AB Workshops
Music Workshops – 07711 998058
🎷 BetterSax Level-Up Weekend 🎷🎷 11th - 12th May 2024 🎷
Double Tree by Hilton, Outwood Lane, Manchester, M90 4WP
🎷 BetterSax Level-Up Weekend 🎷🎷 11th - 12th May 2024 🎷
Double Tree by Hilton, Outwood Lane, Manchester, M90 4WP
BetterSax Level-Up Weekend - 11th / 12th May 2024
AB Workshops and the Saxophone Orchestra Manchester (SOM) are proud to present the BetterSax Level-Up Weekend with Jay Metcalf at Doubletree by Hilton, Manchester Airport.
Following on from Jay’s very successful event with AB Workshops in 2022, this will be bigger and better: instruction on improvisation, ensemble playing, rhythm workshops and advanced techniques.
The weekend will be full of workshops, specifically tailored to a range of abilities.
Beginner (grade 1-3)
Intermediate (grade 4-6)
Advanced (grade 7-8+)
This event is sponsored by; Henri Selmer Paris, Odisei Music, JodyJazz, Studio Bricks, JJ Babbitt, Marca France, Tomplay, Groovy Rascal, sax.co.uk
Are you looking to enhance your musical understanding, technique, and confidence on the saxophone? Look no further! This exciting weekend is brimming with opportunities to learn from a diverse group of music professionals:
- Jazz Improvisation with Jay Metcalf (Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced)
- Saxophone Masterclass with Jody Espina (JodyJazz) (Open to all)
- Ensemble Playing with Saira Clegg and a full professional rhythm section (Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced)
- Rhythm Workshop, getting to grips with the dots with Adam Hall (Beginner)
- Mouthpieces, Ligatures, and Reeds, understanding how your setup impacts your sound with Matthew Hodson (Beginner and Intermediate)
- Advanced Techniques, overtones, altissimo, phrasing, shaping, and jazz articulation with Zack Smith (Intermediate and Advanced)
- Saxophone Maintenance, top tips to keep your saxophone in shape by Tom Regan of West Yorkshire Woodwind (Open to all)
- Personalised Mouthpiece Fitting with Jody Espina. Limited spaces, pre-booking recommended (One on one sessions – open to all)
Join us for a weekend filled with knowledge, growth, and the joy of playing the saxophone!
- A comprehensive trade fair including; Selmer Paris, Odisei Music (Travel Sax 2), West Yorkshire Woodwind, JodyJazz, Studio Bricks, sax.co.uk, Groovy Rascal
- “Cocktails and Jam” session on the Saturday evening with Jay Metcalf and a full professional rhythm section. (Cocktails available from the bar for an additional cost)
- FREE delicious buffet lunch on both days
- FREE unlimited tea and coffee provided throughout the weekend
- FREE cakes and pastries on both days
- FREE parking at the hotel
- Discounted hotel rooms for delegates (subject to availability)
- Lots of opportunities to connect with sax players from across the UK and beyond
- VIP package available
This weekend will be packed full with learning and fun. Jay wants to connect with people and there’s no better way than doing that in real life. A sense of community, making lifelong friends along the way. Whether you’re a beginner starting out on your musical journey, an intermediate player looking for that next challenge or an advanced player looking to improve your skills from world class educators, this weekend has something for you.
Join us in this immersive experience, it’s going to be a lot of fun!
Beginner (approx grade 1-3)
Intermediate (approx grade 4-6)
Advanced (approx grade 7-8+)
All saxophones (sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass)
Improve Understanding of Rhythms and Pulse
World Class Masterclasses and Workshops
Confidence Building
Improve your Ensemble Playing
Improve your Improvisation
Jay Metcalf – BetterSax Founder
Jody Espina – President of JodyJazz, Professional Saxophonist and Educator
Saira Clegg – Professional Saxophonist and Music Educator
Andrew Blee – Owner of AB Workshops, Professional Saxophonist and Educator
Adam Hall – Music Educator
Zack Smith – RNCM Saxophonist – Final Year Student
Matthew Hodson – RNCM Saxophonist – Final Year Student
VIP Package includes….
- Exclusive hang with Jay (cocktail hour)
- FREE BetterSax Level-Up Weekend T-Shirt
- 10% off your next AB Workshop
- 10% off a SOM Weekend
- Signed photo with Jay
- Freebies from sponsors
Please note there are limited VIP tickets available!
Beginner Improv Sessions:
- Deciphering basic chord changes
- Arpeggiating Chord tones over a standard chord progression
- Playing with an authentic style – time feel, vibrato and inflections
Intermediate Improv Sessions:
- Chord tone soloing
Adding enclosures to target chord tones - Incorporating space in solos – play/rest
- Recognising harmonic building blocks in standards (ii-V-I, tritone substitution, modulation to IV, modulation between relative major and minor, backdoor dominant, etc)
Advanced Improv Sessions:
- Incorporating language and vocabulary from the jazz lexicon into solos
- Improvising phrases with direction and targeted resolution
- Techniques for playing more interesting and authentic solos that make the audience go “woo”
- Based at the wonderful Double Tree by Hilton at Manchester Airport, with excellent facilities
- Two full days of tutor lead sessions, six sessions per day
- Suitable for the following instruments: Saxophone
- Workshop runs from 10am – 5.30pm each day, with two 30 minute breaks and a 1.5 hour lunch break
- A Buffet lunch is included (including requirements such as vegetarian, gluten intolerance etc)
- Refreshments; Unlimited tea/coffee with refreshments
- Complimentary stationary
- Bottled mineral water
- Price is £250 for two days
- VIP Package optional at an additional £50
- FREE daytime parking. Note: Overnight parking is £15 per night
- On-site accommodation (subject to availability). Not included in the price, please book direct with the hotel
- Safe, simple, secure. We have now set it up for you to be able to book easier than ever before, simply BOOK ONLINE
- Payment plan scheme now available; pay £25 upfront and then pay monthly by direct debit for the balance
Alternatively if you have any questions on the suitability of this course for you we will be happy to help. Contact us at hello@abworkshops.com or by calling 07711 998058 and we will be happy to discuss your needs further.
This weekend is for all levels, even for people who have never played in a group. Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or advanced, you will be placed into a suitable group for the reading and improvisation workshops! Beginners/Intermediate also have rhythm workshops while advanced players have sessions on overtones, altissimo and jazz articulation. We will send out a detailed questionnaire to ensure you are placed in the right groups!
We welcome all standards of player, and will have sessions running for beginners, intermediate and advanced.
Yes! We have specially designed the weekend so each level gets bespoke workshops!
Yes! We welcome players from all over the World, no matter if you are from the UK, Europe or further afield you are welcome!
You will need your saxophone, saxophone stand and a music stand.
No, but we bet you will! Even for those that have never improvised before this weekend is a great opportunity to try it for the first time! But if it’s not for you, don’t worry, you won’t be made to do something you’re not comfortable with.
Some sessions are music reading based, but we cater for beginners, intermediate and advanced, so even if you’re relatively new to this it will be a good opportunity to try and improve your reading as part of the weekend.
Beginner (approx grade 1-3)
Intermediate (approx grade 4-6)
Advanced (approx grade 7-8+)
Arrive: 9am onwards
Session one: 9.30am – 10.30am
Morning break: 10.30am – 11am
Session two: 11am – 11.50am
Session three: 12.05pm – 1pm
Lunch: 1pm – 2.30pm
Session four: 2.30pm – 3.15pm
Session five: 3.30pm – 4.20pm
Afternoon break: 4.20pm – 4.45pm
Session six: 4.45pm – 5.30pm
Sponsored By
