Bradley Sowash - Creative Musician

Talk to the Hand

bradleysowash — Tue, 07 May 2013 14:36:00 +0000

One of the most consistent challenges beginning improvisers face is keeping track of the form while playing creatively. It’s a little like writing one’s name with one hand while drawing a picture with the other. Playing piano is a whole brain activity! Read more

bradleysowash — Sat, 04 May 2013 13:19:07 +0000

88 Creative Keys Camps and Clinics

Play well known tunes using both by ear and with lead sheets
Personalize music by embellishing melodies and improvising variations
Interpret pop/jazz chord symbols and apply stylistic accompaniments
Understand practical music theory tips as a means to playing more creatively

BTW, we have a new website. 88CreativeKeys.com is now EyeEarRevolution.com.

12-Year-Old Blues Player

bradleysowash — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:17:47 +0000

What does it take for 12-year-old to play a blues complete with riffs, kicks, an improvised solo, and even a key change along the way without reading music? Read more…

New Video

bradleysowash — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 18:19:14 +0000

“Clear Air” – solo piano by Bradley Sowash with photos by Stephen Wolfe. Enjoy.

The Best Place to Start

bradleysowash — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 02:55:45 +0000

I get a lot of questions from teachers regarding ability levels. They usually fall into three categories: Read more…

Improvisation Piano Teacher Training

bradleysowash — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 17:07:44 +0000

Learn to integrate improvisation into studio piano teaching alongside traditional skills in two workshops April 19 and 20 in Denver.

Friday, April 19, 1 – 3 pm
University of CO/Boulder, 19th and Euclid, Boulder CO, Room C191

Saturday, April 20, 9 – 12 pm
Rockley Music, 8555 West Colfax Avenue, Lakewood, CO

New Product: Understanding Chord Symbols

bradleysowash — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 12:04:34 +0000

Understanding Chord Symbols $24.95
By Bradley Sowash, Edited by Leila Viss
This 20-page booklet provides a straightforward explanation of the principles, common practices, and variations in contemporary pop/jazz chord nomenclature. Use it as a reference for teaching or interpreting popular arrangements, lead sheets and chord charts.

Part of a new product category: Improvisation Booklets designed to provide succinct answers to common improvisation questions.

As for the book: I love it. It’s stuff I knew, but always had to go hunting for high and low on the internet. Now I have it all together in one place. Awesome. – Roosmari (Canada)

How to host an improvisation master class

bradleysowash — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 14:07:16 +0000

Organize an 88 Creative Keys workshop in your area.

It’s easier than you might guess. Think through this list of considerations and then get in touch.

I have tracks for student-aged pianists, adult classical pianists who would like to learn to improvise, teacher training, church musicians and band room/orchestra master classes (all instruments). Which of these are of interest?
Who are the powerhouse piano teachers in your area or take their profession seriously enough to seek continuing education and could bring students to a master class?
How many sessions would it make sense for me to teach? It could be one or two days or even a week-long summer camp.
What month or specific dates will work around other piano teacher events, competitions, conferences in your area?
How many students or teachers do you anticipate may attend?
What music facility/instruments are available? (home studio, piano lab, or otherwise)
Are there other institutions such as colleges, high schools or churches who might co-sponsor my residency by hosting their own educational events, concerts, private lessons or a jazz worship service?

Scaling the Chords

bradleysowash — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 13:30:27 +0000

This is one of my favorite processes for getting first time improvisers over the hump – a process I call “Scaling the Chords.” If you or your students are shy about playing spontaneously, follow these steps to get the creative juices flowing. Read more.

The Eye/Ear Revolution™ Has Begun

bradleysowash — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 04:01:33 +0000

Bradley Sowash observing Scott Houston leading a session in the Pop/Jazz track of the MTNA conference.

I’ve just returned from the Music Teacher’s National Association conference in CA where I was fortunate to serve as chair of the jazz/pop track along with project manager Leila Viss. I’ve been swimming upstream on the subject of teaching creativity as a necessary ingredient to comprehensive musicianship at music teacher meetings all over the country for several years. So it was with particular delight to find that we could attract a packed room of teachers for nine hours of sessions with experts on the subject of teaching popular music styles, improvisation and creativity.

Leila “gets down” demonstrating the use of paper plates as an aid to ear training.

It seems the old model of only teaching the “masters” using only the written page is finally giving way to a more balanced approach or as someone at the conference quipped, “the Queen Mary (of music education) is slowly turning.” I can get even more dramatic by declaring, “The eye/ear revolution™ has begun!” If you are a musician or music teacher, you can get a glimpse of what we did in this track by checking out the handouts and reading Leila’s thoughts on the day here.