Weekly Music Workshop Schedule 2013-2014

Preserving the Legacy of David Sharp

Sometimes the most meaningful connections happen when you least expect them. This past fall, Marc Mommaas, co-founder of the New York Jazz Workshop, was researching educational materials online when he stumbled upon a website called Jazz for Piano—a treasure trove of jazz ... more

How to Play Saxophone Without Developing Bad Habits?

As a jazz educator in New York City, I’ve taught saxophone to hundreds of students over the past two decades. Some arrive with grand ambitions. Others just want to play their favorite song. Regardless of the goal, every successful saxophonist I’ve worked with ... more

How to Read Sheet Music: Beginner-Friendly Guide

Learning to read sheet music can be intimidating for many aspiring musicians. Those five lines stacked on a page can look impenetrable at first glance. Here’s what I tell every student who sits down for their first lesson: you’re not learning a foreign language ... more

What Is Modal Jazz and How Can You Master It?

As a jazz educator and performer in New York City, I’ve spent decades studying and teaching modal jazz to students at all levels. This approach represents a fundamental shift in how we organize improvisation and composition. Instead of moving through functional chord ... more

Jazz Instruments Guide: 2025 Complete Overview

I’ll never forget watching a student’s face light up during their first jazz ensemble session. “Wait,” they said, eyes wide, “the drummer changed what everyone was playing.” Exactly. That’s when you realize that what instruments are ... more

Free Jazz Music: Breaking Boundaries Through Pure Expression

I still remember the first time I heard Ornette Coleman’s Free Jazz. I was a conservatory student, comfortable with bebop changes and modal frameworks, when my teacher dropped the needle on that double quartet recording. The sound that emerged—two groups playing ... more

Evolution of Jazz: From Roots to Modern Expressions

A trumpet’s cry echoes through New Orleans streets in 1910. Fast forward to today: a producer layers saxophone samples over electronic beats in a Brooklyn bedroom studio. Jazz refuses to stand still. This uniquely American art form has spent over a century absorbing ... more

Latin Jazz: Where Jazz Meets the Rhythms of the Caribbean and Brazil

The first time I heard a live Latin jazz band in New York, I knew I’d heard something like it before—in Havana, actually, at this tiny club where the congas were so loud I could feel them in my chest. The rhythm was infectious in a way I didn’t totally understand ... more

What Is Funk Music: Origins, Style, and Influence

I’ll never forget the first time I heard “Cold Sweat” blast through my neighbor’s speakers in 1967. I was supposed to be studying for finals, but that groove grabbed me by the collar and wouldn’t let go. Twenty-three years later, when I moved from ... more

Jazz and Latin Music

The rhythmic traditions brought to the Americas by the African diaspora have had an immeasurable impact on the music of the region. Dating back to the slave trade, African rhythms and musical practices were brought to the New World and merged with indigenous and European ... more

Why Should You Own Your Own Music As A Musician?

As a musician you have practiced your craft through courses, workshops and intensives at New York Jazz Workshop. As you ply your trade, you wonder why should you own your own music? The history of music as intellectual property and copyright is an interesting one. This article ... more

Can swing be quantified scientifically?

As a musician studying the Black American Music art form jazz, you may be wondering much about the word swing. What is it? what is the Swing feel? Can swing be quantified scientifically? Often, for musicians new to jazz who come from other musical backgrounds, the concept of ... more