SUMMER 2021
All online Summer MECA
courses begin on June 7
and conclude on August 1,
except as noted.
Registration Extended!
Registration closes at
5:00 p.m. CST on June 20, 2021
for ONLINE Courses.
Questions?
Visit our MECA FAQs page.
Add, drop, change or withdraw
using the Add/Drop Form.
For all other MECA-related
questions, contact us at
meca@vandercook.edu
or 312.788.1139.
Beginning Jazz Improvisation
ONLINE
June 7–August 1, 2021
This course is designed for music performers and educators who want to learn how to improvise. Through carefully selected jazz repertoire, participants will learn the basic mechanics of improvisation and the essential music theory elements needed to improvise, including modal improvisation, the blues, ii-V-I progressions, and simplifying chord progressions. Participants will practice and perform jazz improvisation concepts on the instrument of their choice. No previous experience with improvisation is required.
Instructor: Michael Fein
Michael Fein earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Rutgers University and a master’s degree in jazz saxophone performance from Rowan University. He released his debut jazz album, Four Flights Up, in April 2005 (available on iTunes). Fein has presented numerous sessions at music and technology conferences including the 2005 National Education Computing Conference and the 2009 and 2010 TI:ME National Conferences. He was awarded the TI:ME Teacher of the Year in 2007. In 2010, Fein co-authored Making Music with GarageBand and Mixcraft, a music production curriculum text, and recently authored Teaching Music Improvisation with Technology, published in February 2017. Fein currently teaches graduate music technology courses at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, and music technology electives and jazz ensemble at Haverford High School in Haverford Township, PA.
Course Details
Beginning Jazz Improvisation
Course Code 7761
Instructor
Michael Fein
mfein@vandercook.edu
3 Graduate Credits
Tuition
$1,065, due in full with registration
Chat Sessions
Wednesdays, 6:00-7:00 p.m. CST.
All chat sessions are optional.
Prerequisites
None
Required Texts
None
Software/Hardware Requirements
None
MECA Online
is powered by Schoology
Schoology is a learning management system that allows you to interact directly with your instructors, fellow students, and members of the greater VanderCook community.
Summer 2021 MECA courses officially begin on Monday, June 7. Soon after you register, be on the lookout for an email from Schoology with log-in instructions. Once you receive credentials, visit online.vandercook.edu to login. On the morning of June 7, you'll have access to your classroom and course material.
Some courses have specific online chat meeting times (please see course descriptions), while others have a flexible meeting schedule. You can expect all courses to meet together in a live online chat. If a live meeting time doesn’t work, you can work with your instructor to make other arrangements.
Online grades will be reported by mid-June. If you need a transcript, please visit the online transcript request page. For faster turnaround time, please submit the transcript request to the registrar prior to the end of your course(s).
More information about Schoology can be found at www.schoology.com.