A Glasgow trumpeter who has played with some of music’s biggest names is leading a course to help young jazz musicians to reach their full potential.
Ryan Quigley, whose touring and recording credits include work with Quincy Jones, Aretha Franklin, Michael Buble, George Michael, and Burt Bacharach, is one of five tutors on the course which takes place at Wiston Lodge near Biggar in South Lanarkshire from August 7 to 11.
Joining Quigley at Summer Jazz Camp Scotland are two former Young Scottish Jazz Musicians of the Year, saxophonist Helena Kay and bassist Andrew Robb.
Pianist Tom Gibbs, who teaches at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and drummer Andrew Bain, who was recently appointed Head of Jazz at The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff, complete the quintet.
Acclaimed
Kay and Robb are now acclaimed bandleaders in their own right, with Kay's recently released second album, Golden Sands, attracting praise on both sides of the Atlantic.
Gibbs and Bain have played and recorded with leading musicians on both the New York and London jazz scenes.
“It’s a highly qualified and talented group of tutors who have a wealth of professional experience and can give students the tools they need to become confident and expressive musicians,“ says Quigley, who has also worked with the internationally respected Dutch ensemble and stars of the London Proms, Metropole Orkest.
Above all, we want students to enjoy playing jazz and to feel a sense of achievement in their own playing and in playing with other musicians,
Ryan Quigley
Quigley believes that jazz music is a powerful tool for personal and artistic growth and he and his team will be striving to give all students the passion and self-belief that will allow them to improvise, collaborate, and perform with ease.
The course curriculum is designed to cover all aspects of jazz music, from the fundamentals of jazz theory to advanced techniques in big band and ensemble playing.
“Above all, we want students to enjoy playing jazz and to feel a sense of achievement in their own playing and in playing with other musicians,” says Quigley.
“Wiston Lodge itself is an inspiring environment. The accommodation is ideal and the food is all about balance and nutrition. Everything is set up so that students can get the most out of the experience.”
