Dear Mr. Versace,
I am writing to thank you for
coming once again to Humboldt State University, most recently with Matt
Wilson’s Arts and Crafts. We all enjoy
your versatile, inspired playing. I
laughed (accordion solo); I cried (carl sandburg bubble soliloquy).
Your presence in the workshops is
also quite memorable. The Development of the Artist is a favorite subject among
friends, and so we love the workshops. There
is a still an analogy you used from the John Abercrombie workshop floating
around – about taking the subway through a series of changes, and taking the
express train with common tones, or the train that makes local stops on each
chord. I’ve given up expecting a
question to be actually answered, since the artist will prefer to philosophize
instead, which I am prepared to accept as wisdom. This time when you said people play music to
stop the circling in their brains (which you actually indicated with your
finger circling at your head), did you see how many people nodded YES? My peers have much weighing heavy on their
minds.
Through these workshops and seeing
amazing musicians (Ahmad Jamal! Dave Binney! Dan Weiss! Alison Miller!) in
close proximity, I’ve become convinced that the life of a jazz musician is the
one for me. I’m a piano performance
major and I enjoy my classical repertoire, but I like the idea of collaborative
expression better. The direct teaching
approach and embracing of personality also resonates with me greatly. The three jazz piano nerds here are divided
about how to educate themselves and start their careers. Two pianists play charts with ensembles
exclusively, learn Chick Corea and Bill Evans solos, and plan to graduate and
look for guru pedagogues. The other
defers to the institution of classical technique entirely and says graduate
school will teach him everything he needs to know about jazz.
I am torn between approaches. I am like this woman: <http://www.snopes.com/photos/people/pullapart.asp>.
(Snopes says ‘false’ - there is no such thing as ‘magic’.) Do you think it is important to go to grad
school for performance, or for jazz, or at all?
If the latter, do you take
private students in New York City if I seek jazz guru pedagogue? Please! I’m a great student. In the meantime,
what sort of regimen do you recommend while I’m in the relative purgatory of my
undergrad? Ensemble playing? Writing
charts? Memorizing fugues? Etudes? Blues scales?
Fortunately I’ve got some time
before I graduate in which to vacillate and learn scales. I wrangled the spot on the Hammond in Dan
Aldag’s improvisation class, and like you I am very
fidgety on the bench when other people in the room are philosophizing at
length.
Forgive me, this is my first fan letter. If you put a more detailed bio on your
website, you wouldn’t have to deal with them.
Please come back to Arcata, we love you and there are so many good
people here.
Sincerely yours
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