Artist Blog
Writings by new and established artists
Featured This Month
Deanna Witkowski: Walking a Labyrinth with Mary Lou Williams
Deanna Witkowski discusses Mary Lou Williams as a major inspiration through her work liturgically, in the community, and as a musician.
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Ben Kono: Voyages – Staying On Point With A Message
Ben Kono discusses how activism can be used as a unifying compositional theme through his works "Don't Blink" and "Voyages."
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Jihye Lee: Originality comes from who you are
Jihye Lee reflects on her career path from pop to jazz and how creativity is a reflection of life.
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Paul Read: Spotlight on Phil Nimmons
Paul Read shines a spotlight on Canada's pioneering Composer, Arranger, Clarinet Player, Band Leader, and Educator Phil Nimmons in this multi-media post (including a 40+ min interview, audio…
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Fred Hersch: A Composition Exercise to Try Today
Fred Hersch shares an exercise involving a hat, a kitchen timer, and a pencil that you should try today.
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Rick Lawn: Remembering Manny Albam
Rick Lawn remembers his mentor, composer and educator Manny Albam.
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Managed and curated by trombonist and composer JC Sanford, the ISJAC Artist Blog is a collection of writings by some of the most visionary minds in the jazz composition and arranging community. Featuring articles by composers from all walks of the industry, the ISJAC Artist Blog is updated monthly with both new and archived pieces.
Our two most recent articles are always available on the ISJAC site, with the full archive accessible for our member community.
Not a member yet? Join today!
The Archive
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Fred Hersch: A Composition Exercise to Try Today
Fred Hersch shares an exercise involving a hat, a kitchen timer, and a pencil that you should try today.
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Asuka Kakitani: My personal perspective on composing
Asuka Kakitani reflects on her experience as a composer, the value of melody, and parenthood’s influence on composition.
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Terry Promane: Give Me 5
Terry Promane discusses his 5 favorite arranging topics dealing with preparation, practice, and process.
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Paul Read: Minor and Major Seconds, 1959, Transcribing, Score Study and other Reflections
Paul Read reflects upon 5 things he’s learned in his career so far and the process of his growth and development.
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Florian Ross: Cooking & Eggs
Pianist and Composer Florian Ross outlines a well-balanced metaphor about reconnecting with our roots.
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Rick Lawn: Lessons I’ve Learned
Rick Lawn outlines 4 lessons for process and art that he’s learned over his career thus far. Additionally, he offers a software tool to…
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Bill Dobbins and Concerto for Jazz Orchestra: the Use of a Twelve-Tone Row in a Large Scale Jazz Composition
(Click here to hear Concerto for Jazz Orchestra) From the time I became the principal director of the WDR Big Band in the fall…
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Rick Lawn: Remembering Manny Albam
Rick Lawn remembers his mentor, composer and educator Manny Albam.
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David Berger’s Answers to Common Jazz Arranging Questions
Inspired by an advice column, David Berger presents 10 questions that he had as a young arranger, and answers those questions in this excerpt…