The Professor Is IN

Staying in Jazz Shape

I’m sure the good readers of The Syncopated Times are well aware by now that jazz musicians are finely tuned creative artists. But are you

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jazz famous

How to get Jazz Famous

There’s no denying it, it’s a struggle out there for musicians trying to get noticed on the jazz scene. Getting famous as a jazz musician

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Living in the Moment

Jazz musicians, or any artists for that matter, strive to live in the moment. Living in the moment is a very vital part of making

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Mozart-Sax

Jazz Meets Classical

At some point, some of you jazz cats might get called up to do a gig with a classical ensemble, or even a whole orchestra!

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Jazz Critic Voodoo Doll

Handling Bad Reviews

If you’re a working musician, like it or not—you’re also a performer. So it follows that a great part of your job involves being on

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Pit band

Preparing for the Count Off

There’s a magic moment in jazz…a small window of time…between the musicians taking the stage and counting off the first tune. It may not seem

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The Hot Professor

I’m a pretty good looking guy. I don’t think that’s an outrageous statement. Don’t get me wrong, you’re not going to see me anytime soon

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How to Be “That Guy”

You may have noticed last month’s issue of Syncopated Times being perhaps a little lighter in weight. Perhaps you felt like the last edition had

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Keep Cool With Coolidge

How to Be Cool

Let’s be honest: jazz musicians are cool. Statistically speaking, cooler than you. Case in point: jazz musicians are far too cool to actually read this

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Ed Polcer

The Lineage of Jazz

When I was 11, I started playing piano. Not by choice—my mum somehow got her hands on a crappy old termite-holed-musical-disaster of a piano, and

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gladiator

Jam Session Etiquette

Have you ever watched one of those old gladiator movies from the golden age of Hollywood? Ben Hur, Spartacus…where two lethal warriors fight for their

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How to Pack for a Tour

As a working musician, a big part of the job involves travel. Out of town gigs, big tours, weekend festivals traveling by plane, train, gondola,

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Edison iPod

On Turning 40

I’ll be 40 soon. I’m not shy to admit it. All things considered, things are going pretty well so far. For starters, I’ve outlived Hendrix,

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