Jazz Ensembles
Waltons New School of Music
‘Great introduction to playing in an ensemble!’ [Jazz Ensemble I]
– B. Byrne
‘I liked everything about [Jazz Ensemble II]. The relaxed atmosphere was conducive to learning. But most of all, Dave is a great teacher and his dedication shows.’
– M. Murphy
‘[Jazz Ensemble III] is both challenging and a lot of fun, and the teacher is excellent.
– S. Walsh
‘Dave is an amazing teacher – the best I’ve ever had. He is extremely patient and passionate about what he is doing, and he is really good at motivating people.
I. Rakar
Led by a renowned jazz musician and ensemble director, the New School’s three Jazz Ensembles are opportunities not only to develop jazz and ensemble skills but also to explore a wide range of great jazz standards together!
The New School has a comprehensive Jazz Ensemble programme, with three levels of tuition available:
- Jazz Ensemble I is designed for students with no previous jazz experience.
- Jazz Ensemble II is an intermediate ensemble designed for students with some jazz experience or who have taken Jazz Ensemble I.
- Jazz Ensemble III is an advanced ensemble designed for students with more extensive jazz experience or who have taken Jazz Ensemble II.
While students of all instruments are welcome to join our Jazz Ensembles, there is a limit of one acoustic or electric bass player, one guitar player, one drummer and one pianist per ensemble.
Jazz Ensemble I
The New School’s Jazz Ensemble I is an introductory ensemble designed for students who have no experience playing jazz or improvised music. The ensemble focuses on all aspects of playing through a standard jazz ‘lead sheet’, including:
- Recognising and identifying lead sheet rehearsal markings
- Comping chords
- Walking bass lines
- Playing the melody
- Articulating and embellishing it
- Basic soloing techniques
The ensemble develops these skills and provides participants with a good working knowledge of what their roles are within a jazz ensemble by introducing them to a range of standards from the jazz and jazz blues repertoire, including:
- ‘All Blues’ – Miles Davis
- ‘Birks Works’’ – Dizzy Gillespie
- ‘Blue Bossa’ – Kenny Dorham
- ‘Blue Monk’ – Thelonious Monk
- ‘Cantaloupe Island’ – Herbie Hancock
- ‘Chameleon’ – Herbie Hancock
- ‘Footprints’ – Wayne Shorter
- ‘Killer Joe’ – Benny Golson
- ‘Mercy Mercy Mercy’ – Joe Zawinul
- ‘Mo Better Blues’ – Bill Lee
- ‘St. Thomas’ – Sonny Rollins
- ‘Summertime’ – George Gershwin
- ‘Watermelon Man’ – Herbie Hancock
Depending on individual students’ progress over the term or year, they can then move on to our Jazz Ensemble II and Jazz Ensemble III.
While students of all instruments are welcome to join our Jazz Ensemble I, there is a limit of one acoustic or electric bass player, one guitar player, one drummer and one pianist in the ensemble.
Questions about this ensemble?
or call us on (01) 478 1884.
Eligibility
Students entering Jazz Ensemble I should have at least one year of instrumental study, be familiar with key and time signatures, and have a basic level of music reading. The ability to play scales from memory would also be an advantage. No previous jazz experience is necessary.
Dave Mooney, the Jazz Ensembles Director, will phone prospective participants after they enrol to discuss their suitability for the ensemble.
Fee Discount
Students concurrently enrolled for private or group tuition at the New School receive a 20% discount off the fee for this ensemble.
Safety & COVID-19
The health and safety of both students and staff at the New School is of the utmost importance to us, and we have made a number of changes to the school, its equipment and our policies to make in-school tuition (tuition taking place on the New School premises) safe during the time of COVID-19. These include:
- Perspex screens in every classroom.
- Installation of HEPA air filtration/purification units where necessary – especially in classrooms where wind instruments and voice (singing) are taught.
- Cleaning and disinfection of both classroom instruments and furniture between lessons and classes.
- Regular cleaning of public spaces.
See our COVID-19 Safety Policy page for more information on what we have done, as well as the protocols we expect all in-school students and visitors to follow.
Jazz Ensemble II
The New School’s Jazz Ensemble II is an intermediate ensemble designed for students with some previous jazz experience. Ensemble members are introduced to a range of essential skills, including:
- How to approach a melody, distinguish its main notes from its less important ones and improvise on those.
- How to move from one chord to the next by building up harmonic vocabulary.
- About different jazz ‘genres’ and approaches (jazz blues, Latin jazz, modal jazz).
Participants develop these skills by exploring a range of great standards from the jazz repertoire. Here are a few that the ensemble has worked on:
- ‘Alone Together’ – Arthur Schwartz
- ‘Autumn Leaves’ – Joseph Kosma
- ‘Days of Wine and Roses’ – Henry Mancini
- ‘The Girl from Ipanema’ – Antônio Carlos Jobim
- ‘Solar’ – Miles Davis
- ‘Song for My Father’ – Horace Silver
- ‘Strasbourg St. Dennis’ – Roy Hargrove
- ‘Tune Up’ – Eddie Vinson
Depending on individual students’ progress over the term or year, they can then move on to our Jazz Ensemble III.
While students of all instruments are welcome to join our Jazz Ensemble II, there is a limit of one acoustic or electric bass player, one guitar player, one drummer and one pianist in the ensemble.
Questions about this ensemble?
or call us on (01) 478 1884.
Eligibility
Jazz Ensemble II is open to participants who are ready to move on from Jazz Ensemble I, as well as participants with previous jazz experience. Dave Mooney, the Jazz Ensembles Director, will phone prospective participants after they enrol to discuss their suitability for the ensemble.
Fee Discount
Students concurrently enrolled for private or group tuition at the New School receive a 20% discount off the fee for this ensemble.
Safety & COVID-19
The health and safety of both students and staff at the New School is of the utmost importance to us, and we have made a number of changes to the school, its equipment and our policies to make in-school tuition (tuition taking place on the New School premises) safe during the time of COVID-19. These include:
- Perspex screens in every classroom.
- Installation of HEPA air filtration/purification units where necessary – especially in classrooms where wind instruments and voice (singing) are taught.
- Antiseptic dispensers available throughout the school.
- Cleaning and disinfection of both classroom instruments and furniture between lessons and classes.
- Regular cleaning of public spaces.
See our COVID-19 Safety Policy page for more information on what we have done, as well as the protocols we expect all in-school students and visitors to follow.
Jazz Ensemble III
The New School’s Jazz Ensemble III is an advanced ensemble that gives students with previous jazz experience a chance to refine and improve their improvisational and harmonic skills. Ensemble members learn the more advanced jazz and improvisation techniques required to participate in and lead groups themselves, including
- Modes, progressions and harmonies
- Transcribing and aural skills
- Communication within the group
- Intros and outros
- Phrasing, dynamics, harmonic and melodic soloing, motivic development
- Alternative arrangements and different jazz styles
Participants develop these skills by exploring a wide-ranging repertoire of well-known and lesser known standards, including more technically or harmonically challenging pieces. Here are a few that the ensemble has worked on:
- ‘Afternoon in Paris’ – John Lewis
- ‘Black Nile’ – Wayne Shorter
- ‘Bluesette’ – Toots Thielemans
- ‘Desafinado’ – Antônio Carlos Jobim
- ‘Giant Steps’ – John Coltrane
- ‘Jordu’ – Irving Jordan
- ‘‘Rush Hour’ – Robben Ford
- ‘Tico Tico’ – Zequinha de Abreu
While students of all instruments are welcome to join our Jazz Ensemble III, there is a limit of one acoustic or electric bass player, one guitar player, one drummer and one pianist in the ensemble.
Questions about this ensemble?
or call us on (01) 478 1884.
Eligibility
Jazz Ensemble III is open to participants who are ready to move on from Jazz Ensemble II, as well as participants with previous jazz experience. Dave Mooney, the Jazz Ensembles Director, will phone prospective participants after they enrol to discuss their suitability for the ensemble.
Fee Discount
Students concurrently enrolled for private or group tuition at the New School receive a 20% discount off the fee for this ensemble.
Safety & COVID-19
The health and safety of both students and staff at the New School is of the utmost importance to us, and we have made a number of changes to the school, its equipment and our policies to make in-school tuition (tuition taking place on the New School premises) safe during the time of COVID-19. These include:
- Perspex screens in every classroom.
- Installation of HEPA air filtration/purification units where necessary – especially in classrooms where wind instruments and voice (singing) are taught.
- Antiseptic dispensers available throughout the school.
- Cleaning and disinfection of both classroom instruments and furniture between lessons and classes.
- Regular cleaning of public spaces.
See our COVID-19 Safety Policy page for more information on what we have done, as well as the protocols we expect all in-school students and visitors to follow.
David Mooney
Dave hails from south Dublin, but his musical pursuits have led him far and wide. He holds a BMus degree from Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he studied with such world-renowned musicians and composers as John Lockwood and Joseph Smith, and also holds a diploma in Jazz Performance from the Guildhall School of Music in London. Dave has performed and recorded with a vast and varied array of artists. He has completed two successful European tours with Gavin Friday and has also performed with Sinéad O’Connor, Sarah Brightman, Jeff Ramsey (Al Jarreau Group), Dick Evans (formerly of the Virgin Prunes), Sarah Brindell, Honor Heffernan, the Young European Strings, Stambandet (a Scandinavian folk group) and many more. He was one of the founding members of the established New England jazz ensemble 3D4tet, and he has had many successful international tours including the Balkans, where he led his own jazz quartet and brought together top jazz musicians from Macedonia, Croatia and Serbia. Dave has performed widely in Ireland, and he was chosen to represent Ireland at the IASJ (International Association of Schools of Jazz) conference and concert in London. He has extensive experience as a music educator both in the US and Ireland, and he has taught double bass, electric bass and jazz improvisation at the New School, as well as directing our Jazz Ensembles, since 2005. Dave is also our Outreach Programme Coordinator.
Reviews • Testimonials
‘Great introduction to playing in an ensemble!’
– B. Byrne
‘Dave has a great way of moving the class along with students at different levels without losing the momentum.’
– P. Kavanagh
‘I really liked the interaction with others and with the teacher. Amazing.’
– M. Mandrelle
‘I liked everything about it. The relaxed atmosphere was conducive to learning. But most of all, Dave is a great teacher and his dedication shows.’
– M. Murphy
Have you been – or are you – a member of one of our Jazz Ensembles? We would appreciate it if you could take a few moments to give us your feedback in a brief online questionnaire about it.
2023-2024 Ensemble Schedules
Jazz Ensemble I
Tuesdays 6.45 – 7.45 pm
First Term (10 weeks)
3 October – 12 December 2023
First – Second Terms (21 weeks)
3 October 2023 – 19 March 2024
First – Third Terms (32 weeks)
3 October 2023 – 18 June 2024
Second Term (11 weeks)
9 January – 19 March 2024
Second – Third Terms (22 weeks)
9 January – 18 June 2024
Third Term (11 weeks)
9 April – 18 June 2024
Jazz Ensemble II
Wednesdays 6.45 – 7.45
First Term (10 weeks)
4 October – 13 December 2023
First – Second Terms (21 weeks)
4 October 2023 – 20 March 2024
First – Third Terms (32 weeks)
4 October 2023 – 19 June 2024
Second Term (11 weeks)
10 January – 20 March 2024
Second – Third Terms (22 weeks)
10 January – 19 June 2024
Third Term (11 weeks)
10 April – 19 June 2024
Jazz Ensemble III
Wednesdays 8 – 9 pm
First Term (10 weeks)
4 October – 13 December 2023
First – Second Terms (21 weeks)
4 October 2023 – 20 March 2024
First – Third Terms (32 weeks)
4 October 2023 – 19 June 2024
Second Term (11 weeks)
10 January – 20 March 2024
Second – Third Terms (22 weeks)
10 January – 19 June 2024
Third Term (11 weeks)
10 April – 19 June 2024
2023-2024 Ensemble Fees
| ENROLMENT | FULL FEE | DISCOUNT ¹ | PAYMENT PLAN OPTION ² |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Term (10 weeks) |
€205 | €164 | Full Fee Only Deposit €107 + one payment (1 Nov) of €106 |
| 1st-2nd Terms (21 weeks) |
€380 | €304 |
Full Fee Discount |
| 1st-3rd Terms (32 weeks) |
€540 | €432 |
Full Fee Discount |
| 2nd Term (11 weeks) |
€220 | €176 | Full Fee Only Deposit €114 + one payment (1 Feb) of €114 |
| 2nd-3rd Terms (22 weeks) |
€395 | €316 |
Full Fee Discount |
| 3rd Term (11 weeks) |
€220 | €176 | Full Fee Only Deposit €114 + one payment (1 Feb) of €114 |
Enrolment
Enrolment in one of the Jazz Ensembles requires a completed Enrolment Form and full payment of the ensemble fee or payment plan arrangement, if applicable. Each ensemble is currently limited to six participants, and we recommend early enrolment.
Late Enrolment
New members can join one of these ensembles, subject to places being available, up to two weeks after it starts each term. Tuition fees for late-enrolling students are pro-rated and depend on the number of classes remaining in the term or year. See the following pages for more information:
First Term Late Enrolment Fees
Second Term Late Enrolment Fees
Third Term Late Enrolment Fees
Purchasing an ensemble enrolment as a gift?
Please complete a Gift Certificate Booking Form.
Questions about one of these ensembles?
or call us on (01) 478 1884.