Summer School

At Yorkshire College of Music

St Marks House, 1 St Marks Avenue, Leeds LS2 9BN

DATES: FRIDAY 29 JULY, SATURDAY 30 JULY AND SUNDAY 31 JULY 2011

Cuban Popular Dance Music, Cuban Percussion and Brazilian Rhythms – A Course for Instrumentalists, Vocalists and Percussionists

COURSE TUTORS:

Cuban Music

Dr Sue Miller (B.A., PGCE., PGDM., MA., PhD)

Assisted by Jack McCarthy (Charanga del Norte) and Helen Curtis (Head of Keyboards, Yorkshire College of Music)

Cuban Percussion

Jack McCarthy (Charanga del Norte)

Brazilian Rhythms

Helen Curtis BA (Hons) LCM, (Head of Keyboards, Yorkshire College of Music)

THE COURSE

The Cuban music side of the weekend explores a variety of Cuban popular styles through a mixture of workshops, sectionals and ensemble playing with a focus on clave, groove, timbre, improvisation, and stylistic concerns. The course caters for brass (trumpets, trombones), strings (violin, viola, cello, guitar, tres), woodwind (flute, clarinet, saxes), percussion (timbales, congas, bongos, guiro, maracas), vocals, piano, and bass. Styles covered are likely to include Son, Son Montuno, Danzón, Mambo, Chachachá, Bolero and Guajira. Percussionists will also receive small group tuition from Jack McCarthy, focussing on technique, timbre, stylistic ensemble patterns, clave feel and stylistic improvisation. Jack will also run separate sessions on Cuban percussion (timbales, congas, bongos, güiro and maracas) for main study and beginner percussionists. Helen Curtis will also lead band sessions on Brazilian samba rhythms for all musicians on the course (instrumentalists, vocalists and main study percussionists alike) and this samba ‘batteria‘ part of the course is aimed at both percussionists and instrumentalists who wish to explore the feeling of groove, time keeping, syncopation and ‘locking in’ as an ensemble (especially to bell and clave patterns).

Additional workshop sessions available on:

Transcription

Brazilian choros for flute

Salsa piano

Chart reading for percussionists

Cuban flute improvisation

Fees: £200 for 3 days (11am till 5pm).

Enrolment: Enrolment by cheque payable to Charanga del Norte or by credit card via Yorkshire College of Music Tel: 0113 2431605 or via the eventbrite site

CONTACT & QUERIES :

Sue Miller

Tel 07957 244 167

Email charangasue@ntlworld.com

Website www.charangasue.com

Accommodation for those travelling from afar: nearby B&B’s:

Avalon Guest House tel 0113 2432545

Glengarth Guesthouse tel 0113 2457940

The Moorlea tel 0113 2432653

University of Leeds Clarence Dock rooms – appear to be bookable per week only :  tel 0113 343 6107

COURSE ITINERARY:

Biographical Notes:

Dr Sue Miller (B.A., PGCE., PGDM., MA., PhD)

Sue Miller completed the Postgraduate Certificate in Jazz, Contemporary and Popular Music at Leeds College of Music in 1994 and later studied Cuban flute improvisation with the legendary flautist from Orquesta Aragón, Richard Egües, in Havana. An experienced teacher, lecturer and performer (she is bandleader of Charanga del Norte) Sue has also directed Cuban Music Big Bands at Yorkshire College of Music, LCM and the University of Leeds and is also a part-time lecturer in Cuban, Popular and World Music at Leeds University. Sue received a PhD in flute improvisation in Cuban charanga performance at the University of Leeds in February 2011. For more information on her work see http://www.charangasue.com

Helen Curtis (B.A. (Hons) Music LCM)

Helen Curtis graduated with honours from Leeds College of Music in classical piano and percussion. She has since become a versatile musician with her interests ranging from Cuban and Brazilian popular music and folkloric music to Eastern European Georgian singing and Swiss yodelling! She visited Cuba in 2007 to study percussion and piano with teachers Jesus Cos (El Gigante del Timbal) and Eduardo ‘Cana’ Oliva before going on to complete the One Voice Music “Roots of Brazil” course led by Ravin Jayasuriya. In 2009 she was involved with a big samba project led by John Paul Courtney that led to a performance with Rio’s most popular carnival band Mono Bloco at Leeds university and also in Luton Carnival playing tamborim. Helen spent two years playing piano in Sue Miller’s LCM Cuban Music Big Band before going on to direct and arrange for her own project Los Altibajos. She also plays congas regularly with the Manchester-based band Son Tropicana. Helen is currently head of keyboards at Yorkshire College of Music and Drama teaching one to one piano lessons and also runs workshops in both singing and percussion.

Jack McCarthy

Originally a kit player Jack completed the One Voice Music ‘Salsa’ course before going on to study popular styles with Buena Vista Social Club’s timbalero Amadito Valdés, Jesus Cos, ‘El Gigante del Timbal’ (Orquesta Sublime) and rumba with Chaguito in Havana. One of the brightest talents to emerge onto the UK Cuban music and Salsa scene in recent years he has played congas with Charanga del Norte since April 2009 and is featured on their new CD Look Back in Charanga.

01 Sue Miller Postgraduate Recital hackensack

Sue Miller – piano

John Day – bass

Ronnie Bottomley – drums

CUBAN MUSIC COURSES AT YORKSHIRE COLLEGE OF MUSIC AND DRAMA

St Marks House, 1 St Marks Avenue, Leeds LS2 9BN

Tel 0113 2431605

CUBAN MUSIC: WEEKEND INTENSIVE COURSES

Led by
Musical Director: Sue Miller
Percussion Tutor: Jack McCarthy

The next weekend course has a performance focus with an informal gig at the college on the Sunday evening (6pm) which is open to friends and family -  Saturday 26 February  11am til 5pm and Sunday 27 February 12 midday til 7pm. Enrolling now…

The Courses:

These weekend intensive courses in popular Cuban music aim to explore a variety of Cuban music popular styles through a mixture of workshops, sectionals and ensemble playing with a focus on clave, groove, timbre, improvisation, and stylistic concerns. The course caters for brass (trumpets, trombones), strings (violin, viola, cello, guitar, tres), woodwind (flute, clarinet, saxes), percussion (timbales, congas, bongos, guiro, maracas), vocals, piano, and bass.

Fees: £150 for 2 days

Enrolment: Via Sue Miller or Yorkshire College of Music, cheques made payable to Charanga del Norte. Consult Sue first re availability and levels

Contact Sue Miller for details  07957 244 167 or via the contacts page of the website www.charangasue.com

COURSE 2

26 and 27 February 2011

At Yorkshire College of Music and Drama

COURSE 3

dates tbc

CUBAN MUSIC: WEEKEND INTENSIVE COURSE
Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd October 2010

Led by
Musical Director: Sue Miller
Percussion Tutor: Jack McCarthy

At
Yorkshire College of Music and Drama, Leeds
(at the new college site St Marks House, 1 st Marks Avenue, Leeds LS2 9BN)

The Course:
This weekend intensive course in popular Cuban music aims to explore a variety of Cuban Music popular styles through a mixture of workshops, sectionals and ensemble playing with a focus on clave, groove, timbre, improvisation, and stylistic concerns. The course caters for brass (trumpets, trombones), strings (violin, viola, cello, guitar, tres), woodwind (flute, clarinet, saxes), percussion (timbales, congas, bongos, guiro, maracas), vocals, piano, and bass.  Styles covered are likely to include Son, Son Montuno, Danzón, Mambo, Chachachá, Bolero and Guajira. Percussionists will also receive small group tuition from Jack McCarthy,  focussing on technique, timbre, stylistic ensemble patterns, clave feel and stylistic improvisation. Sue will focus on ensemble playing and frontline & melodic rhythm section workouts, stylistic improvisation and the unwritten codes used in the performance of Cuban Son and Charanga styles. There will be arrangements but also a focus on the Descarga (Cuban Jam Session).

Fees: £70 per day or £120 for 2 days (10am til 4pm)

After the course on the Sunday 3 October there will be a presentation by Sue Miller and Vicki Beere on the course in Havana in April 2011 (4pm til 5pm)

Official Enrollment and payment from 6 September at Yorkshire College of Music, cheques made payable to Charanga del Norte and sent to 25 Norman Row, Kirkstall, Leeds LS5 3JL or paid in person at Yorkshire College of Music

more details about the course structure will be posted in September…watch this space!

Contact Sue Miller to reserve a place…

CONTACT:
Sue Miller
Tel 07957 244 167
Email charangasue@ntlworld.com
Website www.charangasue.com

Biographical notes:
Sue Miller B.A., PGCE., PGDM., MA., PhD (pending)

Sue Miller completed the Postgraduate Certificate in Jazz, Contemporary and Popular Music at Leeds College of Music in 1994 and later studied Cuban flute improvisation with the legendary flautist from Orquesta Aragón, Richard Egües, in Havana. An experienced teacher, lecturer and performer (she is bandleader of Charanga del Norte and flautist with the Rumberos All Stars Palmieri tribute band), Sue has also directed Cuban Music Big Bands at Yorkshire College of Music, LCM and the University of Leeds and is also a part-time lecturer in Cuban, Popular and World Music at Leeds University. Sue is currently finishing a PhD in flute improvisation in Cuban charanga performance at the Univeristy of Leeds. For more information on her work see http://www.charangasue.com

Jack McCarthy

Jack is an active freelance percussionist and drummer. He first travelled to Havana in 2008 to study Timbales in the popular styles with Buena Vista Social Club’s timbalero Amadito Valdes, Jesus Cos, ‘el Gigante del Timbal’ (Orquesta Sublime) and Congas with Santiago Garzon Rill (Clave y Guaguanco). In March 2010 he returned to Cuba for an intensive course on Rumba, organised by ‘La Timbala’ and featuring musicians from Yoruba Andabo, Rumberos de Cuba, and Grupo Afrocuba de Matanzas. One of the brightest talents to emerge onto the UK Cuban music and Salsa scene in recent years he has played congas with Charanga del Norte since April 2009 and is featured on their new CD ‘Look Back in Charanga’.

At the end of the course there will be the opportunity to sign up for regular Cuban music courses and ensembles at Yorkshire College of Music and also a presentation on the course in Cuba in April 2011 on the Sunday.

St Marks House, 1 St Marks Avenue, LS2 9BN

In addition to offering flute, saxophone and piano tuition (classical and jazz: beginner to grade 8) I  will be running some new courses in Cuban music and improvisation – do get in touch with me if you’d like individual or group tuition. I will be setting up some small improvisation groups from beginner level upwards and a regular Cuban Music/Salsa Ensemble and also plan to run some weekend intensive courses in Cuban music there too for those wanting to take their skills and knowledge of Cuban Music  further. The first course is 2 and 3 October and has 4 places left. The new college will be up and running from September and you can call in there for a brochure or email them on ycmd@supanet.com. Do contact me to enrol on my courses and ensembles and feel free to email me if you have any questions! Details are on the Contacts page of this site.

Sue directing the Cuban music big band

My workshops in Cuban music are ‘arrangements-based’ catering for a big band line-up that also includes strings. I have written over 30 arrangements for brass, woodwind, piano, bass, percussion, strings and vocalists with the aim of teaching the Cuban styles of son, son montuno, danzón, mambo, chachachá, bolero, guajira and pachanga through practical ‘hands on’ rehearsal and performance.

My  ‘one off ‘ day intensive courses are run at Yorkshire College of music and focus on stylistic and cultural aspects of Cuban music and are tailored to the level of the students. I am assisted on these courses by Charanga del Norte percussionist Jack McCarthy

Here’s a percussion demonstration Jack did for my university students on 9 November 2009 :

My courses are tailored to suit professional musicians, university music students,  secondary school and sixth form music students and community bands, orchestras and ensembles.

I’ll be directing the Leeds University School of Music Cuban Music Big Band in a concert at Clothworkers Hall, Leeds University School of Music on Friday 12 March. Its  part of the  rush hour concert series  and  starts at 6pm – more info at  University of Leeds concerts

Do come along and enjoy some Mambo, Chachachá, Danzón, Son Montuno and Big Band sounds!

Taken from the Ethnomusicology Forum Website September news:

2009 BFE Student Prize

The winner of the 2009 prize for the best student paper presented at the 2009 annual conference at Liverpool John Moores University goes to Sue Miller for her paper, “‘The Thieving Magpie’: Musical Borrowing, Quotes and Signifiers in Cuban Charanga Improvisation”. The panel thought this was highly original work, demonstrating an expert knowledge of the subject matter, using superb examples chosen with a performer’s as well as an audience perspective, pertinent and persuasive use of relevant theory woven into the narrative, and tightly timed presentation. Many congratulations!

Ethnomusicology Forum website

I am currently teaching Cuban music courses for undergraduates at the University of Leeds and flute, saxophone and piano at Yorkshire College of Music and Drama Yorkshire College of Music.

I will also be musical director of a course in traditional Cuban dance music in Havana in December 2010 (alongside veteran Charanga and Son musicians) so do contact me via the contacts page if you’re interested in this . Here is a video of me rehearsing for the first time with some of the tutors for this course – Zenen Arrascaeta on timbales, Cana on piano, Pedro on bass and Ernesto Oviedo vocals – the room was very reverberant so the sound is washy but you can see Zenen clearly having some fun with me on the improvised breaks and mambitos!