Sara Colman is part of the team offering a new jazz course for young people in Birmingham. “All the places are fully funded so that there are absolutely no barriers to anyone taking part.” The first edition will be during the Easter school holidays. Sebastian spoke to Sara to find out more about it.
UK Jazz News: What has been your motivation in setting up this new venture?
Sara Colman: You can’t have too many jazz workshops for young people now can you!!??
Nurturing and offering opportunities to new generations of jazz musicians is what it is all about. Not to mention the importance of helping generate new jazz audiences too.
UKJN: And the faculty looks VERY classy …
SC: It really is!! Wonderful musicians who are all also composers and top-class educators. It’s a group of folks who are really committed to what they do and who want to share that with young people.
For the participants, it’s an opportunity to learn from a team of musicians who are both very experienced and active in the jazz community. In our faculty the credentials of the teachers are not only impressive from a jazz point of view, but also the range of their experience is really interesting.
From an Associate Artist at Wigmore Hall and fresh from presenting her music with the NDR Big Band in Germany (Trish Clowes)…to a drummer extraordinaire and orchestral arranger of Gospel Revisited Project and Steve Banks’ ‘Emboldened’ (Jonathan Silk)
From a top spot at Love Supreme Festival 2025 with his Big Band (Dan Casimir)…to appearing with Coldplay on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury in 2024 (me!);
From being a super in-demand pianist and running three big projects including our duo Ribbons, Sarson Drift with Nick Walters and appearing at Jazzahead! in Germany 2025 with her new trio, Aurum (Rebecca Nash)…to a sell-out performance this month of his project ‘Emboldened’ with GSMD Jazz Orchestra and Choir at The Barbican (Steve Banks).
Not to mention our administrator-in-chief and top trombonist with The Young Pilgrims amongst others, Richard Foote! Phew!!
And all super-friendly, lovely humans too!
UKJN: Who is eligible?
SC: We welcome all instrumentalists and vocalists aged 11-18, focusing on Birmingham and the surrounding areas. You may already have experience playing jazz although don’t necessarily need to have explored jazz before – if you have a curiosity about it, or you’ve heard some jazz that you like and you’d like to find out more about this kind of music, the New Sounds Jazz Workshop can be an experience that enables you to do that, and to connect you with other like-minded young musicians.
UKJN: What do you say to people scared by the idea of improvising?
SC: I think everybody probably starts off being a little bit scared! Because it feels like such a big and unfathomable thing at the beginning. The most important thing to say is that we are operating a very supportive and nurturing environment. You’ll be put into a group of no more than eight participants who are at roughly the same level of experience as you. We teach everything by ear so no need to worry about music reading and the focus is very much on listening, getting inspired, and trying out ideas. Also, we’ll be talking about where ideas come from, what to listen out for and how to communicate and interact with others in your ensemble in a musical way. Everybody starts somewhere in their improvising journey, and this can be a brilliant and fun start to yours!
UKJN: Are you able to offer assisted places so people aren’t kept away by cost?
SC: Here’s the best bit……It is FREE!!!!
All the places are fully funded so that there are absolutely no barriers to anyone taking part.
With the generous support of various organisations, we can fund this pilot at no cost to the participants.
UKJN: Where will it be?
SC: We’re lucky to have the support of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire who are offering us their excellent and accessible facilities, including the Eastside Jazz Club! There, participants can watch performances from some great RBC student ensembles as well as their workshop leaders having a jam during the lunchtimes.
UKJN: When is it?
SC: The workshop is running for three days: Monday 14th – Wednesday 16th April 2025, 10.00am – 4.00pm.
UKJN: How do people apply?
SC: By clicking on the link below – and by filling out a simple application form. (Applications close 10 March!)
Or if you have any QUESTIONS, you can email us at newsoundsjazz@gmail.com
