Bloomington Boogies educates about and actively promotes performances of music by artists who play boogie-woogie, blues, all forms of jazz, Gospel, Zydeco, and related music.  With support from the Bloomington Urban Enterprise Association, the Bloomington Arts Commission, and many others, our educational activities include:

• Offering free tickets to schools in the Bloomington Urban Enterprise Assocation Zone, so students/families can attend ticketed weekend concerts.
• Presenting free concerts in schools. During each festival artists perform in schools. In 2015, Marcia Ball, Bob Seeley, and Carl Sonny Leyland performed at Fairview for 360 students and 30 adults. In 2016, Bob Seeley, Bill Sims, Jr., and Ricky Nye performed for 550 students, faculty, staff at Templeton Elementary. In 2017, Bob Seeley, Bill Sims, Jr., and Mitch Woods played at Fairview while Rob Rio, Josh Paxton, and Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne performed at Templeton. In 2018 and 2019, hundreds of students enjoyed concerts at Fairview, Templeton, and Tri-North.
• Offering free workshops and Master Classes. Workshops began In 2016, when Ricky Nye presented a workshop at Templeton; in 2017 Bill Sims, Jr. presented at Fairview and Josh Paxton presented at Templeton; and In 2018 and 2019, we presented free workshops at Fairview, Templeton, and Tri-North, and Judy Carmichael presented a free Master Class on Stride Piano at the Monroe History Center.

SCROLL DOWN FOR 2022 WORKSHOPS AND MASTER CLASSES!

For information about sponsoring educational activities, click here.

See an excerpt from the 2019 Blues Festival Guide about our educational activities at Tri-North Middle School in 2018

Read the Aug. 20, 2018 Bloomington Herald-Times article about our piano workshops

View videos and photos from the 2015 concert at Fairview and photos and videos from the first festival

View photos and videos from the 2016 concert at Templeton and photos and videos from the second festival

2022 FREE EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES:

• MASTER CLASS:  STRIDE PIANO - Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, 2 p.m., Monroe County History Center, 202 E. Sixth St., Bloomington, IN 

Judy Carmichael, one of the world's foremost interpreters of stride and swing piano, will present a Master Class for intermediate and advanced pianists and observers on America’s first popular music, ragtime, how it evolved into “stride” and how both influenced the jazz that followed. This Master Class is co-sponsored by the Monroe County History Center with support from the Bloomington Arts Commission. Limited to 20 participants and 60 observers - so register early, because attendance is limited by the size of the venue. 

You must preregister to participate or observe.

To prepare:

​​​​​--If you want to perform for Judy, view exercises and an arrangement from Judy's book, You Can Play Stride Piano. The book comes with CD with practice and performance tempos; available at https://www.judycarmichael.com/new-products/you-can-play-stride-piano-book. Or be ready to play something of your choosing.

--If you want to observe, sit back and enjoy the artistry of Judy Carmichael!

• MASTER CLASS:  HOW WE APPROACH JAZZ PIANO - Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, 4 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Church, 2120 N. Fee Lane, Bloomington, IN

Stephanie Trick and Paolo Alderighi are pioneers in using four-hands for jazz piano, having earned widespread success with their arrangements of classics from the stride, ragtime, and boogie woogie traditions, as well as from the Swing Era and the Golden Age of Tin Pan Alley.

In this Master Class, Stephanie and Paolo will talk about various ways of approaching jazz piano. With their experience and expertise in different styles (Stephanie being more focused on stride piano and boogie woogie, Paolo on swing and more modern jazz) they will show different ways of playing standards in the piano solo setting and share their knowledge in creating arrangements for four-hands, something they have been working on together for more than 10 years. 

To prepare: Pianists wanting to participate can prepare a selection (in the jazz, stride piano, swing piano, bebop, ragtime, or boogie woogie traditions) to play, and Stephanie and Paolo will give feedback and suggestions.  The duo will also guide participants through the fascinating process of arranging and improvising in piano solo and piano four-hands. 

Observers are especially welcome to attend, as Stephanie and Paolo will play both solo and duet numbers to illustrate their different approaches to jazz.

This Master Class, co-sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Church with support from the Bloomington Arts Commission, is targeted to intermediate and advanced pianists and observers and is limited to 20 participants and 80 observers.  

You must preregister to participate or observe.

• PIANO WORKSHOP - Monday, Aug. 15, 2022, 4 p.m., Fairview Elementary School, 500 W. Seventh St., Bloomington IN

Dr. Keith McCutchen will present "Blues Basics - Learning from the Masters: Songs in Parallel Thirds and Sixths."  Dr. McCuthen is associate professor of music in the School of Humanities and the Performing Arts at Kentucky State University. He will use Jimmy Yancey’s “Jimmy’s Stuff” and Thelonious Monk’s “Blue Monk” to explore the structure of a basic blues tune, the sound and fundamentals of the triad bass, the use of parallel 3rds and 6ths in melody and harmony in the right hand, and the use of riffs and bass variations.  The workshop is for all levels or piano enthusiasts.  Limited to 20 participants.

To prepare:

--Listen to Jimmy Yancey's "Jimmy's Stuff"

--Listen to Thelonious Monk’s “Blue Monk”

You must preregister to participate or observe.  Please note: exact time may change, depending on the 2022-23 school calendar.

• PIANO WORKSHOP - Monday, Aug. 15, 2022, 4:30 p.m., Templeton Elementary School, 1400 S. Brenda Ave., Bloomington IN

Cass Hart will present "Boogie Woogie: An Exploration" in which she will lead participants on a journey that will reveal some distinctive features and patterns which give boogie-woogie piano its propulsive drive.  Limited to 20 participants and observers.

To prepare:

--Watch Albert Ammons and Pete Johnson play in the short film, "Boogie Woogie Dream"

--Listen to Meade Lux Lewis play "Honky Tonk Train Blues"

--Visit Colin Davey's website to learn about or purchase the book, Learn Boogie Woogie Piano

--Also recommended by Cass: The Story of Boogie-Woogie: A Left Hand Like God, by Peter J. Silvester

You must preregister to participate or observe.  Please note: exact time may change, depending on the 2022-23 school calendar.

• MUSIC WORKSHOP - Monday, Aug. 15, 3:15 p.m., Tri-North Middle School Auditorium, 1000 W. 15th St., Bloomington IN

Daryl Davis will present "Boogie-Woogie in Early Riock & Roll" - more details to be announced.

Open to all levels of musicians and the public. Join us and learn from this master musician who just received an honorary doctorate!

You must preregister to attend.  Please note: exact time may change, depending on the 2022-23 school calendar.

• MUSIC WORKSHOP - Monday, Aug. 15, 2022, 5 p.m., Jackson Creek Middle School Auditorium, 3980 S. Sare Rd., Bloomington IN

Vibraphonist Lolly Allen will lead a workshop for all levels of musicians, "Playing Jazz & Blues in Ensembles."  More information to be announced.  Limited to 30 participants and observers.

You must preregister to participate or observe.  Please note: exact time may change, depending on the 2022-23 school calendar.

In 2019, Bloomington Boogies presented a free MASTER CLASS ON STRIDE PIANO. Judy Carmichael gave a Master Class co-sponsored by the Monroe County History Center, with support from the Bloomington Arts Commission, for intermediate and advanced pianists and observers interested in America’s first popular music, ragtime, how it evolved into “stride” and how both influenced the jazz that followed.​​​

In 2019, Bloomington Boogies also offered three free PIANO WORKSHOPS on Aug. 12:

• A free WORKSHOP ON ELEMENTS OF BLUES AND BOOGIE WOOGIE.  Monday, Aug. 12, 4 p.m., Templeton Elementary, 1400 S. Brenda Ave., Bloomington, IN, Room L17.  Stephanie Trick, an expert on stride and classic jazz styles with a firm command of boogie woogie, ragtime, and blues, covered boogie woogie as played by Albert Ammons, Pete Johnson, and Meade Lux Lewis. The workshop focused on boogie woogie left-hand patterns and gave participants a chance to improvise while playing boogie woogie. It also covered the blues form and presented ideas on how to use this form for improvisation and telling one's story.
• Participants were asked to prepare for the workshop by listening to Albert Ammons' "Boogie Woogie Stomp": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNbc0YO5hKg and Pete Johnson's "Death Ray Boogie," to learn left-hand patterns or right-hand riffs by ear: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEKsF2NWQUI, and to check out Meade Lux Lewis' "Honky Tonk Train Blues" and learn left-hand patterns or right-hand riffs by ear: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne_U25ryLjc.

• A free WORKSHOP ON IMPROVISATION - How Does Improvisation Work?  Monday, Aug. 12, 3:15 p.m., Tri-North Middle School, 1000 W. 17th St., Bloomington, IN, Auditorium.  Paolo Alderighi, Italian jazz pianist and husband of Stephanie Trick, taught the fundamentals of improvising. The workshop provided tools for approaching improvisation. For participants with experience with improvisation, the workshop offered ideas to improve their ability to make interesting solos; for musicians from a classical background and those who have not yet learned to improvise, the workshop provided fundamentals necessary to practice this skill. For all ages and skill levels.

• A free WORKSHOP ON BLUES BASICS - LEARNING FROM THE MASTERS - Songs in Parallel Thirds and Sixths.  Monday, Aug. 12, 4 p.m., Fairview Elementary, 500 W. 7th St., Bloomington. Dr. Keith McCutchen, associate professor of music in the School of Humanities and the Performing Arts at Kentucky State University, used tunes byJimmy Yancey and Thelonious Monk to explore the blues structure, triad bass, and the use of parallel 3rds and 6ths. Riffs and bass variations were also explored.
• Participants were advised to look at Jimmy Yancey's "Jimmy's Stuff": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPU1Spmms0 and Thelonious Monk’s “Blue Monk”: https://youtu.be/rrKpffh8TY8.

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