Maybe Trane's spirit enlightened me on last Saturday (his birthday), I let two of my 10 students to improvise over the cheesy piano chords (that's all I can play, so don't laugh!).
The first kid, Rohin, an Indian kid who's really greedy about learning so many instruments, started doing his own thing over the chords. He did some beautiful shit in there, though not very organized. But who cares? It's improv. Plus I told him he shouldn't care, just express himself in his own way. The main reason I asked him to do this was to make him play beautiful sound that he hears in his head, because he's got serious tone quality problem. Well, he didn't really quite make it, but it's OK, it will come sooner or later.
Second kid, Cathy, a pretty little Chinese girl, when I told her that I'm gonna play some shit on the piano and she can do whatever she wants over it, her eyes shined with brightness and excitement and said, "COOOOOOWOL~~~!" She really played some wonderful shit over it. TRULY wonderful. She's got a great sense of melody!
Now I have to say that I NEVER taught them how to improvise. But how did they do it?
Or maybe this question is more important: Why could they do it?
I think the answer I can give right now, is, they're kids.
Kids always have this flexibility that adults can't have, physically and mentally. They're open-minded, easy-going, care-free, and relaxed.
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I met up with Heun Jeung on Sunday to go to the jam session that J-O organized.
Before that, Momoko came to meet up with us so that she could bring us to get her remaining stuff.
Before we went off, we had a little jam with her.
This is the first time (hopefully not the last time) I ever jammed with Momoko. She's got some sick lines, she's good! She told me I improved so much since last year. She didn't hear me play jazz for a year. I'm glad that she found me improving!
We went to her house to pick up some stuff that she gave Heun Jeung, and we took a picture with her!
We will miss you Momoko! See you again in New York some time!
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Yeah, jam session in International House besides Manhattan School of Music.
So Brandon Wright was there, Barb was there, Bodek Janke, Antonio Miguel, and of course Jean-Oliver Begin, the organizer, was there too. And Heun Jeung brought Mike Bloch (?), the cellist of Mark O'Connor.
The players were in a very high level, that kicked my ass to play my ass off. I was glad that people cheered and clapped pretty hard after I played the tune of Kevin's choice, Sonnymoon for Two. It was a Blues, something that's very handy for me. I remember Master Ray Pizzi's teaching, "Blues is all about complaining! Frustrations!"
It was a great night. The music went till 1:30am. And I got home at 4am.
Amazing day.
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