Take Note Workshop

Inspiring young Jazz musicians 

Last Wednesday, music students were very fortunate to take part in a jazz workshop called Take Note. Take Note is a program backed by the Melbourne International Jazz Festival which aims to provide a supportive environment for aspiring female and gender-diverse jazz musicians. It was an amazing opportunity to be joined by saxophonist and composer Cheryl Durongpisitkul and members of the genre bending, modern jazz band Koi Kingdom. They led a two-hour session where they answered questions about playing in a band, pursuing music after uni and how to begin doing gigs. They then performed some of their own pieces (which were very inspiring to hear) before we were encouraged to begin creating music of our own.  

Many instruments were present at this workshop. From clarinets, saxophones, trumpets, guitars, drums, double basses, voices and even a jazz oboe. We split off into different sections to come up with various chords, rhythms and melodies that would intersect with the other instruments and create a piece.  

By the end of the two hours, we had come up with a tune that we liked to call “Chili Chai Hot Chocolate”, named for its subtle, swing vibe contrasted with a drum-led transition into a more pop influenced sound with call and response sections.  

Overall, it was a really fun, positive experience where people got the chance to come out of their shells and gain more experience with jazz. A big thanks to the Take Note program, Cheryl Durongpisitkul and her bandmates, Basil Byrne for coming along and helping with improvisation and Ms Brogan for organising the whole thing. 

~Tatjana Gregory, Year 8