Toronto New School of Music opens this fall

New Jazz Performance School Offering Courses and Masterclasses

Toronto, Ontario, August 26, 2024

A new Jazz Performance School, THE TORONTO NEW SCHOOL OF MUSIC, will open its doors for classes beginning Tuesday September 10. www.torontonewschoolofmusic.com In addition to
offering courses, this unique new school will host masterclasses featuring some of Canada’s top jazz musicians, providing students with the unique opportunity to learn and interact with
industry professionals in a supportive and informal setting.
“Playing with others is a mainstay of jazz. At the TORONTO NEW SCHOOL OF MUSIC we believe that learning to play jazz develops from in-person interaction”, says Director Dr. Howard Spring.

The school offers comprehensive ensemble courses tailored to different experience levels, designed to help musicians build a strong foundation in jazz. Geared to both those who are just
starting to explore jazz or those looking to deepen their existing skills, courses cover everything from the basics of jazz improvisation and swing to more advanced harmonic, melodic, and rhythmic concepts.

Ensembles meet once per week for two hours. There are two levels offered this fall:

Level 1: Jazz Fundamentals (Tuesday evenings starting September 10, 7 to 9 pm)

Level 2: Intermediate Jazz (Wednesday evenings starting September 11, 7 to 9 pm)

THE TORONTO NEW SCHOOL OF MUSIC is located at 1100 Bathurst Street (Southwest corner of Bathurst and Dupont).
Ensembles are taught by Dr. Howard Spring and Al Gorman.

Registration is open now via the website: www.torontonewschoolofmusic.com

Dr. Howard Spring

DIRECTOR AND INSTRUCTOR

Howard is a jazz guitarist, historian, and ethnomusicologist with over 35 years of experience teaching jazz history, performance, and world music at the University of Guelph. Throughout his career, he has performed at many of Toronto’s notable venues, including Jazz Bistro, The Pilot, and Lula Lounge, and has contributed to various recordings. His teaching experience spans from one-on-one jazz guitar lessons to directing both small and large ensembles at the university level.

Al Gorman

INSTRUCTOR

Allan (Al) has been a dedicated jazz guitar and ensemble instructor at the University of Guelph since 2016. He has a rich history with Toronto’s vibrant jazz scene, particularly through his long-
standing association with Chalkers, where he performed regularly and booked international artists like Jason Marsalis, Sheila Jordan, and John Abercrombie, alongside many of Toronto’s prominent local jazz musicians. Allan has also produced several projects, including “Emory Lester Set” (1992), Al Gorman Quartet’s “Bisco Blues” (2016), and the tribute album “Edification” (2017), honouring Canadian guitarist Ed Bickert. He is excited to be a part of the Toronto New School of Music.

Masterclasses

The first masterclass will feature guitarist Lorne Lofsky.
Lorne Lofsky is an internationally recognized jazz guitarist. Born and raised in Toronto, he has been playing professionally for the ast 42 years. He has played/toured or recorded with a who’s who of the jazz world, including Oscar Peterson, Ed Bickert, Rob McConnell, Chet Baker, Joey DeFrancesco, Pepper Adams, Ray Brown, Neils Henning Orsted Pederson, Rosemary Clooney, Kirk MacDonald, Dave Holland, and many other respected members of the international jazz community.

In addition, he has been a faculty member at York University’s Fine Arts/Music Program since 1978 and teaches at the Humber College Community Music Program. Lorne is a mainstay of the Toronto jazz scene and performs extensively in the Greater Toronto Area. He has also given clinics/concerts at St. FX University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia and McGill University in Montreal.

For further information and to register for classes:

www.torontonewschoolofmusic.com

Howard Spring
Tronsm@icloud.com
(437) 433-1793

For Interviews, please contact:
Jill Spitz, Publicist – jillspitz@rogers.com