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It’s often said that the musical world is a tough one. And if you plan
to make your living as a modern jazz performer then there’s a lot you
need to learn.
For those wanting to follow the likes of Jamie Cullum up the album
charts and hit the big time it’s about a lot more than just being able
to play. Now up to 20 of the country’s most aspiring young musicians
have been given the once in a life time chance to learn from some of the
best in the business and cut their teeth at one of the world’s most
respected jazz festivals.
This year, the Wigan International Jazz Festival is launching a unique
mentoring programme which will take the raw talents of a group of young
players aged from 16 to 23 and mould them into a selection of musicians
fit to grace any festival stage. Over the course of the 8-day festival
(July 15 – 22) the young hopefuls, who hail from all over the country,
will come together to learn the essential skills they need to survive
and prosper in the world of professional music.
It will culminate in the best of the musicians forming the ‘Wigan Jazz
Collective’ and giving three live performances towards the end of the
festival. These will include an exciting live centre-stage performance
in front of an invited audience of industry professionals, festival
directors and jazz greats, plus as special guests of the Manchester Jazz
Festival in Manchester City Centre.
Wigan International Jazz Festival Director Ian Darrington says: “This is
a fantastic opportunity for some of the country’s brightest young
talents to really hone their skills both on stage and off. For a young
jazz musician it really is the ultimate career development and learning
experience.
“We have taken the idea from some of the great work that has been done
internationally through the International Association for Jazz Education
and created something that is unique to Wigan. After meeting up and
getting to know each other the young people will be taken through a
series of workshops and seminars looking not just at the technical side
of performance but also the business side from how the industry works
through to image, publicity, marketing yourself, how you react on stage
and how to interact with an audience."
Ian adds: “Experts and professionals in these various fields will be
passing their knowledge on to the students. We’ll be recording some of
their work and giving them the opportunity to put it all to the test by
getting up on stage. I suppose there is an analogy to be drawn with
programmes like Pop Idol or X Factor only we are trying to cultivate the
next generation of UK jazz talent and there’s never been a better time
to do it because jazz is more popular than ever, particularly with young
people.”
The mentoring scheme has been made possible with an investment from Arts
& Business New Partners, which aims to encourage sustainable
partnerships between the business community and the artistic world.
Janet Dunnett from the Regional Office in Manchester says: “We are
looking to add value and benefits for the business which will result in
a long term relationship with the Arts”.
The project has received three years worth of investment support from
Greater Manchester-based construction company Nuttalls. Nuttalls Joint
Managing Director Philip Pattison says: “We’re really proud to be
sponsoring this scheme. It’s already accepted ten hopefuls on board and
I’m told there are plenty of names to watch out for among them.”
Those include the home-grown Wigan trumpet playing talent Jonathan
Murray (pictured). The 17-year-old prodigy was recently accepted to
further hone his performance skills with a four-year scholarship at the
Manhattan School of Music, New York.
Jonathan is also a keen member of the Wigan Youth Jazz Orchestra for a
number of years and will be joined other lucky hopefuls, including
Leeds-based Lucas Dodd who already successfully tours with his own
quartet.
Helping the young hopefuls on every step of their 8-day musical journey
of discovery will be the multi-talented and hugely experienced saxophone
virtuoso Munch Manship. Munch, has played alongside the likes of Eric
Delaney, Lou Rawls, Johnny Mathis, Jack Jones, Shirley Bassey and Roy
Orbison as a freelance musician. He’s performed as a professional
theatre musician in such shows as the Broadway touring version of West
Side Story, Cats, Phantom of the Opera and Blood Brothers.
In addition to his performing qualifications, Munch currently teaches
saxophone and woodwind at Salford University. Munch has been drafted in
as guest director for the Mentoring Scheme and he has high expectations
of his young charges.
“I’m looking forward to getting to know them as people and musicians,”
he says. “I’m keen to see what level they are at. I’ve been working on
quite a variation of arrangements for the students everything from blues
to West Coast Jazz and it should provide them with enough material for a
decent set they can play anywhere. The opportunities for young musicians
these days are excellent and it’s important any young player can
capitalise on them. It’s going to be quite a gruelling week for the
young musicians but probably the most beneficial week of their
professional lives. I’ll be looking for bags of enthusiasm and
commitment and of course, a love of the music they want to play.”
Festival director Ian Darrington believes the Mentoring Scheme can
produce great results.
He says: “This is a natural progression for our festival and one that we
want to become a permanent feature. It’s an exciting time for us and we
know we have some fantastic raw talent that we are lucky enough to help
shape into professional musicians. It’s possible the students will stay
together and form their own band or they could go their separate ways.
Whatever happens I believe we will be hearing a lot more from them so it
really is a case of watch this space.”
Festival brochures are available on request from the Tourist Information
Centre. For regular updates visit the official festival website:
www.wiganjazz.net.
The Wigan International Jazz Festival’s main sponsor is Manchester
Airport and is co-ordinated by Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust, Wigan
Council and Wigan Jazz Club. Other sponsors and supporters of the
festival are: Marketing Manchester; Nuttall Construction Ltd; Arts and
Business; Greenberg Glass; John Smith’s Ltd; Modus; Arts Council
England; AGMA; JJB Stadium; Lancashire Life; Cell Creative; Rotary
International; Wigan and Leigh College; The Galleries Shopping Centre;
Lesiuretec and Executive Chauffeurs.
-ends-
NOTES TO EDITORS
• The Wigan International Jazz Festival runs from Saturday July 15 until
Saturday July 22. There will be opportunities to follow the students’
progress through the Mentoring Scheme culminating in their live
performance. Live filming and interviews can be arranged on request.
• For further information on this news release please contact Chris
Dunbar, on 01942 486937 or at c.dunbar@wlct.org, or Phil Green on 01942
827369 or at p.green@wiganmbc.gov.uk.
• For more information on the Wigan International Jazz Festival visit
the official festival website at www.wiganjazz.net
• All artists appear at the Wigan International Jazz Festival by
arrangement with Ernie Garside Productions.
• For more information about New Partners or Arts & Business contact
janet.dunnett@AandB.org.uk or 0161 236 2058.
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