NFQ

In addition to their outstanding live performances, the members of the Noel Freidline Quintet have developed a wide array of educational programs. These vary from concert/lecture presentations that work well for almost any age level audience, to very specialized clinics and workshops geared specifically to collegiate and aspiring musicians.

The Noel Freidline Quintet is a diverse multi-racial, multi-gender and multi-generational ensemble that is sensitive to the wants and needs of all audiences.

Educational programs include:

ELEMENTARY AGE CHILDREN

Elementary Age Children

Workshop Goals

is a creative, interactive, motivational assembly emphasizing to children:

* Music is Accessible
* Positive Self-Image
* Teamwork
* Character Education
* Goal Setting
* Leadership
* Music is Fun
* Self-Discipline

Workshop Description
Hitting on major era’s of the progression of jazz music, the program begins with a short concert featuring the music of Louis Armstrong (Dixieland jazz), Duke Ellington (the swing era), Charlie Parker (bebop), and Herbie Hancock (progressive jazz). Time is taken before each tune to explain who these influential musicians were, what was unique about their style and what to listen for in the music. Time is also taken to demonstrate the roles of each of the NFQ’s instruments in each style.

The program then moves to a demonstration of unique way that jazz musicians adapt non-jazz songs into their style. Using a popular tune that the children are all familiar with, the Spongebob Squarepants theme song, the Noel Freidline Quintet then performs the song in the style of the four musicians they just introduced. The original Spongebob theme has a “sing along” phrase at the end of each line. The Quintet uses this interactively with the children, changing the rhythm slightly to fit each jazz great’s style, and having the children sing along with each new style of the Spongebob theme. Starting with Herbie Hancock and working in reverse order: Spongebob Squarepants in a progressive jazz style (Herbie Hancock), bebop (Charlie Parker), Swing (Duke Ellington), and Dixieland (Louis Armstrong).

From this, the program moves to a very interactive section where the quintet will distribute four different kinds of simple home made percussion instruments (made from everyday household goods). Each instrument has a different timbre and function. Working in individual sections and in different combinations, the students will get to interact with each of the members of the NFQ and their particular instrument (piano, upright bass, drums, vibraphone, and voice), as well as play along with the entire quintet.

The program culminates as the NFQ helps the students create their own spontaneous “symphony.” With the quintet performing in the background, the students are “conducted” by Noel Freidline, cued to play their instruments at different times and combinations. The different timbres of the student’s percussion instruments, in various combinations, combine to create different layers, moods and energy levels. Some professional, some amateur…ALL musicians.

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Community / Students (Middle School Through Collegiate Levels)

Both Professionalism 101 and Promotion work for ALL fine arts performers including the mediums of music, dance and theatre.

Jazz Legends Come Alive

Jazz Legends Come Alive is a lecture/concert presentation that serves all audiences well, from students (middle school, high school and collegiate) to the public at large. This series also suitably fits Black History Month programs at various levels due to the fact that each of the jazz legends featured are all of African-American descent.

This presentation gives insight into the lives of five great jazz legends, all presented in a real, interactive environment and brings their music to life once again.

Lecture/Concert Series Description
Building on the instrumentation of the Noel Freidline Quintet (piano, bass, drums, saxophone, vocals), this concert/lecture series features the music of:

* Nat “King” Cole – piano, vocals
* Billie Holiday – vocals
* John Coltrane – saxophone
* Ray Brown – bass
* Elvin Jones – drums

Jazz Legends Come Alive includes an in-depth discourse, including a question and answer session, on each of the above listed jazz legend. We will discuss their history, the significance of their performance style, what set them apart, and how they influenced jazz music as we know it today. Significant points are supported with musical examples. From this the presentation culminates in a concert containing a repertoire from these great jazz legends and original Noel Freidline arrangements.

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Fine Arts Performance Business Clinics

Both Professionalism 101 and Promotion work for ALL fine arts performers including the mediums of music, dance and theatre.

Professionalism 101 (What Every Performer Should Know)

Many performer’s feelings toward business can best be summed up with the statement; "I don't want to mess with all that business stuff. I'm an artist. I just want to perform!" This is much like saying "I don't want to take out the trash or pay the electric bill, I just want to live in this house." You can't have one without the other. The aspects of professionalism cross the bounds of music, theatre, and dance as well as any profession, from accounting to professional sports.

* Professionalism - The Aspects of Professionalism: attitude, respect (for the medium, for fellow performers, for the leader, and for the audience), dependability, appearance and demeanor, conduct on and off the stage, attention to details and what those details are.
* Ethics – Covers the grey areas in which many young or less experienced performers get caught. Soliciting a gig, integrity of commitment.
* Be Prepared - Don't get caught. Discussion includes equipment, uniform and apparel, to rehearsals and repertoire.
* The Indispensable Sideman - What makes a musician worth his or her weight in gold to a bandleader, or a cast member priceless to a director.

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Promotion

A necessity for any musician, in any genre, at any level. Before they hear you, they usually see you and most people listen with their eyes. This discussion includes instruction on:

* The Promo Package - Putting it together, key elements, writing style.
* Photos - Promo Shots. Concepts, industry standards, color vs. black and white, what you need to know when securing a photographer.
* The Demo - Tune choice, packaging, quality control.
* Mailing List - Email and snail mail. Compiling, maintaining, the need for one, and when to use it.
* Brochures, Postcards, and Flyers
* The Internet - Website development, key elements, do's and don'ts.
* Publicity - Getting press on your band/music. Avenues for free publicity.
* Additional Materials - Logo, letterhead, business card
* As well as: white and yellow page listings, copyrighting/trademarking a band name/logo, answering machines and hotlines.

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Music Business Clinics

Bandleader's Forum

A good bandleader makes the job look easy, a bad one makes you wish you were one. A bandleader wears many hats including: spokesperson, publicist, accountant, diplomat and mediator, babysitter, cheerleader, stage manager and musical director. Includes discussion on:

* Booking performances - What you need to know, what you need to ask.
* Contracts and Riders - Get it in writing, for you and your client's protection.
* Assembling the Band - Getting the right musician for the gig, what information a sideman needs.
* Pleasing the Client - Everything from volume control to special requests.
* Pleasing the Band - Paying the band, feeding the band, letting the band take a break. What sidemen expect from a good leader.
* On the Stand - responsibilities of the bandleader during a performance
* Types of Gigs - Each type of performance situation has its own set of dynamics. An in-depth discussion of what every bandleader needs to know about everything from weddings and wedding receptions, to festival performances, to theatre gigs, to corporate functions, to nightclubs and everything in between.

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How to Make and Sell Your Own CD

Making a CD is a lot like building a house: it usually costs twice as much and takes twice as long as you planned. This clinic covers the ins and outs of the somewhat daunting task of making a recording, including:

* Concept - What are you trying to convey and who is your target market for your recording. Tune choice, visual concept.
* Self-production vs. and outside producer - the role of a producer.
* Getting a plan - Budgeting, timeline, logistics.
* Securing a studio - Finding the right studio for your recording project. What to ask, what to look for.
* Recording
* Mixdown and mastering
* Layout and design
* Pressing the CD - finding a CD manufacturer, what to expect
* Copyrights, royalties, and mechanical licensing - What are these and what do I do with them? Publisher research and securing licensing.
* Sales - Okay, now, how do I sell these darn things? Avenues of distribution and sales.

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Taxes and the Self-Employed Musician

When I graduated from college I had no idea I was considered self-employed. I also had no idea that a self-employed individual is required to making quarterly tax payments. Topics covered include:

* What does "self-employed" mean?
* Types of deductions
* Basic accounting for musicians
* Tax forms the self-employed musician is required to file
* Resources for help and assistance

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Applied Music Clinics

All Applied Music Clinics are done with a "hands on," interactive approach. Emphasis is given to getting the students involved in real-time musical situations. Most of these clinics are team taught by members of the Noel Freidline Quintet.

Creative Arranging - Pleasing the Band and the Audience

The band wants to play "Footprints" by Wayne Shorter, but the audience gets turned off. The audience wants to hear "New York, New York," but the band gets turned off. How do you please everybody? By giving the audience something they have heard, but in a way they have never heard it before. Duke Ellington said "There are only two types of music: good music and bad music." That distinction is usually in the arranging and presentation, not in the songwriting. Discussion includes:

* Choosing repertoire
* Bringing life to "worn out" standards
* Embracing non-jazz idiom tunes
* Writing tricks and techniques.

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Vocalists and Instrumentalists: The Love/Hate Relationship

Many instrumentalists view working with a vocalist as a necessary evil. Conversely, many vocalists feel abandoned or unsupported by the band. There is a trick to playing behind a singer. And there is a trick to fitting in with the band.

* What the band expects from a singer.
* What the singer expects from the band.
* How to bring out the best in a vocalist.

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The Drummer

Rather than focusing on percussion technique, this clinic focuses on the dynamics of a drummer as a sideman. Additional emphasis is placed on being the consummate drummer, a master of all styles. Discussion includes:

* It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that GROOVE.
* How to "drive the bus" without usurping the leader's position.
* In the hot seat: making or breaking the band.
* It's all about support.
* Going from a society gig in the morning, to an outdoor jazz festival in the afternoon, to a rock club gig at night.
* The unique relationship between the drummer and the bass player.

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The Vocalist as a Musician

A great singer is loved by instrumentalists. A mediocre singer is not. Often the difference between the two is in technique and delivery, not in talent level. Discussion includes:

* Stage presence
* Mike technique - let the sound system work for you, not against you
* Diction - Enunciate, enunciate, enunciate
* Being the frontperson - The dynamics of being out front.
* Expectations of a vocalist - Knowledge of tunes, lyrics, keys, etc.

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