Improve Your Improv
by: Colette Hebert
“Tritone Jazz Fantasy Camp helps with your musical growth,” explains vocalist Kathryn Gallant, 41. “I’m working on techniques I never thought I would attempt. My goal was to sing in front of people and not throw up. Now, my vocal coach is one of my closest friends.”
Opening the Eyes
The Pittsford, New York, native, who is research director for Hall and Partners Healthcare, has attended camps at both of Tritone’s locations—in Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin, and in Rochester, New York. At both locations, beginners and experienced jazz hobbyists are welcomed on a six-day journey into the world of jazz improvisation, making friends and self-discoveries along the way.
“The camps are very similar, yet they have their own characteristics,” says Gallant, an amateur musician all her life but a beginner at jazz vocals. “In Baileys Harbor, you’re living and eating in the same place. It’s an old summer resort, where you become immersed in music and live communally.” The surroundings of the Rochester location are less camp-like—its held on the campus of Nazareth College—but the style of learning is similar, says Gallant.
“At Tritone, I was given the exposure to jazz I hadn’t experienced before,” explains Gallant. “I had been intimidated by jazz, and I thought improvisation was beyond me.” What helps both beginners and experienced amateurs learn something as intimidating as improv, she says, is the close-knit family atmosphere that is created at a Tritone camp.
“It’s not just the technical instruction; the whole experience opens your eyes,” Gallant continues. “You’re given a huge amount of comfort and knowledge of what to do. The experience has truly enhanced my life.”
Intimate Setting
Christopher Jankowski, 44, an assistant professor of anesthesiology in Rochester, Minnesota, goes to Tritone with his wife, Janine Yanisch, an amateur saxophonist. He started playing the trumpet at age 13, but then took 10 years off from playing music altogether. “I worked for a little bit and then got back into playing,” he recalls. He reintroduced himself to his instrument for three years before first attending Tritone in 1999.
Jankowski still remembers the first tentative steps he took toward the art of improvising, learning the “guide tone” approach. “I can apply these concepts now while I’m improvising,” he says.
“I appreciate music more now as a form of communication,” Jankowski adds. He attends Tritone every year, adding complex skills to his repertoire but, at the same time, playing strictly for fun. “There’s no pressure going back to music at my age. It’s not my career, so I can enjoy it,” he says. “At Tritone, I’ve seen people who have been playing for six months and then those who have been playing for a lot longer. It’s truly a stress-free educational environment.”
With such a warm and friendly atmosphere, it’s no wonder the campers become friends and look forward to reuniting each summer. Says Jankowski, “About half the people return, and there are a lot of the same faces. Tritone’s intimate approach sets it apart from other jazz camps. Its focus is on improvising in small combos.”
Becoming One
“You hang out with friends at Tritone,” agrees Howard Leikin, 54, of Silver Springs, Maryland, a civil servant with the US Department of Treasury. “It’s good to catch up with everyone.”
A more advanced amateur, Leikin says Tritone offers him focused instruction to improve his improvisational chops. “I’ve played the guitar since I was 13 years old, and I had jazz lessons as a kid,” he says, “but I always wanted to get better. I need to get immersed in my instrument with the faculty for a week. But it’s better than being at a school, because you can just relax.”
This cross between educational summer camp and stress-busting spa has worked wonders for Leikin. “My own musical language knowledge has improved,” he asserts. “Now when I play in an ensemble, I know how to blend with other players. You’re always working to become one with everyone in the group.”
To illustrate his point about learning to communicate through music, Leikin recalls an experience at the 2005 jazz camp, which attracted a number of experienced jazz guitarists. “Instead of splitting into small combos, we made one big guitar group,” he explains. “It was a chorale kind of sound. Through it, we all learned the importance of blending and harmonizing using our chords.”
Wide Variety
As Gallant the beginner, Jankowski the intermediate musician, and Leikin the experienced player show, any musician can get something out of Tritone Jazz Fantasy Camp (www.tritonejazzfantasycamp.com).
Improvisation, although a little intimidating at first, is a learned skill. To get started, all that’s needed is a few tips from experts who are there as much to guide as to critique. Also, keep in mind jazz isn’t just for singers, trumpeters, and guitar players. A wide variety of instrumentalists attend Tritone jazz camps, including violinists and harpists.
As Bob DeRosa, one of Tritone’s camp directors and an amateur bassist, explains, “We’re here to create an opportunity for people to jam together. If beginners are in the group, we’ll teach them about fake books and the key changes needed to improvise.”
All this in a camp setting that can make a couple’s summer getaway something to cherish long after the trip home. “I love seeing my friends at camp,” exclaims Gallant. “Wisconsin has become our vacation spot every year. My husband and I drive all the way from New York!”
Further Information
Tritonejazzfantasycamp.com
