CHESHIRE, Mass. — The Berkshires' Summer Jazz Camp returns this August and sign-ups are open now. 

 

In mid-August, high school and middle school students throughout the county will get a chance to sit in with a group of master jazz musicians at Hoosac Valley High School.  

 

"The students will be able to hear and play with some of the top musicians in the world today," professional trumpeter and North Adams native Richard Boulger said. "It is a real pleasure to see how the students are inspired by hearing our faculty. Not to mention, hearing how much the students progress in just a matter of days."

 

This is the second Jazz Camp sponsored by the Adams-Anthony Center and Boulger will again be joined by saxophonist Alex Foster, pianist Charles Blenzig, drummer Victor Jones, and bassist Alex Blake.

 

New to the team this year is guitarist David Gilmore, who has worked with multiple artists including Wayne Shorter and David Sandborn. He has appeared on over 50 recordings and has contributed to popular acts including Joss Stone and Melissa Etheridge.

 

More information on the clinicians and the camp can be found here.

 

Boulger said the clinicians will hold group sessions during which they will cover improvisation techniques as well as ensemble playing. Students will then split into break out sessions to work with faculty on their respective instruments, cover fundamentals and advance ideas for sound production, and practice techniques.

 

"Many of the ideas we teach, we learned directly from true master jazz musicians. I myself, for example, spent several years ... apprenticing with jazz trumpet icons Freddie Hubbard and Donald Byrd," Boulger said. "... Some of what I teach was directly shared with me and I share it with the students. The same can be said of each of our jazz faculty members who have collectively worked, recorded, and toured extensively with true masters of music."

 

Boulger added that they place an emphasis on listening to the masters and specific renowned recordings. 

 

"How to really listen and begin to understand not only what is happening on said recordings, but also begin to think about the idea of finding one’s own voice on their respective musical instrument," he said.

 

In general, they do not use music stands or sheet music and they try to teach students how to hear melodies and "simplify/demystify" the art of improvisation. 

 

Boulger said the camp is completely free thanks to the sponsorship of the Adams-Anthony Center.

 

The camp runs from Aug. 19 to 23 and ends with a cabaret in which the students will play publicly with the clinicians.

 

Applications can be found online here and Boulger said they are working on a first-come, first-serve basis so any students interested should return their applications as soon as possible.

 

Donations can also be made to Adams-Anthony Center that makes the event possible.