Chops Session with Rich Willey

[pair of kings]

I just wanted to share with all of you DSR devotees that Rich will be in Central PA this weekend at my studio ... on a mission to stamp out ignorance and provide some good insight into playing.

We have an hour and a half set aside for a 'chops session' that will be followed by a 3 hour jazz improv session. I have about 25 of my students and 15 'outsiders' planning to attend. We aren't sure exactly what is in store for us but everyone is really enthusiastic about this special opportuninty. Based on the little I know, I am confident that this will be a boost for everyone who attends.

I posted this on the Jazz forum -if you read it there - it is the same story...
Several of the students are part of the York County Middle School Honors Band. Their concert is Saturday night and the bonus for the kids is that Rich will be performing with them and for them. The director is opening up their arrangement of 12th St Rag for Rich. Then the MS directors form a Jazz band to play at intermission and Rich wil be playing a couple tunes with them -including one of his own arrangements. they are definitely in for a treat. I don't know that it will be Rich's fantasy gig but it might be the students'.

[pair of kings]

Rich's session was fantastic. Tons of good fundamental advice presented extremely well. He is a wonderful messenger. For an hour and a half, he had the total attention of 35 of us. He then gave up his break time following the group session to give some individual attention to students. He also left us some great routines that my students (and me) WILL be using.
THANK YOU RICH


if you have any chop issues and live in NC (even if you don't) GO SEE RICH WILLEY. He is an excellent teacher.

[kentj61]

Just a quick 2nd to P.C.'s endorsement. Both the chops and improvisation sessions were great. Rich did an amazing job of taking a group with an extremely wide range of experience (beginners to very advanced players - I would be somewhere in the lower to middle end of that scale) and creating an environment where all learned. Thanks P C and Rich for a great day! I would highly recommend other groups getting Rich in for a workshop.

[bgibson]

I have known Rich for a long time and in addition to being an excellent musician he has been around the block more than once chop-wise. So he knows what to do and not do when talking about embouchures. I wish I could have been there to see RW in action.
Bravo Rich, keep spreading the word!!
WEG

[Gillestar1]

I also would like to say Rich did a great job at the clinic.....I have been doing a few things wrong and was so happy to find out early on my "comeback" trail! Also, I notice my lips feel much better even in this first week of using Rich's routines....who knows how much they will help in the long run (?), but I am sure pumped!!
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SMILE!! It takes only 17 muscles to smile...43 muscles to frown. Conserve energy. )

Kurt

[BeboppinFool]

Kurt, I'm so glad to hear that this week has been going well for you. You really did drive a long way last weekend, didn't you? Was that 500 miles each way, or total?

Bill, it's really great to be able to tell guys that I've been a broken down-brass player more than once in my life, and that the beauty of being a Reinhardt student is that I know how to build chops from the ground up. The folks in attendance seemed to intuitively know that many "natural" players have no idea how they do it, and if they ever lost it would probably never be able to get it back.

And above all, I think we had a whole lot of fun and laughs while tending to some serious business. I tried to make sure I humiliated everybody equally without playing any favorites (I learned that from Doc, too). Kent, Ben, Steve (Strawdoggy) and a couple others were great guinea pigs, and in the course of working out their individual difficulties provided a great learning opportunity for the rest of the people in attendance.

I'm looking forward to Houston this Saturday the 29th. Tally Ho!

Rich
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