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THE BLUE DYES
FOUNDRY SOUL BAND
Age: Late middle school to early high school
Level: Intermediate
Description: This group plays both contemporaty and classic R&B, funk, and jazz. Includes singers and horns. This group will have the opportunity to play gigs in the area. Past gigs have included Jazz at Five, Concerts at McKee, Strollin’ Monroe Street (see picture), and Ian's Pizza on State St.
Openings: None
COST
$84/mo | $74/mo Current Foundry Students - monthly payments
ELIGIBILITY
Open to high schoolers. We may request an audition.
GROUP SIZE
It is our hope that the group has multiple members on each instrument. Our goal is to have two drummers, two bassists, and two chordal instruments (guitar or piano). We can accept a much larger number of horns, vocalists, and other instruments such as strings. Maximum enrollment is generally 10 but can vary depending on the specific lineup of instruments (i.e. if there are a lot of horns, it's easier to have a higher number of members).
EXPECTATIONS
- Attendance - It's expected that everyone tries to make it to every rehearsal. Recognizing that reality doesn't always meet our expectations, it will be up to the coach to decide whether a student is ready for a performance based on rehearsal attendance.
- Performances - We are finding new performances all the time. We'll contact the group regarding each performance to see if enough members are available to make it happen. We will always give as much advance notice as possible. Plus if we have some redundancy in instrumentation, this allows for greater flexibility for scheduling gigs, and hopefully creates opportunities for you to play more tunes.
If interested please email education@madisonmusicfoundry.com.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
PETE ROSS
FOUNDRY SOUL BAND
Pete is a Wisconsin native and has been active as both a saxophone performer and teacher for the past twelve years. He attended the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor where he studied jazz saxophone and improvisation with Donald Walden and classical saxophone technique and repertoire with Donald Sinta. He received a BFA in Jazz Studies on saxophone in 2003. He has toured with the Glenn Miller Orchestra and Los Angeles based singer/songwriter Michael Sullivan and has had the pleasure to perform with Madison area artists such as The Jimmys, the original funky drummer Clyde Stubblefield, the Madison Jazz Orchestra and the Madison Mellophonium Jazz Orchestra, among others. Pete can be heard on recordings with The Jimmys, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, the University of Michigan Jazz Ensemble and guitarist Bobby Messano.
Having been a private instructor in saxophone and clarinet since 1998, Pete has had the opportunity to work with students of all ages and skill levels. Pete stresses strong technique and fundamentals, while at the same time focusing on the interests and aptitudes of each individual student - be it jazz improvisation, classical repertoire, chamber music and ensemble playing, or theory and ear training.