When looking for advice about performing jazz, it doesnt take long before answers move from practical suggestions to mystical reflections. This was the case at an August 8 performance clinic for summer program students led by Terri Lyne Carrington and an ensemble of special guests she handpicked just for the occasion, including Kris Davis (piano), Jazzmeia Horn (vocals), Akua Naru (spoken word), Rick DiMuzio (saxophone), Val Jeanty (DJ/turntables), and Charlie Lincoln B.M. 19 (bass).
For instance, when a student asked how to get comfortable playing in odd time signatures-that is, rhythms atypical to what one might hear in a standard pop or rock song-Carringtons initial answer was to just keep practicing. But when she took it deeper, students got a view into her more intuitive approach to jazz drumming overall.
Rather than counting beats, Carrington says she feels the [musical] phrases. I let phrases tell me where the weight of the bar is. For a drummer, it's good to practice in odd time signatures and practice not hitting any 1s. But you want to feel the 1.
In a way, the students got two kinds of advice, the short-term and the long-term. The practical pieces they can understand and apply right away. But what does feeling the 1 actually mean? Chances are, theyll remember in a year or more, when theyre deep into their own practice, and it could be the lesson that helps shape their musical identity.
Below are some takeaways from the clinic, abridged and edited for clarity.
How do you approach a new or particularly difficult piece of music? Kris Davis: If it's too complicated, just narrow it down to the basics, which might just be playing the right hand, playing the chords and melody to simplify it. Especially in a sight-reading situation.
Jazzmeia Horn: It depends on what kind of setting. If we have some time, I may ask the pianist to go over the melody with me a couple times. But I like to know what a person was thinking when they were writing something so I can be able to tell the story differently. As a vocalist, we have something different than everyone else on the stage has, which is lyrics.
What are your thoughts on how musicians find their own artistic voices? Carrington: You have to really go through a journey of really connecting to other people's voices before you can find your own. You have to be mentored and introduced to other people's paths, and then you can choose to do what you want.
Charlie Lincoln: I only recently finished studying here. For me, it comes from learning from my teachers, but also just my experiences as a human being, because they all make your voice you. You almost don't have a choice in it, because you have a set of experiences that no one else shares, and you can't really hide that in the music. It'll come out.
How do you add your own ideas to a piece without stepping on other people's ideas? Horn: In life, in general, it's always good to figure out how to not step on someone else's toes. You have to be really comfortable with who you are and be honest with yourself. When you honor music and have a reverence for it, it's going to be great. It's why we have standards and rules to play, but we didn't create music. It existed long before all of us in this room were born.
Val Jeanty: For DJs, we're just trying to add spices to the dinner. Also, working with certain sounds that are complementing what others are doing, you know, filling in words within the sentence. I try to keep my ears to what they're doing so I can vibe with them.
What do you do to get comfortable playing in odd time signatures? Davis: Like anything, you just need to make it part of your practice. Then it becomes natural, like you feel in 4/4.
Carrington: It took me a long time to get comfortable in odd signatures. But now I feel just as comfortable in 7 and 5 as I do in 4. I generally look at where I see the beat splitting. I don't count the beats-I feel the phrases. Feeling the phrases and melody-I let that tell me where the weight is, where I feel the weight of the bar. I also like to think in longer phrases. For a drummer, it's good to practice in odd time signatures and practice not hitting any 1s. But you want to feel the 1. So if you get to the end of 5 or 7, you still want people to feel the 1.
How does your practice routine change over time? Rick DiMuzio: A lot of it is just getting on the instrument and right away making music. I'm really into that rather than the long-term exercise. The other thing I do is try to make mental puzzles for me to figure out on my instrument. For improvising, I want to feel free to switch it up and not play a pattern, so I'm training my mind to be able to flip quickly and adapt.
Related categories:
News
Related Reading
Terri Lyne Carrington Grammy-winning jazz drummer and composer Terri Lyne Carrington 83 has taught with the Berklee Global Jazz Institute since it began. Having been a professor at Berklee since 2007 and known [BGJI artistic director] Danilo P rez for years, Carrington was glad to join the BGJI because, as she says, I knew that anything he was involved with would be something that I would feel good about, on a creative level and how we look at the issues.
Expert Testimony Berklee Today
Fall
2018
Volume
30
Number
2
Young Bluegrass Virtuosos Berklee Today
Fall
2018
Volume
30
Number
2
More from Berklee Now
Most Popular
Love NPRs Tiny Desk? Check out Tiny Dorm. Inspired by NPR's concert video series, these Berklee students created a popular YouTube series featuring new and emerging artists.
Latest
Feel the One: Terri Lyne Carrington and Others Get Mystical with Jazz Advice The drum legend and Berklee professor put together a special ensemble to perform and field questions from students.
Berklee City
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
18/08/2026
SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...
18/08/2026
The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...
18/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/08/2026
The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...
18/08/2026
William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...
18/08/2026
DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...
18/08/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...
18/08/2026
The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...
18/08/2026
Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...
18/08/2026
Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...
When looking for advice about performing jazz, it doesnt take long before answers move from practical suggestions to mystical reflections. This was the case at an August 8 performance clinic for summer program students led by Terri Lyne Carrington and an ensemble of special guests she handpicked just for the occasion, including Kris Davis (piano), Jazzmeia Horn (vocals), Akua Naru (spoken word), Rick DiMuzio (saxophone), Val Jeanty (DJ/turntables), and Charlie Lincoln B.M. 19 (bass).
