"FunkShop" the Workshop
"FunkShop" the Workshop
Over the past years, Joseph Bowie has developed music workshops designed for Music Schools, Cultural Centers, and Resident Orchestras and/or Big Bands. He has taken his experiences from previous workshops and formulated curriculums to satisfy a variety of situations and budgets. Institutions that have hosted Joseph's workshops are: The Music Schule Luzern, Director Hammi Hammerli (Luzern, CH) Bonne Bleur, (Cultural Association of Paris, France) Haus der Kulturen der Welt, (Curator Jean-Paul Bourelly) and Dartmouth College USA, (Don Glasgo, Proffessor of Music)
First Workshop Model:
The first model (FunkShop) is designed for smaller groups, up to 10 musicians. Interested musicians, guitarists, bassists, horn players and drummers, and singers are formed into a Funk Group unit.
Second Workshop Model:
This model is designed for multi-disciplinary culture projects. We will merge with other professional musicians from the culture center visited.
Third Workshop Model:
This model is designed for Professional or University Big Bands with advanced ability and technique. Joseph will coordinate with Proffessor or band director and send full big band charts. The ensemble will work through the material in preparation for the final week when Joseph and his brother Byron (arranger) will come to study and conduct in preparation for the performance.
Fourth Workshop Model: The Lester Bowie's "Brass Fantasy" Workshop
This workshop is for advanced or professional musicians, 3 trumpets, 2 trombones, Tuba, French Horn, Drums, Percussion The workshop will feature the arrangements of Lester Bowie's stunning Brass Fantasy. Geral Brazel, trumpeter and Lester's choice for musical director, will conduct the band and perform as featured soloist. Joseph Bowie will also join Gerald as a featured soloist and percussionist, Gerald and Joseph will come to the school, or cultural center for 1 week, with a minimal of 3 rehearsals toward a performance with the participants to conclude the workshop.
With all workshops we will provide lectures and master classes for the period of the workshop.
Don Glasgo Director Barbary Coast Jazz Ensemble:
"The Defunkt big band workshops led by Joseph and Byron Bowie were some of the most intense and enjoyable musical experiences I've had with the jazz ensemble at Dartmouth College over the past 28 years. The workshops were highly professional, extremely rewarding, and truly inspired--and inspiring--for the students involved: they learned an enormous amount about rhythm and funk during that week, lessons which they never forgot! I'm very much looking forward to have Joseph and Byron Bowie back again next year, and I would highly recommend their very special brand of big band funk to any jazz ensemble program in the country"
Jean-Paul Bourelly, Artistic Director/Backroom/HKW Berlin, Germany:
"Working with Joe Bowie and Defunkt for our Backroom workshop at Hause der Kulturen der Welt in Berlin was an honor. The level of musicianship and commitment from the group made the two concerts a great success. On top of the obvious musical contributuion Joe Bowie is a very humble and gracious personality to work with, sharing a lot of himself tirelessly with the younger musicians.That made the whole week a complete pleasure. Five stars!!"
Mag. Raoul Herget Head of the Conservatory J. M. Hauer-Konservatorium und Musikschule der Stadt Wiener Neustadt
Re: Mr Joseph Bowie performing with the facultz band of the Josef Matthias Hauer Conservatory, Wiener Neustadt, Austria We hereby want to express our thanks to Mr. Joseph bowie for his great contribution to our teaching work at the Jazz department fo the Josef Matthias Hauer Conservatory. In a very inspiring concert at the Stadttheater Wiener Neustadt on 26, October, 2002 with the faculty band of our Conservatory he gave deep insights into his musical skills and dedication to his work. Since a Students Big Band performed within the same concert, Mr. Bowie´s appearance has to be seen as a great impulse to further their musical careers.
Christel DESLIS Banlieues Bleues St.Denis, Paris France- workshop departement.
Joe Bowie has been in charge of two workshop for our festival - Banlieues Bleues, "jazz en Seine St Denis"- in 2000. 1-He ran one three hours master-class in a music school of the district ( Seine St Denis), concerning 15 non-professional students, from 25 to 40 years old. Studying one of Joe's Bowie theme, Joe bowie insisted on working on the rhythm, the singing and the interpretation in order the students discovered a different way of practicing the music. We appreciated a lot the very pedagogic and professional teaching of Joe bowie. The master-class made improving the students in believing more in themselves and in asserting their practice. 2-Joe Bowie has been also in charge of a bigger workshop, for a special event, « la carnavalcade » , big parades we organized in St Denis to celebrate the millennial. Joe Bowie directed the " Brass fantasy project", concerning 40 non professional musicians , from 12 to 40 years old, coming from all the district Seine St Denis. The repertoire of the brass fantasy has been adapted to the participant who have been involved in improvising along this repertoire and the rhythm. The purpose was about how to play music using the energy and the quality of a "collective", a group . The amateurs worked on the direction of Joe bowie and along the professional musicians of the Brass Fantasy. On their sides, they discovered a new vision of their instrument , breaking from their theoretic knowledge and liberate themselves. This successful experience has been prolonged in " Banlieues Bleues Fanfare". 40 non professional musicians and among them, a lot of them participated on Joe Bowie's workshop, keep on gathering together in Banlieues Bleues