Teaching Approach

Josh teaches saxophone and piano and coaches bands and workshops across a wide range of abilities and ages, aiming to motivate pupils through their enjoyment of the music they play. He encourages pupils and ensembles to experiment with improvisation in an intuitive way, prioritising a good feel and groove over harmonic sophistication. The importance of listening to one another at all times is also stressed, so rhythm section and front line notice the way their musical choices affect each other. Josh also encourages musicians to internalise the music as much as possible, and to experiment with different feels and levels of intensity so they can let the music breathe. Seven years study of the Alexander Technique has given Josh a detailed understanding of how one’s physical state when playing relates to success or otherwise in achieving musical goals, and this has also become central to his teaching.

Courses and Workshops

Josh is a tutor on the Grafham Water Jazz Courses. These popular residential weekend courses (in January, July and November each year) present an opportunity to play jazz, and provide an opportunity for concentrated, in-depth learning. Upcoming course dates are June 3–4 2006. You can book online on the Grafham Water website: www.grafhamwater.co.uk or by telephone on 01480 810521. Josh is an occasional tutor on the JazzCourse.uk courses in Cambridge run by Scotland-based saxophonist/bandleader Rob Hall. JazzCourse.uk runs jazz courses all over the UK from two to seven days in length. For more information please visit www.jazzcourse.co.uk. If you are interested in studying with Josh, please write to mail@joshkemp.com. Workshops and courses are listed in the diary. Click here to hear recordings made under Josh’s direction of the Cambridge Youth Jazz Orchestra, and Chesterton School Groove Collective.