Pop and Jazz Platform 2015

13 - 14 februari 2015

The Pop and Jazz Platform Meeting 2015 will place at the Berklee College of Music campus in Valencia, Spain, on 13-14 February .

The Pop and Jazz Platform Preparatory Working Group:

Stefan HECKEL (Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Graz) – Chair
Erling AKSDAL (Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim)
Simon PURCELL (Trinity College of Music London)
Maria Pia DE VITO (Saint Louis College of Music, Rome)
Hannie VAN VELDHOVEN (Utrechts Conservatorium)
Udo DAHMEN (Pop Akademie Mannheim)
Lars ANDERSSON (Malmoe Academy of Music)

The AEC preparatory working groups members work on the preparation of AEC events on voluntary basis. The AEC Preparatory Working Groups are all formed by coopting active individuals in the relevant field of specialization within AEC member institutions. Proactivity, as well as geographical and gender balances are the applied criteria to guarantee the diverse and dynamic character of the groups, who should ideally recreate the diversity of AEC members institutions.
Working group members are financially supported by their home institutions, which cover their travel and accommodation expenses to the working group meetings and to the actual event.

Jazz, Pop and ME

Developing diversity and identities among artists and audiences

Five outstanding artists and experts who as a group of individuals represent the very meaning of diversity will share their views. Grammy award winner Danilo Perez, Artistic Director of Berklee’s Global Jazz Institute will open the event with a keynote speech. An expert panel will bring together Muhammad Mughrabi, a Palestinian rapper and producer, Scott Cohen, co-founder of the Orchard, the world’s largest digital distribution company, Merlijn Twaalfhoven, a Dutch composer and theatre maker whose works include large scale projects with local musicians and artists in various parts of the world and David Linx, singer, composer, lyricists, producer, multi-instrumentalist and educator from Belgium.

Developing diversity and identities among artists and audiences implies, amongst many issues, re-thinking the relationship between these two groups. The provider-receiver model is an increasingly inadequate way to characterise what goes on in our culturally and technologically dynamic world of musical production and consumption. Audience development is a major issue in our society and one that has been recognised by the European Union in its new cultural programme, ‘Creative Europe’. AEC is beginning an important three-year project under the Creative Europe scheme and will be spearheading its examination of issues surrounding audience development through its Pop&Jazz meetings between now and 2017.

The title of the 2015 meeting may also be seen as reflecting the needs of young and upcoming artists – our students – to find their own voice and survive in the globalised business of music. Jazz, Pop and ME last but not least could be a call to ask ourselves as artists and Music educators: Who are we? How can we use diversity to build identities? And, in the ‘ME’ that lies at the centre of each of our musical identities, to what extent do we, too, continue to develop ourselves as audiences for the music of others?

The Pop&Jazz Platform is a European initiative catering to the needs of pop and jazz programmes in the AEC’s membership institutions. As part of the conference the first official meeting of VOCON, the Vocal Teachers Network initiated by PJP working group member Maria Pia de Vito will take place.

AEC POP & JAZZ PLATFORM MEETING 2015

Berklee College of Music – Valencia
13-14 February 2015

Pop,Jazz and ME
Developing diversity and identities amongst artists and audiences

Bulletin Blog

The title of the 2015 meeting may also be seen as reflecting the needs of young and upcoming artists – our students – to find their own voice and survive in the globalised business of music. Jazz, Pop and ME last but not least could be a call to ask ourselves as artists and Music Educators: Who are we? How can we use diversity to build identities? And, in the ‘ME’ that lies at the centre of each of our musical identities, to what extent do we, too, continue to develop ourselves as audiences for the music of others?

Programme

Friday 13th February

10:00 WG meeting [for PJP working group members only]

10:30 Vocal Teachers Meeting

11:30 Registration opens
Posters, video and presentations of projects in the lobby
Coffee available

12:15 Tour of the Campus

13:00 – 13:45 Newcomers Session

Introduction to the AEC by Jeremy Cox, AEC Chief Executive
Introduction to the PJP and presentation of the PJP Statement of Purpose by the Working Group
Networking Session for Newcomers

14:00 – 14:45 Opening Event

Beehive and Music Introduction
Opening remarks by:

Stefan Heckel, PJP Coordinator
Maria Iturriaga and Brian Cole, Berklee Valencia
Representative from local authorities
Georg Schulz, Kunstuniversität Graz, AEC Vice-President
Jeremy Cox, AEC Chief Executive

14:45 – 16:00 Plenary Session I

Global Jazz: Seeking Diversity, Identity and Social Change through Music and its Audiences
Presentation by Danilo Pérez, Keynote Speaker
Questions and Answers, moderated by Brian Cole, Berklee Valencia

16:00 – 16:30 Networking with Refreshments

16:30- 17:15 The Berklee College of Music in Valencia

17:15 – 18:00 Bar Camp 1

Introduction by Udo Dahmen and topics selection

18:00 – 18:45 Speed dating – meet your colleagues!

19:30 – 21:00 Concert

Saturday 14th February

From 9:00 Posters, video and presentations of projects in the lobby

9:25 – 10:00 Full Score Session

Music Introduction
Conservatoires as Innovators and Audience Developers: the PJP within the AEC’s “FULL SCORE” Project
By Jeremy Cox, AEC Chief Executive

10:00 – 11:30 Plenary Session II

Jazz, Pop and ME: connecting artists and audiences
Panel Discussion
Merlijn Twaalfhoven, Netherlands
Muhammad Mughrabi, Palestine
Scott Cohen (Orchard), US/Spain
David Linx, Belgium

Moderator: Hannie Van Veldhoven, Utrecht Conservatorium

11:30 – 12:00 Networking with Refreshments

12:00-13:00 World Cafe

13:00 – 14:00 Bar Camp 2

6 topics discussed in Breakout Groups

14:00 – 15:30 Lunch

15:30 – 16:30 Activity session

– Recording session (30 people): Scoring Stage
– Batucada (20 people): Ensemble Room B81
– Ableton Session (25 people): Tech Lab B05
– Business Models (35 people): A69
– Flamenco-Cajón (30 people) : Sala Blanca
– DJ Lab (12 people): MTI lab

16:30 – 17:00 Networking with Refreshment

17:00– 17:45 Closing Session

The VOCON group – pop and jazz vocal teachers
Participant Questionnaire
News from the AEC by Jeremy Cox
Announcement of the PJP Platform 2016
Closing Remarks

17:45 – 18:45 wine and music

18:00 – 19:00 Joint working group meeting AEC PJP / EJN / IASJ (members only)

21:00 Dinner

Keynote Presentation – Danilo Pérez

Global Jazz: Seeking Diversity, Identity and Social Change through Music

“Musicians must be more active in the world not just as performers, but as citizens. In the process they learn more about themselves and about humanity, and that will be expressed in their music.”

These words by Danilo Pérez resonate at the very heart of his creative and philanthropic work. His concept of “Global Jazz” – both in musical and educational terms – is one that seeks to use jazz to celebrate the diversity that exists between us. It is this celebration that helps connect us and forge a better understanding our individual cultures and humanity. By exploring creativity and artistry at the highest possible level we can advance the power of music as a tool for the betterment of society and connect musical creative thinking with the natural environment.

The presentation will explore Mr. Pérez’s Global Jazz project and discuss its goals for promoting diversity in audiences, celebrating cultural identity and creating social change in its wake.

Danilo Pérez

Pianist, composer, educator, producer and humanitarian, Danilo Pérez is considered one of the most ground- breaking and influential musicians of our time.

Born in Panama in 1965, Pérez started his musical studies when he was three years old with his father,  a bandleader and singer. By age 10, he was studying European classical piano at the National Conservatory in Panama. After he was trained in electronics, he studied jazz composition at Berklee College of Music and started touring and recording with artists such as Dizzy Gillespie, Wynton Marsalis, Jack DeJohnette, Steve Lacy and Roy Haynes. In 2000, Danilo joined Wayne Shorter to form Shorter’s great quartet with John Patitucci and Brian Blade. Since 2003 he has been touring with a trio featuring Ben Street and Adam Cruz.

In 1993, Pérez focused on his own ensembles and recording projects, producing music that has been described as pushing the limits of jazz. In 1996 he was signed by producer Tommy Lipuma to join the Impulse label and recorded Panamonk, a tribute to Thelonious Monk. According to DownBeat magazine, it is one of the most important jazz piano albums in history. In 2000 his recording of Motherland was chosen by the New York Times as “Best record of the year.” In 2010, Pérez released Providencia, his debut for Mack Avenue Records, which was nominated for  a Grammy® Award in 2011 as “Best Instrumental Jazz Album.” Highlights in his career as a composer include commissions from The Lincoln Center, Chicago Jazz Festival and Imani Winds Quintet. In 2012 Carnegie Hall commissioned him to write an octet for members of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela. In May 2013 he was commissioned  by The Banff Centre to write a piano quintet for the Cecilia String Quartet titled Camino de Cruces; and he also composed the music for the Museum of Biodiversity in Panama, designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry.
Pérez has served as Goodwill Ambassador to UNICEF and received a variety of awards for his musical achievements, activism and social work. He currently serves as the Cultural Ambassador to the Republic of Panama, UNESCO Artist for Peace, Founder and Artistic Director of the Panama Jazz Festival, and Artistic Director of the Berklee Global Jazz Institute. His latest album, Panama 500, was released on February 4, 2014.