Studio
Other CJS Studio Offerings
While jazz piano instruction is at the heart of the offerings at Chapin Jazz Studio, students enjoy a wide range of other ways to learn about jazz and to experience “creative growth through improvisation.”
CJS Sunday Jazz Jam
The CJS Jazz Jam happens one Sunday a month September through May. Bill starts each session with a coached tune.
Click here to get all the details>>
Grayslake Jazz Combo Workshop
Since 2001 students in Northeastern Illinois have been learning to play jazz through the Grayslake Jazz Combo Workshop, or GJCW, right here at CJS.
The workshop, open to musicians entering grade 7 through adult, organizes participants into jazz combos, complete with rhythm sections and horn players, where students advance their skills in performing and improvising over jazz tunes.
Click here to learn about GJCW>>
Audition Prep
Chapin Jazz Studio offers guidance and structure to students who are preparing for auditions for jazz groups at high school, college, Midwest Young Artists, Illinois Music Educators Association (ILMEA), and jazz festivals. Besides tips on learning the notes and rhythms, Bill also coaches students on proper time and feel, sight-reading, and preparation for performance.
Improv Coaching
Horn players, vocalists, guitarists, and bass players who are preparing to take solos with their school jazz groups benefit from coaching on how to construct a better solo. Understanding jazz harmony and progressions, choosing the best notes and scales, and playing with proper time and feel are just some of the ways students benefit from improv coaching.
Jazz Bass
Chapin Jazz Studio provides instruction in beginning jazz electric bass. Students will learn the electric bass fretboard, Latin bass patterns, and walking bass lines for blues and swing tunes.
Composition
CJS provides support for students interested in music composition, including study of composition instructional materials, guidance through the process of composing original works, listening to and study of musical scores, and opportunities to shared compositions with CJS students and their families.
Notation Software & Music Production
CJS provides instruction on music notation with Finale and on music production with Apple Logic software.
