[NEohioPAL] Swing music presentation at Tri-C metro Friday, February 28th from 7-9. $15 per person or free with Tri-C ID

[Valerie Salstrom]

Craig Gildner from Washington, DC is the dynamic leader of an amazing swing band called Blue Sky 5.  He is also the male vocalist and plays both guitar and piano- but not at the same time.  Craig can never get enough of this music called swing. Craig, a musician blessed with perfect pitch, finds that the pulse of an upright bass, accompanied by the open hi-hat cymbal rhythms, syncopated saxophones and trumpets are what make him smile.

Craig and some of his band mates plus Cleveland's own Demetrius Steinmetz will be leading a special presentation on swing music on Friday, February 28th from 7:00 pm until 9:00 pm at the downtown campus of Tri-C in the Black Box in the Tommy LiPuma Center for Creative Arts, 2809 Woodland Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio.  

The Tommy LiPuma Center for Creative Arts is near the corner of Woodland Avenue and East 30th Street, in a shared building with the Rock Hall’s Library and Archives. This is approximately two miles southeast of the Museum. Parking will be available in Lot 5 and 6 of the parking garage. From the garage, enter the building's back entrance, take the elevator on the left to the first floor, enter the lobby, and look for signs directing you to the Black Box Theater. For a map of the Tri-C Metro Campus, visit http://www.tri-c.edu/campuses/metro/Documents/MetroMap2010.pdf.

This workshop is geared towards swing dancers, swing musicians, swing djs, jazz music lovers, etc.


What will be covered in Craig Gildner's Swing School?

Find out what makes swing music swing. 

Learn the purpose of each instrument. 

Hear each musician talk about their instrument, their playing style and what they try to channel when they play swing as opposed to other styles of jazz.

The history of swing music from the 1920s to the 1950s. 

How recording technology helped shape swing music's development in each decade from the 20s to the 40s and how this influenced the way that it was danced to.

What socioeconomic factors lead to the decline of swing music after World War ll.  


This workshop will be hosted at the downtown campus of the Cuyahoga Community College.  The exact location will be posted in a bit.  

The cost is $15 per person and FREE for everyone with a valid Tri-C ID card.   


Craig just posted this little tid bit 
"I've done the first draft of an outline which will help me create (hopefully) a great keynote presentation for the musicality class in Cleveland on Feb. 28th. Valerie Salstrom will be doing dance demos to our live samples, and there will be pictures, plus snippets of recordings through the decades. The hardest part of it is not to "geek out" and lose the audience with technical stuff. But, I think it's fascinating that the quality of the music aside, there was a perfect storm of technological advancements and social events that helped to make swing a household word in the 30's. And sadly, another set of technological advancements and social events that led to its getting knocked out of the spotlight.


Valerie Salstrom
Owner of Get Hep Swing, Ltd.
216-374-1927
info at GetHepSwing.com