Music director, composer and jazz musician Jilly is a multi-instrumentalist who works with schools and youth and adult community groups on songwriting and performance projects. She uses improvisation as a way for the individual voice to be heard and celebrated within a cooperative group setting.
Founder and Creative Director of BlueJam Arts (bluejamarts.org) she enjoys collaborating with other artists and organisations. Currently she is establishing a network of Improv Choirs in England and Scotland, writing an online improvisation resource for teachers and devising gamelan, samba and jazz performances for the summer festivals.
Really need to get my compositions more easily available and accessible – I keep getting asked by people if they can use them, which is BRILLIANT!
So going to try to put aside some time to do it (ha ha!)
Anyway – most recently, the amazing classical singer Sarah Wallcook performed Bubbles and Burdens at a concert dinner in Sweden, BJYJE (BlueJam Youth Jazz Ensemble) is going to perform a Fascinating Days/Mountains merge and KSGS will feature Muevete at their festival!
Great to host a session at the BlueJam Space in Penrith – with women players from Scotland, Cumbrian and NE Improv Choirs and Jazz Sessions.
Really pleased to be able to continue with these workshops due to popular demand – jazz and laughter – a great combination.
And also great to be able to export the session to Penrith for our women players over here – hope we will get cross-pollination soon. First Penrith session is June 16th. See bluejamarts.org for details.
Looking forward to playing 3rd year running on the Coach House stage – we are on Sunday afternoon if you want to catch us! Gail – vocals and bass; Jilly – vocals and piano.
I have been writing a carol every year for the school my children went to since about 2003. I think this is the year we should get them all into a book!
Intonent Hodie | Welcome | Toca La Campanas
Now At Evening | Make Me A Lantern | Walking | Join In
Celebrate | Don’t Look Now!
Joyeux Noel, Merry Christmas! | Promise | Spirit of Christmas
The Boy | Xmas Is Coming | The Snowman
My Bairn Sleep Softly Now | Whisper of the Wind | Carol of the Birds
Celebrate New Life | Imagine Now
I’m delighted to be asked by Jazz Coop Newcastle to run a series of workshops for emerging women jazz players at their base, the Globe pub. First 4 Saturday afternoons in January with an evening party on the 27th. Go to http://jazz.coop/women-play-jazz-workshops/ for details and booking.
BlueJam was awarded a diploma along with three Music Hubs from around the UK last week. Jilly shown here receiving it!
This is a real boost for the work being done by all the organisations promoting youth jazz in Cumbria and for the Music Hub’s commitment to a viable and innovative jazz development programme.
Congratulations to everyone!
Eden Valley Artistic Network – EVAN – the new gallery and studios is up and running at 4 Corney Place, Penrith. Lots of lovely art but worth going to just to see BlueJam tutor Lawrence Leith‘s Virginal with a painting of Brougham Hall on the underside of the lid. There is also artwork in the exhibition by BlueJam supporters, with proceeds going towards our Youth Programme.
Fantastic news – they just sold one of my sketches!
Putting the finishing touches to this year’s carol for North Lakes School, where my children went and we now all work in one capacity or another. I write a carol for them every year and this will be about the 16th offering. Most of them can be found on vocalunion.org.uk and are free to use for non-profit occasions. Glad to see Mary Keith is using “Welcome” with her choir this year.
The Ballad of the Red-Necked Phalarope
by Kate Stilitz and Jilly Jarman
Commissioned by Haringey Music Service for 2000 young singers and instrumentalists, for performance June 27th 2016 Royal Albert Hall
Performed with Cumbria Youth Orchestra, primary school choirs and BlueJam Youth Jazz Ensemble at The Sands, Carlisle, July 10th 2017
Next performance Keswick with Cumberland Youth Orchestra and Mid-Lakes school choirs in June 2019
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LAND OF SHADOWS at Rheged: a new song cycle written with 8 primary schools in October 2017
to be reincarnated with Upper Eden schools in 2019.
BACKtoBACK:FACEtoFACE:SIDEbySIDE – the latest song, poetry and soundscape performance is being devised for performance by north Cumbrian schools at Rheged on October 16th 2018.
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CARLISLE FIRESHOW 2018 – I have been writing the music for the Bitts Park shows since 2015 – a chance to write and perform with young Cumbrian musicians to an audience of 40,000+
