Here’s a link to the handout and further resources from my 2017 TMEA (Texas Music Education Association) presentation entitled Pedagogical Methods for the Jazz Band Rhythm Section.
Category: Featured
Jazz Piano Roles and Responsibilities
Here is a handout I provided for the Reno Jazz Festival last year when I gave the jazz piano clinic. Discusses our roles and responsibilities as pianists. You can download here:
2016 Oregon Jazz Festival
I’m excited to be adjudicating and performing at the Oregon Jazz Festival this weekend in Eugene, OR. Jointly hosted by the University of Oregon and Lane Community College, the festival is this year featuring jazz guitarist Julian Lage. Looking forward to hearing lots of jazz and working with some great musicians!
Society of Composers Inc (SCI) National Conference 2015
I’m excited to be at the Society of Composers, Inc. (SCI) national conference this weekend at the University of Florida. Members of their jazz ensemble will be performing my piece Moonless for jazz septet. This organization is a wonderful group that serves composers, and is a great way to connect performers and composers in the spirit of collaboration and sharing. Looking forward to hearing a bunch of other great music as well!
Speed Writing – Handout from Reno Jazz Festival
I gave a clinic at the Reno Jazz Festival this past weekend and didn’t bring enough handouts. The clinic was about Speed-Writing – one way to deal with being stuck when composing. Here you go!
- Speed Writing [pdf]
2015 Improvisation Project
My 2015 Improvisation Project is up and running! More information on the Improvisation Project page, or at my YouTube Channel.
Things I Like – New Recording
I’m pleased to announce the release of a new, digital-only recording by the John Adler Trio! Titled “Things I Like”, the recording features tunes by John and myself. The trio is rounded out by drummer extraordinaire Jaime Reyes. Hear samples and purchase here: http://cdbaby.com/cd/johnadlertrio.
Inspiration, Depth, and Artistic Profundity
I gave a talk at the University of Northern Colorado on Oct. 30 called Inspiration, Depth, and the Other Side of the Coin: Music, Poetry and Artistic Profundity. It was presented by Dr. John Adler and the UNC School of Music, and funded by the Schulze Interdisciplinary Speaker Series. I attached my PowerPoint slides: Schulze Talk – Inspiration, Depth, and Artistic Profundity (powerpoint sildes), if you’d like to peruse them.
New Recordings Out with Dan Cavanagh’s Music on Them!
Two new recordings have come out featuring my composing and piano playing! First, Latin-Grammy winning group, the AfroBop Alliance, led by drummer Joe McCarthy, released Angel Eyes on Zoho Records. The record contains my arrangement of Wayne Shorter’s “This Is for Albert.” Downbeat magazine gives it a review of 4.5 stars out of 5 and calls my arrangement “addictive.” The CD can be purchased via Amazon or any other number of online or digital mp3 sources.
Singer Gale Cruz, who holds down the vocal chair in the American Jazz Composers Orchestra, featured the AJCO on two cuts on her new CD, Hello, It’s Me. Cavanagh is Artistic Director of the AJCO and plays piano in the group. The CD can be purchased through CD Baby.
As always, Dan is available for commissions of original music or arrangements, and recording projects. Contact him directly to begin the collaboration!
Insistent Music – TEDxUTA Talk
My TEDxUTA talk, “Insistent Music,” is now available for online viewing. In my talk, I discuss why musicians like me (and by extension, all artists) continue to create works of art that are at once challenging to appreciate but full of meaning. I also have a post with these ideas more fully-fleshed out. That post includes some ideas not presented in the talk.