New single: Aardvark!

Originally recorded in 2017, but never released on streaming, please enjoy “Aardvark,” now available on all streaming outlets. Featuring Sarah Hughes on alto and artwork, Miki Yamanaka on organ, and Savannah Grace Harris on drums. The theme of this song is about going after your goals and dreams! Click the link below for the linktree to all the various outlets.

https://found.ee/dan4

New Single, Cherish, out now!

In these times, cherish the ones you love. New single, “Cherish”, out under my artist profile on all streaming platforms. Listen and be calm in the moment. Link tree below.

This is my memorial to my father in law, Wade Gunn, may he Rest In Peace. He passed away on November 21st, 2020, from congestive heart failure. As you listen, mourn your loved ones who have left us, but also know they are looking out for you on the other side.

Much love! Select the link below to access this song on Spotify, Apple music, Amazon, Tidal, or whatever streaming service you prefer.

https://found.ee/9OR8

ANNOUNCEMENt: Special Livestream Sunday, November 1st 2020 with a FULL BAND!

I am producing my first indoor live stream with a full jazz band on Sunday November 1st at 7 – 8 pm. The performance is sponsored by the Herb Alpert Foundation in conjunction with the Jazz Education Network (through their Jazz2U grant program). The performance will be broadcast on the Jazz4Justice Facebook Page as well as my personal social media, and the theme will be “Get out the vote!” I will be using this opportunity to educate audiences on the Justice Gap, the Rule of Law, and the need to support access to justice. One of the best ways to do this is to go out and vote! The concert will feature Shacara Rogers on vocals, Chris Barrick on vibes, Karine Chapdelaine on bass, and Angel Bethea on drums. This will be a LIVE performance with interaction and comments. I ask everyones patience as we navigate new this new technology! The audio quality will be excellent, I can assure you we have the equipment!

Full disclosure, I am program manager of Jazz4Justice. Jazz4Justice raises public awareness and funds for Legal Aid and music scholarships. We do this by forming collaborative partnerships with the legal community, the business community, the music community, and Universities. 

How to Navigate GarageBand – Part 1

If you were like me, you needed very quickly to figure out how to use GarageBand. I had difficulty understanding the navigation at first, however. Watch this tutorial to learn how to navigate the basic layouts of GarageBand on an iPad, including:

– Live loops versus tracks

– MIDI versus Audio tracks

– Length of song

– Metronome marking

– Basic quantization

– Recording MIDI

– Recording Audio

– Basic editing

This video is first in a multi-part series and also part of a course, Introduction to Garageband. Upon completion of the course, you will receive a certificate of completion and a Level 1 Garageband badge which you can place on your LinkedIn profile, and you will have access to questions and see examples of others going through the same course. Sign up to be the first to access the new course below.

How to Add a Batch of PDFs to ForScore (UPDATED 2020)

Today, I went to add a batch of PDFs to ForScore and the Google Drive service was not available. After some research, I was able to figure it out and I wanted to share it with everyone.

Let’s say you get an email from a wedding band and you need to add 100 or more songs to your ForScore very quickly. Simply use the import feature, which is part of the library. The directions are very clear in the ForScore documentation, except that I could not find the import! The Import is located in the Library which is the note icon in the top left corner. I hope this tutorial is helpful to anyone who wishes to add a large number of files to ForScore at once.

Long Tone Exercise for LOW BRASS – Velvet Tone #2

By request! I’m back with a low low low range exercise. This one is a little shorter (just one octave) and is a great warm down or warm up.

One of the most enthralling sounds, to me, is hearing a really good bass trombonist playing fortissimo in tune with that perfect honk sound! Stay tuned and follow me on Social Media for video examples!

Download the PDF by clicking the button below and you will get all the parts for all the instruments. Then play along with my synth laden backing track, complete with swirling stars and a dance beat to complement that beautiful Low Brass Tone! My goal is to make long tones fun, I hope you enjoy!

Download PDF

FREE

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Long Tone Exercise – Velvet Tone #1

Hate long tones? You’re not the only one. I think we all might somewhat hate long tones, but we know we have to do it.

Why not play them with a cool backing track and gamify the exercise to make it fun?

Here you go! I created a backing track to make your long tones fun again. The basic idea is to start out in the middle of your range and then go up and down one half step each time. The goal is to keep a consistent embouchure while playing perfectly in tune as you gradually get louder and then softer on each note. You don’t have to play the entire exercise – it has been designed in a way that you could stop at any point.

As you play, be thinking about your air – there will be a switch between chest air and stomach air which will cause you to either drop or surge in air (and thus throw you out of tune, and/or make you really loud or soft). Work on exhaling with a steady stream of air so that you have an even tone throughout the entire long tone.

You want to think about tuning as well. The goal here is to play perfectly in tune as you gradually get louder then softer. If you want a bigger challenge, try to organize your breath such that you get louder at a steady rate (rather than all of a sudden) and then softer at a steady rate, starting as soft as possible and growing to as loud as possible on the horn. Fun times!

To gamify the experience, place your smart device in front of you with the smiley face tuning app, TE Tuner. The goal is to get the big green smiley face as you play – the entire time you play that note. You can adjust the settings to make it easier or harder as you play.

Three minutes a day, and you’ll be in great shape for your next gig in about three days. Do you have three minutes? Try it, it will be worth it!

Select the button below to download the PDF, which has parts for Eb, Bb, F, and concert pitch in bass clef, treble clef, and a master piano part. You will be asked for your email address on another page, and then you will be automatically redirected to the PDF. Hope you enjoy!

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New Single, Beautiful Love, out now!

This is an arrangement of the old jazz standard, Beautiful Love. I wanted to add some spice to the chord progression and give it a flowing feel. The beat and feel is inspired by Astor Piazzolla, an Argentine tango composer. Many thanks to the artistry of Hope Udobi (keys), Karine Chapdelaine (bass) and Angel Bethea for bringing it to life!

Use this link to listen on your platform of choice:

https://found.ee/3hAb

New Single – What it Takes – Out Now!

This is the title track from my 2017 album release, which, believe it or not, was never released on streaming services. (I actually tried to release it on all the streaming services, but due to an error, it was never released. Probably an error on my part. Human error. 🙂 Please check out this song and add it to your playlists!

Use the link below to choose your service. Thanks for listening!

Featuring Shannon Gunn (tb), Sarah Hughes (as), Miki Yamanaka (p), Karine Chapdelaine (b), Savannah Harris (dr)

Click here for a link to pick your streaming service of choice: https://found.ee/s6sI 

Check out my Music page for the full album stream, available on BANDCAMP only.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/02Utwjzl3UwafsKhPNCqt6

New Video Up: Aardvark

Aardvark feat. Karine Chapdelaine, bass; Hope Udobi, keys; Angel Bethea, dr

~Aardvark~ [original] Have you made your 2020 goals yet? Where are you with that?
This song is about shooting for the stars, dreaming big, visioning, planning, and executing what you need to do to make your goals. Follow my Instgram for new videos posted every three days, that’s my goal for 2020!

Presenting: Street Scenes at the Hill Center Spring 2020

I am proud to partner with Hill Center on Pennsylvania Avenue to present the Street Scenes series. We had a great show in October with Herb Scott and friends as part of the HillFest DC. Below is a list of the Spring concerts. We hope to see you there!

Friday, February 14, 2020

Shacara Rogers (vocals) (Please note: $25 tickets in advance, $28 at the door)

https://www.shacararogers.com/bio

Wednesday March 25, 2020

Washington Women In Jazz

http://washingtonwomeninjazz.com/about/

Thursday, April 23

Leigh Pilzer (sax)

http://leighpilzer.com/

Thursday, May 21

Elijah Jamal Balbed (sax)

http://elijahjamalbalbed.com/bio

Review Roundup for Gunn’s Ablazin’!

The reviews are in! We received some wonderful reviews from Gunn’s Ablazin, and I wanted to share them with you below.

“Both very artistic and also providing social commentary, the incredible talent present makes it quite easy to see why Gunn was voted Best D.C, Trombonist in two separate years. Similarly, it wouldn’t surprise me if Gunn’s Ablazin’ finds itself being one of the best jazz albums this year.”

“The result is attractive earworms rather than distracting devices and gestures, as well as dancing melodies, insistent rhythms and wonderfully satisfying harmonies all of add the element of unusual textures…”

“But what is creditable is that Miss Gunn has managed to create music that is melodically, harmonically and rhythmically accessible even as it incorporates harmonic devices that are dissonant and on distortions and rhythmic ones that are based on principles of arrhythmia… In Miss Gunn’s case she achieves this with her quintet principally by employing the use of the metallic, wafting, glassy and oscillating, drifting and ethereal voice of the vibraphone, and the mindful tintinnabulation of the Fender Rhodes in the other group configuration; both of which instrumental relationship(s) is set against the rumbling, gruff smears and bellows of her trombone, glued together with rolling bass lines and the rattle and hum of drums.”

“This popular Washington D.C. jazzer isn’t afraid to take on a less likable D.C. denizen, the President, as her protest songs, “Babes In Cages Are Not OK” and “Orange Noise” attest. She’s so cool.”

  • Mike Greenblat’s Rant N’ Roll

“More than her instrumental prowess, this captivating recording also highlights Gunn’s superb musicianship and the relevance of her work both creatively and in the civic sense.”

“Gunn’s energetic improvisation balances buttery smoothness with an understated growl while bassist Mikel Combs lays down a muscular groove with swagger. “

“Gleason and Barrick’s contemplative conversation is delightfully dissonant and dovetails into Gunn’s extemporization with its fiery growl and pensive notes. The simultaneously irate and elegiac group performance is haunting as it shimmers and glows within a dramatic atmosphere. “

By HRAYR ATTARIAN at All About Jazz

https://www.allaboutjazz.com/gunns-ablazin-shannon-gunn-self-produced-review-by-hrayr-attarian.php

“A snazzy set that opens the ears nicely, this is a listening date sure to keep you on the edge of your seat as your try to keep up with what’s going on. Smart throughout, it’s never to smart for the room with displays for the sake of display. Actually, dis plays! Well done. “

Midwest Record

http://midwestrecord.com/MWR1577.html

“Here, where there is depth of sound, the expected overwhelming of the soundscape does not happen. Instead, warm, flexible notes are used to play up each song’s theme, leaving audiences surprised in a good way.”

“… the almost buzzy blend of trombone and keyboard is as relaxing as it is interesting…”

The Jazz Page

Jazz Weekly Blog

Jazz Square Russia

https://jazzquad.ru/index.pl?act=PRODUCT&id=5347

In a Blue Mood Blog

http://inabluemood.blogspot.com/2019/12/shannon-gunn-gunns-ablazin.html

Many thanks to Kari Gaffney of KariOn Productions for her support in promoting the album!

Washington Post Review of Monday night’s Blues Alley CD Release Celebration

I was over the moon to play my new music Monday night, August 5th at Blues Alley with a stellar cast of musicians! Many thanks to Mike West of the Washington Post for the review of the performance, which was printed in the Style section on Wednesday. As my music evolves, I am so thankful to have the support of the DC community behind me, cheering me on as I break out as an artist. I have received so many anecdotal messages, from social media and folks in various circles. I have been so busy getting my album together, it is really gratifying to receive such positive energy upon its release. Thank you everyone!

Here is the link:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/whether-in-a-quintet-or-trio-shannon-gunn-delivers-exciting-sounds-at-blues-alley/2019/08/06/f2c47942-b852-11e9-8e83-4e6687e99814_story.html?fbclid=IwAR305jh8vdJv4GMHE9SRGRd1lnXoJsjOT2oq_pVx2lzLhZImduBhKLEh8zI

Photo credit Astrid Riecken.

Search Gunn’s Ablazin’ on iTunes, Spotify, Tidal, Amazon, or Google play and listen/download to your hearts content! Thank you for your support of my music!

CD cover photo credit Tim Gunn

New Album “Gunn’s Ablazin” is out! Download now!

Gunn’s Ablazin’ new album out now available on all streaming services! This album features the Firebird Organ Trio and the Shannon Gunn Quintet. Please stream and download it today! Liner Notes below!

Apple iTunes: https://music.apple.com/us/album/gunns-ablazin/1475384300

Amazon Music: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VZ99781/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=shannon+gunn&qid=1564931720&s=dmusic&sr=1-1

Tidal: https://tidal.com/album/114735489

Spotify coming soon

Liner notes:

1. Orange Noise: This is the second song in my two song presidential suite. Dedicated to all the lies on Twitter. So orange! [SG Quintet]

2. Missing Perspective: This song was inspired Kara Walker’s “Harper’s Pictorial History of the Civil War (Annotated)” exhibit. It aims to bring to light the missing perspectives in the history books. [SG Quintet]

3. Babes in Cages are NOT OK. This is my protest song, children are still being separated from their parents, through smoke and mirrors, at the behest of the US government tax dollars. [SG Quintet]

4. Ellen: Written as a gift for (and inspired by) my friend Ellen, jazz hugs! [Firebird Organ Trio]

5. Ms. Cheverly: inspired by the mother of my good friend, Amy K. Bormet, for her unwavering support of women in jazz. This one is for Alice in Cheverly! (Maryland) [Firebird Organ Trio]

6. #canigetpaid: The song title is a hashtag, and it’s dedicated to Adams Morgan. [Firebird Organ Trio]

7. Cruash: When you crash into a crush, or crush into a crash. [SG Quintet]

8. Dinah: Seattle Grunge meets DC Go Go in this 1926 classic, Dinah – performed as you’ve never heard it before. [SG Quintet]

9. Carried Away: In the effort to make jazz relevant again, this is a cover of a popular tune by the artist H.E.R. Gotta get those streams up! [Firebird Organ Trio]

10. Gymnopedie #1: This is a cover of a classical song from 1888 by Erik Satie. [Firebird Organ Trio]

11. Cycal: This is a tune I wrote as a gift for my Father. His name is Calvin, and he is an avid cyclist, thus the nickname Cycal. He has biked across the country twice! The song simulates going up and down the hills on a bicycle. [Firebird Organ Trio]

12. Rainbow Connection: this arrangement was inspired by the passing of Aretha Franklin. [Firebird Organ Trio]

I hope you enjoy each tune!

Image of Shannon Gunn, download Gunn's Ablazin' today.

The Stories Behind the Songs: Gunn’s Ablazin’ (August 2019 Release)

Shannon Gunn will release her sixth album as a leader, and second album as a solo artist on Sunday, August 4th. The album, which tells a story and celebrates her writing, will feature two ensembles, recorded on two separate dates at BIAS studios by Brian Rivera (mixed, mastered, and produced by Shannon Gunn):

  1. Firebird Organ Trio featuring Hope Udobi on Keys and Kelton Norris on Drums
  2. Shannon Gunn Quintet featuring Chris Barrick on vibes, Garret Gleason on guitar, Mikel Combs on bass, and Kelton Norris on drums.

If you listen to the album in track order, each song tells a story. Read below for the stories behind the songs!

  1. Orange Noise: This is the second song in my two song presidential suite. Dedicated to all the lies on Twitter. So orange! [SG Quintet]
  2. Missing Perspective: This song was inspired Kara Walker’s “Harper’s Pictorial History of the Civil War (Annotated)” exhibit. It aims to bring to light the missing perspectives in the history books, especially in the United States. [SG Quintet]
  3. Babes in Cages are NOT OK. This is my protest song. It is absolutely unacceptable that kids are being separated from their parents at the border. It’s still happening, through smoke and mirrors, at the behest of the US government tax dollars. https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-five-year-old-who-was-detained-at-the-border-and-convinced-to-sign-away-her-rights [SG Quintet]
  4. Ellen: This is my jazz hugs song, designed to be listened to after you hear Babes in Cages. Written as a gift for (and inspired by) my friend Ellen, isn’t she wonderful? [Firebird Organ Trio]
  5. Ms. Cheverly: I was listening back to one of my live shows, and heard this very overt group of cat-callers and whistlers in the back of the room. I realized this was the mother of my good friend, Amy K. Bormet, with all her comrades, and she deserved a song for all her support of Women in Jazz. This one is for Alice in Cheverly! (Maryland) [Firebird Organ Trio]
  6. #canigetpaid: Yes, the song title is a hashtag, and yes, it’s dedicated to Adams Morgan. Sweet, then angry. [Firebird Organ Trio]
  7. Cruash: When you crash into a crush, or crush into a crash. (They don’t teach you that in school!) [SG Quintet]
  8. Dinah: Seattle Grunge meets DC Go Go in this 1926 classic, Dinah – performed as you’ve never heard it before. [SG Quintet]
  9. Carried Away: In the effort to make jazz relevant again, this is a cover of a popular tune by the artist H.E.R. Gotta get those streams up! [Firebird Organ Trio]
  10. Gymnopedie #1: This is a cover of a classical song from 1888 by Erik Satie. Often played by beginning pianists, I love the overlapping phrases, odd harmonic structure, and potential for synergy within the harmony. A Firebird classic. [Firebird Organ Trio]
  11. Cycal: This is a tune I wrote as a gift for my Father in 2012. His name is Calvin, and he is an avid cyclist, thus the nickname Cycal. He has biked across the country twice! Ocean to ocean! This tune flips between a double time swing feel and funk, and depicts the ups and downs of the hills while biking. [Firebird Organ Trio]
  12. Rainbow Connection: I wrote this arrangement of the tune, made popular by Kermit the Frog in the early 1980s, directly after Aretha Franklin’s passing. Her music inspired so many, and she was absolutely amazing! [Firebird Organ Trio]

I hope you enjoy each tune! Coming soon! I’ll add audio clips once I get them up.

What it Takes – Lead Sheets

Alright. I’m doing it. Self-publishing 100 songs in 100 days. Follow me and download freely.

What it Takes is a tune I wrote in the aftermath of the November 2016 election. This song, “What it Takes,” is dedicated to the leadership of Barack Obama. It’s about what it takes to become president, to pull a country out of recession and charge it forward. People don’t become president by accident, their journey starts in childhood with leadership, community, speaking, writing skills. Leadership is an art, and Barack Obama was awesome at it. This song is dedicated to the ability to keep us out of war. I truly loved this president, and cannot say enough how he has helped us as a nation.

Below is the link to the sheet music and a video of our performance from that awesome fun night. Please follow, subscribe, donate, and I’m happy for you to download the PDF and share it, play it, talk about it freely!

Hope you enjoy!

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What it Takes Lead Sheets (includes Eb, Bb, and C parts)

Clicking the link above will ask for your email address, then I ask that you donate $4 or more using credit card, optional. (honor system) Minimum donation is set to $1.00. Upon donation, you will be automatically directed to the PDF music sheets, 14 pages, with parts for C, Bb, and Eb instruments. It may take up to 30 seconds. Please email me if you have any problems! Thank you for your support! I am on gmail as jazztothebone. IF the donation poses a problem for you (example, you are under 18 and don’t have a credit card yet), please email me and I’ll send it to you personally. Use jazztothebone at gmail. I would love for other folks to play this tune!

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For Immediate Release: The Washington Women in Jazz Festival Presents Jazz Girls Day DC

JAZZ GIRLS DAY DC
for high school and middle school students

Saturday, March 30th, at 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
John Calvin Presbyterian Church in Annandale, VA

With Special Culminating Free Concert Led by Women Jazz Musicians Featuring Women Jazz Composers

4:00 pm

John Calvin Presbyterian Church in Annandale, VA

(ANNANDALE) — The Washington Women in Jazz Festival is honored to present the first ever Jazz Girls Day DC workshop and concert on Saturday, March 30th, at John Calvin Presbyterian Church in Annandale, VA. The day will begin with workshops and tutorial lessons for student musicians. The day will culminate in a student led jam session followed by a free concert open to the entire community. The events will take place at John Calvin Presbyterian church at 6531 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA 22003, where there is ample free parking.

            Jazz Girls Day is open to Middle and High School students who identify as women or gender non-binary. The workshops will be taught by professional women jazz musicians: Amy K. Bormet, piano; Karine Chapdelaine, bass; Shannon Gunn, trombone; Tina Raymond, drums; and Charmaine Michelle, trumpet. Please visit http://bullettesjazz.com/bios for the bio of each faculty member. Students will be exposed to jazz pedagogy, a friendly jam session, a free concert performed by powerhouse jazz musicians, and will have the opportunity to network with other musicians.

About the Washington Women in Jazz Festival

Created by Amy K Bormet in 2011, Washington Women in Jazz hosts an annual festival (WWJF) each March to celebrate the women of the DC jazz community. Bormet and her colleagues develop, promote and lead a wide array of concerts, jam sessions, lectures, panels, discussions, and master classes.  A highlight of the festival is the Young Artist Showcase, where high school and college women are given a platform to perform and connect with professional jazz artists.

About Shannon Gunn

Hailed by the Washington City Paper as “D.C.’s Best Trombonist 2015” and the DistrictNow Blog as “Best Trombonist 2017,”  DC based Shannon Gunn is known for her exceptional tone and her grandiose project-du-jour. She is currently the artist in residence on Tuesday nights at Columbia Station in Adams Morgan as leader of her band, the Firebird, named “DC’s Best Small Ensemble 2016” by the Washington City Paper. She also runs DC’s premiere all-women jazz orchestra, “Shannon Gunn and the Bullettes,” including successful performances at the Kennedy Center, Castleton Theatre House, DC Jazz Festival, Blues Alley, Washington Women in Jazz Festival, Takoma Park Jazz Festival, Jazz on Jackson Place, Westminster Jazz Night, Great Gatsby Inaugural Ball, Goethe Institute, National Jazz Workshop, Gallery O on H, Bohemian Caverns, and Dardanella.

For more information, please visit:

http://washingtonwomeninjazz.com/                          https://www.shannongunn.net

https://www.facebook.com/WWJazzFest https://www.facebook.com/jazztothebone2

https://twitter.com/WWJazzFest             https://twitter.com/jazztothebone

https://www.instagram.com/wwjazzfest/ https://www.instagram.com/jazztothebone/

# # #

Press Contact
Shannon Gunn
216-789-5310 | [email protected]

3 Ways to Show Respect in Jazz: A Woman’s Perspective

Photo Credit Lawrence A. Randall

This past weekend, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to attend a wonderful panel presentation, “Will Women be the Savior of Jazz?” at the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival. This panel was led by Sunny Sumter, Executive Director of the DC Jazz Festival, and panelists included artists Regina Carter and Chelsea Green. The panelists described their experiences as a women instrumentalist on the jazz scene while Sunny asked questions to explore the topic of women in jazz. The topic of respect came up several times, and I am writing this post to give 3 ways we can all show respect on and off the bandstand. I truly believe that jazz is intertwined with social justice, and we should embrace inclusivity, respect, and activism as part of the music of jazz. The good news is, these tips will work for anyone, not just help women in jazz.

Tip #1: Be Early

As a band leader, it took me about 5 years to realize that when musicians were late, it affected my playing. This may sound crazy, but my improvisation chokes up when I’m stressed. Improvising music requires vulnerability – the ability to relax allows thoughts to flow and creativity to inspire. When folks are late, I found myself in a stress ball and more concerned about their well-being than the music. The best thing you can do for yourself as a musician is to be the most reliable, on-time person in the world. Show up an hour early.

Tip #2: Don’t be Weird

If a woman instrumentalist wants to talk about music, don’t treat her any differently than you would a friend. Women instrumentalists are missing out on the camraderie, and this affects their longevity in the profession, development as musicians, and economy of playing. Hire a woman for their playing, and do not objectify them. I have seen women get hired time and time again because dudes were searching, looking, and hoping. I’ve seen women placed in dangerous situations when they think they are going to a “session” but it turns out to be a weird sort of trap. Women play no differently from men, and they should be treated with the same respect you would a brother or a best friend.

Tip #3: Differentiate between Ego and Confidence

I see jam sessions as toxic environments when people cut off someone else’s solo only to take 16 choruses of their own. This annoys the heck out of me, especially when folks don’t know changes. Women get pushed out and off, and that makes it difficult to keep going. At the same time, it’s a two way street – get up on the bandstand with a plan, a solo that arcs, and play music that is interesting enough that folks will want to listen more. To me, this scenario is an example of the difference between ego and confidence. I try to have high self-confidence but low ego. When someone cuts me off, I view them as insecure, with a big ego and low self-confidence. They have something to prove, and need to push others down to get there. Try to work on competing with yourself, plan your personal bests, and let others do their thing. There is no need to insult anyone, make excuses, and create strife. Just do your thing, and let others do their thing too. And keep your solos to 2 choruses at the jam sessions, folks.

What do you think? What are ways we can all create a more respectful environment? Respect for women is beneficial to everyone; it will lift the profession, which will in turn lift the economy of the music, the venues, and Jazz.

ForScore Tutorial: How to Use Bookmarks for Long PDFs

Have you ever received a PDF with multiple songs? Rather than splitting out each song, you can simply bookmark the PDF in ForScore and then add that bookmark to a Setlist. ForScore is a wonderful PDF music reader for iPad! This is a tutorial on how to Add Bookmarks to ForScore for a multi-page PDF, and then link to that bookmark within a setlist.

How to use bookmarks in ForScore

Full Presentation: Apps for Jazzers 2019

This is a video of my presentation at the Jazz Educator’s Network conference on January 11th, 2019. You can find the PDF outline at www.shannongunn.net. Thanks for watching!

Full Presentation of Apps for Jazzers by Shannon Gunn

Apps for Jazzers Clinic Description and Outline

This presentation goes over the top 10 apps every musician should have with a deep dive into synthesis, loops, pedals, processing, and recording at the end. 45 – 50 minute session outline includes:

  1. Utilities (tuner, metronome, iReal, iGigBook, payment apps, scanning)
  2. Sheet music/set lists, including sharing within a band and turning pages across devices
  3. Notation
  4. Transcribing
  5. Band directing apps, including theory, ear training, pedagogy and inspirational apps
  6. Lead sheet resources
  7. Pedals/Effects
  8. Synths
  9. Looping
  10. Recording

Deep dive into Apps for Live Performance:

  • Audio interface setup
  • Pedals
  • Live Looping
  • Recording
  • Demonstration of synth apps and how to use them, including oscillators, filters, modulators and internal effects

Advanced Apps for Jazzers also includes:

  • Audio versus MIDI
  • Audiobus
  • MIDI controlled apps, including synths, loops, and how to link apps together and control them separately

Note: The presentation is constantly evolving to match the needs of musicians and advances in technology. You can view the JEN 2019 Presentation PDF handout here: https://www.shannongunn.net/blog/2019/01/11/apps-for-jazzers-2019/

For Immediate Release: The Hill Center Presents an Intimate Evening with Samuel Prather for Valentine’s Day, 2019

Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, Washington, DC 20003

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                

Media Contact: Burnett Thompson, 703-489-8704, [email protected]

The Hill Center Presents an Intimate Evening with Samuel Prather for Valentine’s Day, 2019

Washington, D.C. (January 22nd, 2019) — Street Scenes at the Hill Center presents DC’s own genre breaking vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Samuel Prather on Thursday, February 14th, from 7:00 – 9:00 pm. Tickets are $18 in advance, $20 on the day of the performance and can be purchased online or at the door. Purchase tickets on InstantSeats at https://www.instantseats.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=buy.event&eventID=A5FF6C01-BA4C-7C82-B23FD15C5C421D3F.

Samuel Prather, who normally performs with a large groove oriented ensemble, will be presenting a rare small, trio jazz combo feature performance as part of the Hill Center Street Scenes series. He has developed a reputation as an engaging performer, weaving story into his unique take on standards as well as his originals. He’s been compared to Stevie Wonder, Nat King Cole, and Donny Hathaway for his classic takes on jazz and soul music. As a versatile musician, he has shared the stage with acts as varied as Shania Twain, Raul Midon, Frederic Yonnet, Hugh Masekela, and Cyrus Chestnut. A product of UDC, UMBC, and Howard University, he won a student downbeat award in 2012. On top of being tied for DC’s Best Pianist of 2017 in Mike West’s Jazzies Awards, his album “Groove Orchestra” was named #2 Album of the Year by Capitalbop.com in 2014, and he currently leads his critically acclaimed large ensemble on its way to a brand new album release in March.

Hill Center Street Scenes Concert Series

For a complete schedule and artist bios for the Hill Center Street Scenes Concert Series, curated by Burnett Thompson and Shannon Gunn, please visit www.pianojazz.com/hillcenter.htm. Ensembles in residence at the Hill Center provide exquisite concert performances coupled with children’s programming in D.C. public schools.  In its 7th season, the aim of the series is to bring the world’s rich musical universe to Capitol Hill and the wider Washington, D.C. community.

Street Scenes Concert Series:


February 14th, 2019: Sam Prather
March 27th, 2019: Washington Women in Jazz Festival featuring the String Queens
April 17th, 2019: Kris Funn and Cornerstore
May 15th, 2019: Monika Herzig’s Time Flies

Photo cut-line: Samuel Prather to Perform at the Hill Center Street Scenes on Valentines Day, 2019

Apps for Jazzers 2019

By Shannon Gunn, presented at JEN 2019 (Reno, NV)

  1. Utilities (Metronome, tuner, iReal, iGigBook, payment apps, bank apps, scanning)

2. Sheet music/set lists, including sharing within a band

3. Notation

  • MuseScore – the desktop version allows you to write sheet music and load it to the website. The app is for viewing only (can’t write notation with it). Beware of $50 fee to download music to the app and the non-refund for cancelling subscription.
  • Notion – iOS, $14.99
  • Android sheet music apps, Sibelius, Finale, Noteflight

4. Transcribing

  • Amazing Slow Downer (ASD) – iOS, Android, Lite is free but only 30 seconds of song, $14.99, import from music library or Spotify
  • MimiCopy – iOS, $4.99, nice user interface for zooming and looping
  • Transcribe! – Desktop software with frequency analyzer

5. Apps for band directors/students – ear training, theory, pedagogy, improvisation

  • Stretch Music – iOS, $9.99, play along with Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah’s album, solo parts, view his sheet music
  • Harmony Cloud – iOS, $9.99, Stefan Harris’s play along improvisation app
  • Modacity – iOS, $8.99, music practice app, make a goal and watch your progress, make a playlist, take notes, recording, playback, set a timer, demos
  • Anytune – iOS, free with in-app purchases $1.99 – $4.99, music practice app, slow down, speed up, loop, and separate out parts, transpose to a different key, play along with a recording
  • Drum Genius – iOS, Android, free for the first three downloads, after that it ranges from $0.99 to $7.99, encyclopedia of drum grooves, practice along with Brian Blade
  • PlayByEar – iOS, free, ear training app
  • SR Machine (Sight Reading Machine) – iOS, $1.99, sight read difficult examples, demo
  • ReadRhythm, aka Rhythm Reading Sight Reading Trainer – iOS, $2.99, tap along with sight reading, then receive a graphic of what you did, connect to Evernote to show improvement over time
  • iImprov – iOS, Android, $4.99, this is a suite of apps which are short duration courses on everything jazz improv. Topics include: Scale Compendium, Modal, Fundamentals, Bebop, ii V, Contemporary Colors.
  • Tenuto – iOS, $3.99, music theory app for students, associated with musictheory.net
  • MyMusicTheory – Android, free, music theory app
  • Music Theory Pro – iOS, $3.99, music theory app
  • Fingering – iOS, $6.99, interactive fingering charts for brass and woodwind instruments
  • Scales Lexicon – iOS, $4.99, over 100 scales, modes, jazz scales, and world music scales
  • RhymeZone – iOS, browser, app is $2.99, browser is free, rhyming dictionary for lyrics
  • Clapping Music – iOS, free, tap along with Steve Reich’s Clapping Music (gamified)
  • GroupMuse – browser, iOS, free, social media app to host and attend classical chamber music house shows

6. Lead sheet resources

  • Scribd, MuseScore, Google Images

7. Pedals/Effects/VSTs

  • Ampkit – iOS, $19.99, hook your guitar into your iPad with the iRig for hundreds of pedals and amp modeling options
  • Tonestack – iOS, $4.99, with expansion packs up to $24.99, hundreds of pedals, amp sims, and heads
  • Cantabile – Windows, desktop app you can use for patches for your midi instrument (ex: Keyboard), $69 – $199
  • Apple MainStage 3 – iOS desktop only, $29.99, live stage performance app for iOS

8. Synths

  • MultiTone Generator – iOS, Android, free with $2.99 upgrade for all features, generate sine waves and adjust amplitude and frequency
  • iMini – Desktop avail for Windows and iOS, iPad app also available, $9.99, this is an app created by Arturia which looks, feels, and acts just like the infamous MiniMoog, AudioBus compatible

9. Looping

  • Loopy HD – iOS, $3.99, looper app, watch Jimmy Fallon’s demo on the tonight show
  • Garageband – iOS, free, use the live loops and record, also includes the Alchemy synth

10. Recording

  • Audiobus – iOS, $9.99, link your audio apps together to process and record, demo
  • Aurio Pro – iOS, $49.99, record up to 24 tracks, mix, master, and produce (DAW)

Deep Dive into Apps for Live Performance

  • Audio Interface setup 
  • Pedals
  • Live looping
  • Recording
  • Demonstration of synth apps and how to use them, including oscillators, filters, modulators, and internal effects

Resources:

https://www.shannongunn.net has tutorial videos and the Apps for Jazzers blog

Introduction to the Recording Arts by Shannon Gunn (198 page textbook) is on Amazon and provides a turn-key resource for educators, including chapters on the history of audio recording, physics of sound, microphones, PA systems, and basic electricity. Includes a curriculum, exercises and note-taking resources.

Contact:

Shannon Gunn

[email protected]

216-789-5310

@jazztothebone on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr

Shannon is available to do masterclasses and residencies at schools and universities.

Shannon Gunn and the Bullettes: http://www.bullettesjazz.com/ 

Bio:

Hailed by the Washington City Paper as “D.C.’s Best Trombonist 2015” and the DistrictNow Blog as “Best Trombonist 2017,”  DC based Shannon Gunn is known for her exceptional tone and her grandiose project-du-jour. She is currently the artist in residence on Tuesday nights at Columbia Station in Adams Morgan as leader of the “Firebird Organ Trio,” named “DC’s Best Small Ensemble 2016” by the Washington City Paper. She also runs DC’s premiere all-women jazz orchestra, “Shannon Gunn and the Bullettes,” including successful performances at the Kennedy Center, Castleton Theatre House, DC Jazz Festival, Washington Women in Jazz Festival, Takoma Park Jazz Festival, Jazz on Jackson Place, Westminster Jazz Night, Nomadic Jazz, Great Gatsby Inaugural Ball, Goethe Institute, National Jazz Workshop, Gallery O on H, Arts on the Avenue, Bohemian Caverns, and  Dardanella. As a member of the Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra, she’s had the privilege of playing with notable artists such as Oliver Lake, Cheryl Bailey, Yotam Silverstein, Wycliffe Gordon, Ken Schaphorst, and for Miho Hazama. Additionally, as lead trombone player at Michigan State University, she played with Billy Taylor, Rodney Whitaker, and Marian McPartland. She earned her Masters of Music in Jazz Studies from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia and also attended James Madison University and Michigan State University for her music studies. She produced “The JazzCast,” a podcast dedicated to curated listening sessions with jazz musicians. In addition to the ensembles listed above, Shannon Gunn has performed with the Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, Reunion Music Society, American Festival Pops Orchestra, Manassas Chorale, at various TV stations such as  DCTV, CBS Morning Show (local) in Richmond,  WJLA ABC in DC as part of the Gatsby Ball promo, and has subbed in with the DIVA! Jazz Orchestra for Maurice Hines’ “Tappin Thru’ Life” as well as subbed on tour with Monika Herzig. She resides in Virginia with her husband, Timothy, and her dog, Faith. Photo Credit Suzette Niess.

Apps for Jazzers 2019 Outline

Here is the outline I originally submitted for the JEN presentation on 1/11/19 at 6:00 PM in the Ruby Room:

Top 10 Apps Every Musician Should Have

1. Utilities (Metronome, tuner, iReal, iGigBook, payment apps, bank apps, scanning)

2. Sheet music/set lists, including sharing within a band

3. Notation

4. Transcribing

5. Band directing apps

6. Lead sheet resources

7. Pedals/Effects

8. Synths

9. Looping

10. Recording

Deep Dive into Apps for Live Performance

  • Audio Interface setup
  • Pedals
  • Live looping
  • Recording
  • Demonstration of synth apps and how to use them, including oscillators, filters, modulators, and internal effects

How to Link Apps with AudioBus (iOS)

Have you ever wanted to record a non-Apple synth app into Garageband on your iPad? Or perhaps you want to run your synth app through your pedal effects app? This is all possible through the Audiobus app. Watch the tutorial below to learn how to link your apps together.

2019 – The Year of Apps in Browsers

Recently, I deleted Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter from my phone. I almost immediately felt a lift in spirit, and have not regretted it since. I still have the accounts, just deleted the app, that’s all.

First of all, the invasion of privacy is astounding. Pay close attention to your ads. Have you ever searched for that item? We all know our searches are tracked and then ads are targeted later. If you put an item in a shopping cart online, and then abort, you will get retargeting ads a few minutes later on Facebook.

What really concerns me are the ads for items I did *not* search for.  Our phones are listening and our conversations are constantly mined for “keywords.” Companies pay big money to drill down their advertisements to people talking about a problem they can solve. I’ve seen this happen on my own accounts with large ticket items. Try having a conversation around a few of the following topics, and then pay close attention to the ads you see on Instagram and Facebook. Say the following words aloud.

1. I want to switch careers. I wonder if it would be helpful to have an MBA. I wonder where I should get an MBA. I need figure out what I should do for my career… [keep going, make stuff up]

2. Let’s go on vacation. Hawaii? Costa Rica?

3. I need a new mattress…

4. Honey let’s buy a house

5. Need a new kitchen, bathroom, I need new windows

I would even go so far as to say that these high value keywords are still recorded when the phone is off.

(please note – I am not an expert, just describing what I’ve seen)

Try it!

It’s legal because we agree to this in the terms and conditions.

There is something about these social media apps that causes a bit of jealousy, especially seeing other musicians’ gigs. You might say, but you need social media as a musician? To promote gigs?

First of all, I’m not sure how useful social media is for promoting live shows. It can help propel the wave of marketing, but print and curated media is still king. I would question the effectiveness of social posts. I have seen one, maybe two people come out to a show because they saw a social post, per gig, but it’s never a huge impact.

Facebook Ads do work, but that’s not really a strategy I want to use, if I can help it. That’s more for venues and large orgs.

What posting really does is give cred amongst other musicians, and builds rapport. That’s musician-to-musician business, though, not musician to audience marketing. Musicians are watching each other – checking out new venues, looking for sessions, you know the drill. It’s good for the industry to see what you’re up to. You have to constantly feed your social network and fans with new music (videos, recordings, etc.)

So how does one continue to stay in the eyes and minds of the industry, without sacrificing self-confidence and “FOMOOG” (fear of missing out on gigs)?

The answer, my friend, is to push out social posts with apps in browsers. Simply open Safari or Chrome to the social media site of choice, post your selfie/video/text, and get out. Close the tab. You can post video and pictures to Facebook, and pictures only to Instagram. You can only use IG via browser on your phone, not the desktop. You can view and post to Twitter with your browser. The only one that has been sticky is Pinterest, they force you to open your recipe for the best chocolate brownies in the app. So download and then delete when done.

I am having difficulty deleting Facebook Messenger. I’m not seeing any ads, so I don’t think it’s tracking me (yet), but I’m not an expert. FB Messenger is the most reliable way to reach a lot of folks, and also gives me a way to book people I have met but don’t have their phone number.

Cut the endless scrolling, go get coffee with friends, and cut those social media strings!

Ah, where was I on Instagram stories?

Just kidding!!

By the way, everyone under 25 has figured this out. This post is for us old folks, millennials and older.

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