Teaching
Saxophone
• Sound production, embouchure & breathing exercises based on principles by Joe Allert & Karsten Gorzel
• Posture, body movement based on Yoga & Tai Chi principles
• Technical development & flexibility through daily studies, classical etudes & solo transcriptions, articulation („doodle tonguing“, etc.)
• Construction of a repertoire based on jazz standards, pop- & latin music
Harmony
• A combination of step- & functional harmony (based on the method of the Berklee College of Music (Boston) and the Malacharta Raga system of the South Indian (Carnatic) music
• II-V-I progression, secondary dominants, modal interchange, reharmonisation, modulations, constant structures & other symmetric structures, cycles, modal harmony, 12 tone music & polytonality
Improvisation
• Practical improvisation techniques based on vertical structures (chords and their extensions), superposition, upper structure voicings & reharmonisation
• Horizontal structures (scales, tetrachords, pentatonics, etc.)
• Melodic rhythm conceptions (guide tones, leadlines, approach- & passing notes, etc.)
• Rhythmical superposition & rhythmic calculations based on the Carnatic Tala system
• Improvisation in the jazz-, pop- & world idiom
Arranging
• Layout of leadsheets, arrangements for rhythm section, jazz-, rock-, pop-, & salsa ensembles, big band & orchestral settings
• Voicing techniques, line writing for horn-, woodwind-, & string sections
• Production of printed exercises and scores using computerised recording- and writing programs and samplers (Logic X, Sibelius, Kontakt sampler, etc.)
Ensemble
Rehearsing ensembles from small combo to big band based on a large collection of original arrrangements and printed arrangements by other professional writers (Sammy Nestico, Bob Mintzer, Thad Jones, etc.)
Development of Jazz & Pop music
• Starting with the „roots“ in Africa
• Blues and Gospel
• New Orleans- & Chicago style
• Bebop
• Splitting-off of Rhythm & Blues, Rock & Roll, Beat and Pop music
• Hard Bob & Cool Jazz
• Free- & Fusion Jazz
• Hip Hop & World Music influences
Every style and period are introduced with soundtracks and videos. Transcriptions, scores and leadsheets are used for analyzation and deeper understanding of the stylistic differences.
Teaching history:
2018 Teacher for saxophone & improvisation at the Blue Notes School of Music, New Delhi (India)
2017 Teacher for jazz history & theory at the Nagaland Conservatory, Dimapur (India)
2015-16 Private teacher for saxophone & improvisation in Mannheim (Germany)
2014 Coach for the Bavarian State Youth Bigband, Marktoberdorf (Germany)
2011 Teacher for saxophone, improvisation & jazz theory at the Contemporary Music Academy of Beijing (China)
2010 Jazz harmony- and improvisation workshops at the Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory (Nepal),
Bridge Music Academy, New Delhi (India),
L. Subramaniam School, Bangalore (India)
2007-10 Private teacher for saxophone, improvisation Mannheim (Germany)
2006 Teacher for saxophone, jazz at Promusica, le Thor (France)
2000-03 Teacher for improvisation, ensemble & saxophone at the IMFP, Salon de Provence (France)
2002 Teacher for saxophone, jazz at the Cité de la Musique, Marseille (France)
1997 Teacher for saxophone at the music school Chorus, Nîmes & JAM, Montpellier (France)
1996 Teacher of the workshop history & analysis of jazz & pop music at the State Conservatory Freiburg (Germany)
1990 Member of the commission in charge of the curriculum in Jazz & Pop music at the State Conservatory Heidelberg-Mannheim (Germany)
1986-90 Teacher for saxophone, big band, harmony & theory at the annual Easter Workshop at the cultural center E-Werk, Erlangen (Germany)
1986-89 Organisator & teacher at jazz workshops for saxophone, ensemble, harmony theory at the cultural center Alte Feuerwache, Mannheim (Germany)
1984-86 Teacher for Jazz & Pop music at the State Conservatory Heidelberg-Mannheim (Germany)
1979-81 Teacher for saxophone at the municipal music school, Wiesloch (Germany)