Each week our Presenting Artists offer free mini-lessons on compositional topics of interest. Please enjoy the most recent below. Visit our YouTube Channel to access all of our Mini-Lesson videos. To watch our Presenting Artists' full-length livestreams, head over to our MEMBERSHIP page now to sign up!

Composer and saxophonist Felipe Salles demonstrates how to move beyond traditional harmony by incorporating polychords into your compositions, starting with chromatic bass notes and progressing through to fully realized double triads, using his pieces “V. Survivor's Guilt” and “Lullaby #5”. Visit https://JazzComposersPresent.com to watch full-length livestreams. JazzComposersPresent.com is an online space where composers, musicians and listeners come together to celebrate the music we love. Become a member today to watch our full-length events including masterclasses, listening sessions, roundtables and artist Q&As. Watch streams live or access the past event archive to view events dating back to July of 2021. Website: https://jazzcomposerspresent.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/JazzComposersPresent Facebook: https://facebook.com/JazzComposersPresent Twitter: https://twitter.com/JazzCompPresent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/JazzComposersPresent ——————————————————————————————————————————————————— Felipe Salles is a composer, conductor, arranger, saxophonist, and flutist. He has worked and recorded with Paquito D'Rivera, Randy Brecker, David Liebman, Lionel Loueke, Jerry Bergonzi, Chico Pinheiro, Melissa Aldana, and Magos Herrera among others, and has toured extensively in Europe, North and South America, India, and Australia. Awards Salles has received include a 2018 Guggenheim Foundation Composition Fellowship, a 2021 South Arts Jazz Road Creative Residency, a 2015 NALAC Fund for the Arts, a 2009 French American Jazz Exchange, and a 2005 Chamber Music America New Works. His pieces have been performed by some of the top groups in the world including The Metropole Orchestra, UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra, and the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra, among others. Salles has released nine critically acclaimed recordings as a leader, most recently The New Immigrant Experience (2020), which received a 4.5-star review from Downbeat Magazine. Salles is currently a Professor of Jazz at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Website: https://www.sallesjazz.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/sallesjazz Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sallesjazz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sallesjazz ——————————————————————————————————————————————————— AUDIO CREDITS Intro: “Chance Encounter”, composed by Daniel Jamieson. Performed by Danjam Orchestra, on the album “Sudden Appearance” (2011) OA2 Records. http://danjam.ca/ Example 1: “V. Survivor's Guilt”, composed by Felipe Salles. Performed by the Felipe Salles Interconnections Ensemble, on the album “The New Immigrant Experience” (2020) Tapestry. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAcABBEVPac Example 2: “Lullaby #5”, composed by Felipe Salles. Performed by the Felipe Salles Interconnections Ensemble, on the album “The Lullaby Project and Other Works for Large Ensemble” (2018) Tapestry. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMa2Wpn6GvA Closing: “Crunchy Peanut Butter”, composed by Daniel Jamieson. Performed by Danjam Orchestra, on the album “Sudden Appearance” (2011) OA2 Records. http://danjam.ca/

Latin Grammy-winning and Grammy-nominated composer Emilio Solla @emiliosollamusic uses reharmonization techniques to demonstrate how to break through “writer’s block”, and fully explore the musical possibilities within your piece. Visit https://JazzComposersPresent.com to watch full-length livestreams. JazzComposersPresent.com is an online space where composers, musicians and listeners come together to celebrate the music we love. Become a member today to watch our full-length events including masterclasses, listening sessions, roundtables and artist Q&As. Watch streams live or access the past event archive to view events dating back to July of 2021. Website: https://jazzcomposerspresent.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/JazzComposersPresent Facebook: https://facebook.com/JazzComposersPresent Twitter: https://twitter.com/JazzCompPresent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/JazzComposersPresent ——————————————————————————————————————————————————— Emilio Solla got his BA in Classical Piano in Argentina. Emilio moved to Spain in 1996 and later to New York in 2006, where he completed his M.A. in Jazz Composition. He is a regular performer across the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Japan at noted concert halls, clubs and festivals, and has collaborated with Paquito d’Rivera, Yo-Yo Ma, The Boston Symphony Orchestra and the WDR Big Band to name a few. Emilio received a Grammy nomination for his nine piece ensemble debut recording, Second Half (2015), and a composition from his Tango Jazz Orchestra debut album Puertos (2019), shared a Grammy Nomination for “Best Instrumental Arrangement” with John Williams, Vince Mendoza and Jacob Collier. The following year, Puertos won the 2020 Latin Grammy for “Best Jazz Album.” In 2023 he has released two new albums: El Siempre Mar, with flamenco star Antonio Lizana and a new Warner Classics release, Ritmo, a symphonic homage to Chick Corea, featuring Emilio’s distinctive orchestrations. Website: https://emiliosolla.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/emiliosollamusic Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emiliosolla Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emiliosolla Bandcamp: https://emiliosolla.bandcamp.com ——————————————————————————————————————————————————— AUDIO CREDITS Intro: “Chance Encounter”, composed by Daniel Jamieson. Performed by Danjam Orchestra, on the album “Sudden Appearance” (2011) OA2 Records. http://danjam.ca Closing: “Crunchy Peanut Butter”, composed by Daniel Jamieson. Performed by Danjam Orchestra, on the album “Sudden Appearance” (2011) OA2 Records. http://danjam.ca

Grammy-nominated composer and arranger John La Barbera explores John Coltrane's Giant Steps to discuss how modern jazz harmonic language breaks away from convention using non-functional harmony. Visit https://JazzComposersPresent.com to watch full-length livestreams. JazzComposersPresent.com is an online space where composers, musicians and listeners come together to celebrate the music we love. Become a member today to watch our full-length events including masterclasses, listening sessions, roundtables and artist Q&As. Watch streams live or access the past event archive to view events dating back to July of 2021. Website: https://jazzcomposerspresent.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/JazzComposersPresent Facebook: https://facebook.com/JazzComposersPresent Twitter: https://twitter.com/JazzCompPresent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/JazzComposersPresent ——————————————————————————————————————————————————— John La Barbera is a Grammy- nominated composer and arranger, and two-time recipient of The National Endowment for The Arts award for Jazz Composition. His works have been recorded and performed by Buddy Rich, Woody Herman, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Mel Torme, Chaka Khan, Harry James, Bill Watrous, and Phil Woods among countless others. Though his major output has been in jazz, he has had works performed and recorded for symphony orchestra, string chamber orchestra, brass quintet, and other diverse ensembles. Most recently, La Barbera was one of sixteen composers commissioned by the Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute at UCLA to compose new works that meld jazz and symphonic music. The resulting work, “Morro da Babilonia”, was presented by the American Composers Orchestra in New York City at Columbia University’s Miller Hall. La Barbera’s Grammy-nominated big band album “On The Wild Side“, along with “Fantazm“ and his latest “Caravan” have been met with tremendous artistic and commercial success. As co-producer and arranger for The Glenn Miller Orchestra Christmas recordings (In The Christmas Mood I & II) he has received Gold & Platinum Records and his arrangement of “Jingle Bells” from those recordings can be heard in the Academy Award winning film “La La Land.” La Barbera is a Professor Emeritus of Music at the University of Louisville’s School of Music and an international clinician/lecturer whose topics range from composing/arranging to intellectual property and copyright. His Sunday morning big band jazz radio show, "Best Coast Jazz" on WFPK has been a mainstay on public radio for over twenty years and is streamed worldwide. Website: https://www.johnlabarbera.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1775321386042337 ——————————————————————————————————————————————————— CREDITS Intro: “Chance Encounter”, composed by Daniel Jamieson. Performed by Danjam Orchestra, on the album “Sudden Appearance” (2011) OA2 Records. http://danjam.ca Referenced Audio: “Giants Steps”, composed by John Coltrane. Performed by John Coltrane on the album "Giant Steps" (1960) Atlantic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-M5qmxXilU Referenced Text: Beyond Functional Harmony, written by Wayne J. Naus (Advance Music). Closing: “Crunchy Peanut Butter”, composed by Daniel Jamieson. Performed by Danjam Orchestra, on the album “Sudden Appearance” (2011) OA2 Records. http://danjam.ca

Grammy-nominated composer Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol discusses his piece “Times of the Turtledove”, featuring Miguel Zenón, and how the 5-beat rhythmic cycle call of the turtledove served as the foundation of the composition. Visit https://JazzComposersPresent.com to watch full-length livestreams. JazzComposersPresent.com is an online space where composers, musicians and listeners come together to celebrate the music we love. Become a member today to watch our full-length events including masterclasses, listening sessions, roundtables and artist Q&As. Watch streams live or access the past event archive to view events dating back to July of 2021. Website: https://jazzcomposerspresent.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/JazzComposersPresent Facebook: https://facebook.com/JazzComposersPresent Twitter: https://twitter.com/JazzCompPresent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/JazzComposersPresent ——————————————————————————————————————————————————— Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol is a Grammy-nominated composer, multi-instrumentalist, CMES Harvard University fellow (2013-15), and full-time faculty member at New England Conservatory. Sanlıkol has composed for, performed, and toured with international stars and ensembles such as Dave Liebman, Bob Brookmeyer, Billy Cobham, Esperanza Spalding, Antonio Sanchez, Anat Cohen, Tiger Okoshi, The Boston Camerata, The Boston Cello Quartet, A Far Cry string orchestra, American Composers Orchestra, Okay Temiz, Erkan Oğur and Birol Yayla. Sanlıkol was the recipient of numerous respected awards including The Aaron Copland Fund for Music Grant twice in 2016 and 2020 as well as the New Music USA Project Grant in 2020. Sanlıkol is the president of DÜNYA, a musicians’ collective dedicated to contemporary presentations of Turkish traditions, alone and in interaction with other world traditions, through musical performance, publication, and educational activities. Currently, he is the director of New England Conservatory’s Intercultural Institute. Website: https://www.sanlikol.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/msanlikol YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvtXiNtO407vyMWBe7G8uTg Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mehmetalisanlikol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mehmetsanlikol Bandcamp: https://dunya.bandcamp.com ——————————————————————————————————————————————————— AUDIO CREDITS Intro: “Chance Encounter”, composed by Daniel Jamieson. Performed by Danjam Orchestra, on the album “Sudden Appearance” (2011) OA2 Records. http://danjam.ca/ Examples & Closing: “Times of the Turtledove”, composed by Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol. Performed by Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol & Whatsnext? featuring Miguel Zenón on the album “Turkish Hipster: Tales from Swing to Psychedelic” (2023). DÜNYA. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmJ5_IXmcO0

Composer Mike Malone discusses jazz pentatonic scales and creative ways to incorporate them into jazz composition using his piece “One Way Out”. Visit https://JazzComposersPresent.com to watch full-length livestreams. JazzComposersPresent.com is an online space where composers, musicians and listeners come together to celebrate the music we love. Become a member today to watch our full-length events including masterclasses, listening sessions, roundtables and artist Q&As. Watch streams live or access the past event archive to view events dating back to July of 2021. Website: https://jazzcomposerspresent.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/JazzComposersPresent Facebook: https://facebook.com/JazzComposersPresent Twitter: https://twitter.com/JazzCompPresent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/JazzComposersPresent ——————————————————————————————————————————————————— Mike Malone is a trumpeter, composer, bandleader, educator, and pillar of the Canadian jazz scene. Malone was a featured writer and performer with artists such as Nimmons ‘N’ 9 plus 6, The Ted Moses Quintet, Dave McMurdo Jazz Orchestra, Ranee Lee, Danjam Orchestra, John MacLeod & the Rex Hotel Orchestra, Ted’s Warren Commission, The Alex Dean Quintet, The Brass Connection II, and The Kieran Overs Nonet. In 2009, he won the SOCAN/CAJE Phil Nimmons Award for Jazz Composition in the category of "Established Composer". Malone was a full-time faculty member at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario for over 25 years, and continues to write and perform with Mike Malone and the Writers Jazz Orchestra. ——————————————————————————————————————————————————— AUDIO CREDITS Intro: “Chance Encounter”, composed by Daniel Jamieson. Performed by Danjam Orchestra, on the album “Sudden Appearance” (2011) OA2 Records. http://danjam.ca Example 1 and Ending: “One Way Out”, composed by Mike Malone. Performed by the Dave McMurdo Jazz Orchestra on the album “Different Paths” (1993). Sackville Recordings. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUYaxO-yPHs

Composer, author, and Berklee College Professor Bob Pilkington explores comping and the treatment of time in jazz composition - don’t just write slashes and hope for the best!!! - using his pieces Sounds Like Somethin' and Aftermath. Visit https://JazzComposersPresent.com to watch full-length livestreams. JazzComposersPresent.com is an online space where composers, musicians and listeners come together to celebrate the music we love. Become a member today to watch our full-length events including masterclasses, listening sessions, roundtables and artist Q&As. Watch streams live or access the past event archive to view events dating back to July of 2021. Website: https://jazzcomposerspresent.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/JazzComposersPresent Facebook: https://facebook.com/JazzComposersPresent Twitter: https://twitter.com/JazzCompPresent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/JazzComposersPresent ——————————————————————————————————————————————————— Bob Pilkington is a trombonist, composer, arranger, and educator. Much of Bob’s career has been devoted to original music projects, both his own and those of others in a number of genres. His current projects include Fusion Nouveau and resident composer with the Jazz Composers Alliance. Bob is Professor of Jazz Composition at Berklee College of Music where he’s been teaching since 1982. Bob has written and published "Counterpoint in Jazz Arranging," a unique textbook specializing in counterpoint from a jazz perspective. He’s performed with his own groups, the Jazz Composers Alliance, Mark Harvey’s Aardvark Jazz Orchestra, Fred Ho’s Green Monster Big Band, the Ken Schaphorst Big Band, Bob Moses’ Boston Illharmonic, and others. He appears on over 40 CDs, tapes and records. Website: https://www.bobpilkington.com Bandcamp: https://bobpilkington.bandcamp.com ——————————————————————————————————————————————————— AUDIO CREDITS Intro: “Chance Encounter”, composed by Daniel Jamieson. Performed by Danjam Orchestra, on the album “Sudden Appearance” (2011) OA2 Records. http://danjam.ca Example 1: “Sounds Like Something”, composed by Bob Pilkington. Performed by Fusion Nouveau, on the album “Lords of Time” (2023) JCA Recordings. https://bobpilkington.bandcamp.com/track/sounds-like-somethin Example 2: “Aftermath”, composed by Bob Pilkington. Performed by the Jazz Composers Alliance Orchestra, on the album “Stories” (2023). https://bobpilkington.bandcamp.com/track/aftermath Closing: “Crunchy Peanut Butter”, composed by Daniel Jamieson. Performed by Danjam Orchestra, on the album “Sudden Appearance” (2011) OA2 Records. http://danjam.ca

Grammy-nominated composer Darcy James Argue explores distilling your composition’s ideas within the introduction, like his piece “Zeno” which began with a “rhythmic Rosetta Stone” establishing the rhythmic cycles it is based on. Visit https://JazzComposersPresent.com to watch full-length livestreams. JazzComposersPresent.com is an online space where composers, musicians and listeners come together to celebrate the music we love. Become a member today to watch our full-length events including masterclasses, listening sessions, roundtables and artist Q&As. Watch streams live or access the past event archive to view events dating back to July of 2021. Website: https://jazzcomposerspresent.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/JazzComposersPresent Facebook: https://facebook.com/JazzComposersPresent Twitter: https://twitter.com/JazzCompPresent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/JazzComposersPresent ——————————————————————————————————————————————————— Darcy James Argue is a Grammy-nominated composer and bandleader, and leader of the internationally acclaimed 18-piece ensemble, Secret Society. Argue’s critically acclaimed 2009 debut “Infernal Machines”, 2013’s “Brooklyn Babylon”, and 2016’s “Real Enemies” have all earned Grammy nominations. Argue has led performances of his music by the WDR Big Band, the Danish Radio Big Band, and the Frankfurt Radio Big Band, among others. In 2015, Argue was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in Music Composition and a Doris Duke Artist Award. He has received commissions from the Fromm Music Foundation, the Jazz Gallery, the Manhattan New Music Project, the Jerome Foundation, and BAM, as well as ensembles including the Danish Radio Big Band, the Hard Rubber Orchestra, the West Point Jazz Knights, and the Orquestra Jazz de Matosinhos. Website: http://www.SecretSocietyMusic.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DarcyJamesArgue Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SecretSocietyMusic Twitter: https://twitter.com/DarcyJamesArgue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DarcyJamesArgue Bandcamp: https://DarcyJamesArgue.bandcamp.com ——————————————————————————————————————————————————— AUDIO CREDITS Intro: “Chance Encounter”, composed by Daniel Jamieson. Performed by Danjam Orchestra, on the album “Sudden Appearance” (2011) OA2 Records. http://danjam.ca/ Examples 1-3 & Closing: “Zeno”, composed by Darcy James Argue. Performed by Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society on the album “Infernal Machines” (2009). New Amsterdam Records. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4bk82rKZnM ——————————————————————————————————————————————————— PHOTO CREDITS Darcy James Argue photo by Lindsay Beyerstein

Composer and bandleader Nathan Parker Smith discusses how composing in mixed meter and odd time signatures can add excitement, create interest, and engage and surprise your listeners using pieces from his large ensemble album “Not Dark Yet.” Visit https://JazzComposersPresent.com to watch full-length livestreams. JazzComposersPresent.com is an online space where composers, musicians and listeners come together to celebrate the music we love. Become a member today to watch our full-length events including masterclasses, listening sessions, roundtables and artist Q&As. Watch streams live or access the past event archive to view events dating back to July of 2021. Website: https://jazzcomposerspresent.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/JazzComposersPresent Facebook: https://facebook.com/JazzComposersPresent Twitter: https://twitter.com/JazzCompPresent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/JazzComposersPresent ——————————————————————————————————————————————————— A native of Northern California, Nathan Parker Smith is an active performer and composer currently residing in Rochester, New York. His compositions span a variety of instrumentation, genre, and media. Recent projects include music for the short films “Story” and “The Writer” directed by Andrew Ondrejcak, an hour long solo piano composition and performance for theater entitled “Landscape with Figures” in New Orleans and concert band compositions for the International School of Luxembourg. His large ensemble’s album Not Dark Yet has been described by Timeout New York as “muscular and bracingly intricate” and as “blockbuster, even bruising, music with little respite on the program” by Richard B. Kamins. The group has been noted for their unapologetically aggressive and engaging style, heavily informed by European heavy metal, 20th century classical composition and progressive rock. Website: http://www.nathansmithmusic.com Bandcamp: https://nathanparkersmith.bandcamp.com Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/Dcvb1 ——————————————————————————————————————————————————— AUDIO CREDITS Intro: “Chance Encounter”, composed by Daniel Jamieson. Performed by Danjam Orchestra, on the album “Sudden Appearance” (2011) OA2 Records. http://danjam.ca/ Example 1 & Closing: “Rhetoric Machine”, composed by Nathan Parker Smith. Performed by Nathan Parker Smith Large Ensemble, on the album “Not Dark Yet” (2014) bjurecords. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QedEwDZt6c Example 2: “Dark Matter”, composed by Nathan Parker Smith. Performed by Nathan Parker Smith Large Ensemble, on the album “Not Dark Yet” (2014) bjurecords. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPPnPuPAFzk Example 3: “Creature Rebellion”, composed by Nathan Parker Smith. Performed by Nathan Parker Smith Large Ensemble, on the album “Not Dark Yet” (2014) bjurecords. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT91C-iGHSE Example 4: “Spin”, composed by Nathan Parker Smith. Performed by Nathan Parker Smith Large Ensemble, on the album “Not Dark Yet” (2014) bjurecords. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB7laO-22VY

Grammy-nominated arranger Gary Lindsay explores writing for woodwinds in the jazz band using his arrangement of Lyle Mays’ Chorinho to demonstrate creative combinations of flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and more. Visit https://JazzComposersPresent.com to watch full-length livestreams. JazzComposersPresent.com is an online space where composers, musicians and listeners come together to celebrate the music we love. Become a member today to watch our full-length events including masterclasses, listening sessions, roundtables and artist Q&As. Watch streams live or access the past event archive to view events dating back to July of 2021. Website: https://jazzcomposerspresent.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/JazzComposersPresent Facebook: https://facebook.com/JazzComposersPresent Twitter: https://twitter.com/JazzCompPresent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/JazzComposersPresent ——————————————————————————————————————————————————— Gary Lindsay is a Grammy-nominated arranger, composer, educator, and author of "Jazz Arranging Techniques: From Quartet to Big Band." He is a recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts award, a Chamber Music America grant from the Doris Duke Foundation and received a Grammy nomination in arranging for “Cherokee” from the Arturo Sandoval CD I Remember Clifford. As an arranger/composer, Lindsay has worked with Maynard Ferguson, Michael Brecker, Pat Metheny, Jose Feliciano, Natalie Cole, Gloria Estefan, Arturo Sandoval, The Florida Philharmonic, The Airmen of Note, and The Miami Saxophone Quartet among others. On woodwinds, he has performed with Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Mike and Randy Brecker, Jaco Pastorius, Stanley Turrentine, Natalie Cole and many other pop and jazz luminaries. Website: http://lindsayjazz.com ——————————————————————————————————————————————————— AUDIO CREDITS Intro: “Chance Encounter”, composed by Daniel Jamieson. Performed by Danjam Orchestra, on the album “Sudden Appearance” (2011) OA2 Records. http://danjam.ca/ Audio Examples and Closing: “Chorinho”, composed by Lyle Mays, arranged and performed by Gary Lindsay. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca7mhRpD8hw Referenced Audio: “Chorihno”, composed by Lyle Mays. Performed by Lyle Mays, on the album “Street Dreams” (1988) Geffen Records. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uQhJ2hLIy0 (Street Dreams) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZekplN5BxA (Lyle Mays Quartet – The Ludwigsburg Concert)