A membership taking you full circle to jazz excellence

A membership taking you full circle to jazz excellence

In the introduction video I recently posted, I started by saying, “I’m trying to solve a problem.” I went on to say that the problem I’m trying to solve is the ingrained idea of so many jazz players that they need to be told what notes to play in order…

Recent posts...

Jazz Circle membership blog post imagel
A membership taking you full circle to jazz excellence
In the introduction video I recently posted, I started by saying, “I’m trying to solve a problem.” I went on to say that the problem I’m...
Ear to instrument connection
The Benefits of the Ear to Instrument Connection
I recently watched a video performance by the amazing classical pianist Yuja Chang. I’ve seen her memorizing motion and heard her virtuosic playing...
Guy playing guitar
How to improvise jazz better
What is jazz improvisation? Let’s first define what I mean by jazz improvisation. Jazz improvisation is a spontaneous conversation, but instead of...
A cartoon gym
Three exercises for mastering your improvisation
As you improvise, how deep is your level of satisfaction? Do you feel confident? Do the lines coming from your instrument feel authentic to you or do you...
Musician practing for thumbnail
Perfection in practicing
I recently published a new video in my series on my AI called Jazz Master Chat. The video asked for tips on improving the effectiveness of practicing a musical...
Alto trombone in sky
Alto trombone position chart
The alto trombone position chart seems to be quite in demand. I included one within my book Alto Trombone Savvy, but not here in my blog, so I thought I...
Two trombones
Using tenor trombone positions on alto
I get a lot of requests for advice on playing the alto trombone, so I created a video that demonstrates a method for practicing the alto that I used when...
Picture of Michael Lake

Michael Lake

Trombonist, author, composer, marketer

Courses and books

Pocket Jazz

The Pocket Jazz course is a completely redesigned series of online videos of no more than three-minutes each. Most of the lessons also contain short excerpts of tips and wisdom from masters like Ron Carter, Randy Brecker, Dave Liebman, Richie Beirach, Toshiko Akiyoshi, and many more.

Teaching & Learning Jazz

From this book, Richie Beirach and Mike provide great stories of jazz wisdom, a reflection on university jazz education including how to choose a school, an analysis of the Hollywood view of jazz education, a look at the psychology of education, and many other previously unexplored essential topics for both teachers and students.

Available in soft cover and digital editions.

Trombone Improvisation Savvy

Trombone demands different physical abilities from other instruments, but certain skills are universal such as connecting your instrument to your musical mind. Learn from exercises and audio files specifically focused on trombone that will help you improvise much better.