Piano Boot Camp 2023

Piano Boot Camp welcomes adult piano players of all abilities. The Dragonfly sisters Linda and Sue Gould are your hosts for five days of lead sheets, improvisation and creativity at the piano. (Golden piano boot camp is four days).

Beginners, Experienced classical players and Piano Teachers are all welcome. We guarantee at the end of the week you will be playing and creating at a higher level. Teachers will gain experience teaching group, teaching chords and teaching improvisation (even if you haven’t done it before!)

This year classes are all day and include lunch. There will be lots of chance to digest what you have learned, stroll along the beach (in Victoria) or in the mountains (Golden) and share your experience with other boot campers.

Beginner classes work on basic lead sheets, 3 - 4 note chords and voicings, basic piano skills, active listening, starter improvisation, and ensemble playing.

More Advancedclasses work on piano skills, interpreting lead sheets, critical listening, improvisation, more advanced piano chords, licks, comping and ensemble playing.

Piano Teachers will choose to experience beginner lead sheet classes or more advanced classes in addition to pedagogy classes for teachers only. Learn how to prepare your teens for jazz band at high school and learn how to teach retired adults to play in a way they absolutely love.

Learning to play the piano with chords and lead sheets is a new skill for many pianists who have largely been taught to be note readers and interpreters of the masters. When you have your own creative skills, the classical music world opens up as does the jazz and pop worlds. Piano Boot Camp immerses you in this experience and you will emerge with a new view of the world of piano playing.

Also new this year, you will be able to bring your own keyboard and we’ll have classes on how to get the most out of it for playing and teaching. In addition, you will have the opportunity to try narrow key pianos which allow small handed pianists to experience what it is like to play the big chords than only large handed pianists can play.

Camp prices are in Canadian dollars.

Music and backing tracks will be provided so please bring:

• Pencil
• 3-ring binder
• Headphones with 1/4″ jack
• Coffee mug
• Piano keyboard (bring your own or rent one of ours)