Low Eh!

This was something that was said to me around 2015 by Petr Cancura, who I was taking some lessons with at the time. He explained to me that my habits had shaped me into the player that I was at the time, and how we didn’t want to eliminate those elements of my playing, but expand and add to them. This was a particularly positive experience as a student, and I have used this concept in my teaching since.

Fast forward to Carleton University’s Jazz Camp – a camp that I have been on faculty since 2023, and I was asked to give a masterclass to the camp. I was trying to come up with a topic to speak on, and I chose this idea of how habits are not bad, they’re just habits, and a demonstrate a few strategies on how to spark some more creativity, and become less predictable in their solos, by identifying their current habits.

We, I was accompanied by Ross Morgan, played Autumn Leaves, a tune that I hoped would reach most of the audience, and played it as if we were on a gig – no demonstrating, just performing. Then I spoke on habits, and their predictability, and my approach with my students on identifying habits (for a later post).

We then demonstrated a solo where I played the root on beat one of every bar. This is something that I hear amongst less experienced improvisers to help keep from getting lost. I asked the camp what I did, and they were able to identify the habit. I then played solos with some of the more common habits that I see from students – all eighth note lines with no rhythmic variation, mostly arpeggios, and a few others, each time demonstrating the habit, and then strategies on how to add contrast to make the solo more interesting.

As we were talking about practice habits, and how to add to them, the campers started to ask deeper questions about staying positive when you’re practicing, and also how to take criticism constructively. I felt like there was a lot of great input from Ross, but also the campers, many who are in early developmental stages of their jazz improvisation journey. It was a real eye opener to see how much the community of being positive in their practice approach, and support from their peers was present during the masterclass.

The positive thoughts, approaches, and connections made during the camp makes being on faculty incredibly fulfilling for me.