High School Jazz Lab & Audition Prep

Do you know a young jazz musician who has a big audition in their future? Whether it’s for a district, all-state, or regional festival, or an application to a music college, auditions can be intimidating – this 6 session course is the perfect opportunity to help them prepare and nail it! Renowned jazz pianist, composer, and educator Bruce Sklar will guide students through the process of how to prepare and practice, with a focus on developing students’ improvisation skills using repertoire drawn from Vermont’s Winooski Valley and All-State festival audition requirements.

Open to high school students who play any instrument, including vocalists. Students should be able to read notated music and have some familiarity with standard jazz repertoire.

Bruce Sklar is an educator, jazz pianist and composer who has been living, performing and teaching music in Vermont since 1983.
His jazz compositions have been a staple in the Vermont jazz scene, and have been featured in many recordings including “Stepping Out” with the Sneakers Jazz Band “Passing Through” with The Sklar/Grippo Sextet, and “Three Days in August ” by the Bruce Sklar Trio.
As a pianist he has worked with and opened for many of the most famous names in the jazz world. Bruce recently retired from teaching at Harwood Union High School, where he founded an award winning jazz program and sustained it for 30 years.

Tuition assistance is available to help make this programming available to all.

Mondays October 2 – November 20 (6 meetings – no class on October 9 and October 30)
For high school students.