Bruce Sklar
173 MOretown Common RD
PO box 479, MORETOWN, VT 05660
Tel: 802 496-6341 :w Tel 802-882-1110 bsklar@madriver.com sklarb@harwood.org
Teaching
Director of Jazz Studies and Music Technology
Harwood Union High School
Fully licensed through 2017 2000-Present
Classes taught ; Jazz Band “A” , Jazz Band “B” , Jazz theory and Improvisation Lab, Music tech 1, Music Tech II/III, Music creation and distribution in the 21st century ( new course for 2011-12). Middle school Jazz Band
Won Grammy Signature school award.
2 Commendations from VT Legislature for the excellence of the Jazz program,
3 first Place finishes at Berklee HS Festival , Boston Mass.
5 years straight 2004-2009 and again in 2011 Ist place IAJE VT annual High School Jazz Festival
2006-08
Jazz Band Director
University of Vermont, Burlington VT 2006-2008
Rehearsed 18 piece Jazz ensemble at UVM, produced 2 winter and 2 spring concerts.
Adjunct band director and private teacher 1991-2000
Harwood Union High School.
Performed 30 + concerts with Harwood bands on and off campus.
Jazz Piano Class 1994-1995
UVM Burlington
Private Studio, piano lessons 1975-2000
Varying from 5 student at present to 40 students weekly before being full time at H];,?ar
wood Union
FESTiVAL CONDUCTING and MANAGEMENT , BAND CAMPS
Composed for , Conducted and Managed Washington West District Elementary Jazz Band
Conducting and composing for 2011-12 Winooski Valley District Festival HS Jazz Band Feb 2012
Managed All State Jazz Band . Part of the All State Music Festival. 2007-10
Conducted all State Jazz Band -Discover Jazz Festival 2007-10
Managed Winooski Valley Jazz ensemble HS & MS 5 times 2000-2010
Conducted Winooski Valley District Festival MS Jazz Band 2002,2010
Central VT School of Arts Summer Camp Brandon VT -Jazz instructor
1994-96
Vt Summer Jazz camp U 32 HS , Spaulding, Barre town MS 1992-2000
Flynn Summer Jazz Camp 2004-2006
Harwood Summer Band Camp 2000-Present
PERFORMANCE
Co-leader, keyboardist, composer 1983-Present
Pure Pressure/Grippo Funk Band - VTs Premiere Dance Band
Performances in the thousands.New England & the East Coast is our primary territory.
Co-leader, keyboardist, composer 1989-1990
Sklar Grippo Sextet.
The focus of this ensemble is two-fold:
1) To educate,through concert and clinics primarily in the school systems, about jazz music and the art of performance in general.
2) To perform new original jazz music and new interpretations of the established jazz repertoire both on concert stage and in clubs
This band has opened for Tito Puente,Betty Carter, Gil Scott-Heron , Roomful of Blues and Dr John , Spanish Harlem Orchestra,Jerry Gonzales and the Fort Apache Band and many others.
The group has been a staple at the Discover Jazz Festival over the past 20 years.
Leader, Pianist ,Composer
Bruce Sklar Trio 1975 Present
Original, contemporary and standard jazz
Collective composer collaboration 1983-1996
Sneakers Jazz Band
Pianist
as a Sideman
Performed with the late saxophonist Sonny Stitt, vocalist Jon Hendricks , the Duke Ellington Orchestra under Mercer Ellington,Loe Lovano, Art Blakey, Boston Guitarist Gerry Beaudoin, Rick Davies and Jazzismo among many others
Education
Graduated Newton South HS 1974
Newton Massachusetts
Music theory studied, Basic analysis, figured bass , 4 part writing
Private teacher 1969-1973 Gene Ashton aka Cooper- Moore
All aspects of jazz performance, composition , analysis of Bach 2+3 part inventions
Some simple 12 tone writing, figured bass as a path to thorough understanding of jazz harmony
Private Teacher 1974-76 Ran Blake New England Conservatory
Ear Training as a central focus to develop a highly personal approach to musicality.
Bachelor of Music, University of Massachusetts at Amherst - cum laude 1980
Theory/Composition Studies With Peter Tanner, Frederic Tillis , Jacob Epstein, Andrew Jaffe, Robert Stern, and Horace Boyer.
Berklee College of Music, Boston 1975
REcording work as a composer
Produced 3 albums
“In the Pocket” 1989
Pure Pressure Band
Composed 4 pieces for the session
“Passing Through” 1996
“Three Days In August” 2010
Bruce Sklar Trio
Composed all music for session