Pictured above: Clinicians perform during the final Jazz concert.

ValleyBiz Story | The Swan Valley School Division (SVSD) Band Council held their Sixth Annual SVSD Jazz Retreat and Improvisation Workshop on January 19 – 20, 2018. Students from across the Valley worked with esteemed music educator Graydon Cramer (drums) from Brandon, Kyle Wedlake (tenor saxophone) and Andrew Littleford (trumpet) both of the Dirty Catfish Brass Band as well as Dallas Nedotiafko (piano) and Jared Beckstead (bass) both of Brandon University!

Above: Students from Ecole Swan River South and Benito School

Above: Minitonas Jazzmanian Devils

During sessions Friday evening and throughout the day on Saturday, each band worked on their own jazz repertoire with one of the clinicians with a focus on learning improvisation techniques.

Above: Swan Valley Regional Secondary School Jazz Band

Saturday evening that they performed in a wind-up concert with other Valley bands. That concert ended with the clinicians teaming up to deliver a stellar performance of some jazz standards as well as some of their own compositions.

Above: Swan Valley Regional Secondary School Senior Jazz Band

The event was sponsored by the SVSD, MMYS, ESRSS, Benito School, and SVRSS; Manitoba Education and Training (Music Month Grant).