Guest Artist - John Proulx

Acclaimed jazz pianist John Proulx will be joining us for a free jazz piano Zoom masterclass this Friday. I would love to have you join us.

John and I have been teaching alongside each other for a few years, and I really like his approach to teaching accompanying. So I asked him to come give us a masterclass on it.

John and I will discuss:

• How to supporting the soloist, without stepping on them.
• How to follow a singer's lead and pick up on their cues.
• Being your own singer, and accompanying yourself.
• And, deciding on the form, including intros, endings and solos.

About John Proulx:

John Proulx is a singer, pianist, composer, and educator based in Los Angeles. He has performed alongside Anita O'Day, Natalie Cole, and Melissa Manchester, and has released four critically acclaimed albums.

As a composer, his songs have been recorded by jazz legends including Nancy Wilson, whose Grammy-winning album featured his co-written "These Golden Years," and Mary Stallings, who recorded two of his compositions. He has also co-written songs with and for Melissa Manchester, including a duet with Al Jarreau.

Proulx began classical piano training at age three in Grand Rapids, MI, later earning a Bachelor of Music from Roosevelt University's Chicago School of Performing Arts (1999) and a Master's in jazz vocal performance from Western Michigan University. He has appeared on NPR's Song Travels and Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz, and currently serves on faculty at Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State Long Beach.