranging of some great pieces including It must be love, Disco 2000 & Rolling in the deep by Adele, this made the job somewhat easier – all of the students rose to the challenge and played fantastically! Sectionals followed lunch before the band came back together to perform the pieces through – they’d done so well there was even time for a game of rounders on the lawn!
On Sunday the students met at the Chateau first thing for a final rehearsal before being bused down to the Jersey International Boat Show’s main stage in Weighbridge Square for their first performance at 12. After an hour for lunch & a chance to soak up the atmosphere, they reconvened to play another great set in a more street and busking style second performance in Liberation Square.
Our visitors then went bowling & had a Thai meal before being dropped up to the airport – tired out but with feedback from Steve that they had really enjoyed their weekend here! Let’s hope we can do it all again next year! A big thanks to all the staff and students for making the weekend such a success!
In the meantime Steve will be returning to this Summer’s Course where he will be giving individual lessons as well as coaching jazz and other ensembles!
10th/11th May 2019
Organised by JAM percussion tutor Eva Hsieh, we had two busy days of workshops delivered by the quite incredible Ruairi Glasheen. He travelled to the island with bags full of Bodhrán drums, and worked with children from VCP, Janvrin, and JCG on the Friday, before leading workshops for JAM students (and parents!) on the Saturday. Great feedback from everyone involved, something completely different and great fun!
5th-7th July 2019
Founded in 1560, Solihull School is a leading co-educational independent school situated near the centre of Solihull, West Midlands, England. The music department benefits from excellent accommodation in the David Turnbull Music School, opened in 2009.
A student trio consisting of clarinet, violin and piano look forward to visiting Jersey in July, alongside a staff trio, Luisa Rosina, Head of Woodwind, Hanlie Martens, Head of Keyboard and Helen Roberts, Head of Strings.
The students will be working alongside JAM senior instrumentalists, and the teachers collaborating with JAM teachers, to lead towards a chamber music concert featuring exciting chamber music works of a wide variety of styles and genres.