I’m writing this blog as I wait at the Atlanta airport for my flight to Dusseldorf/ Germany in anticipation of five weeks of performing, teaching, and visiting with friends and family in Germany, Austria, and Azerbaijan. It is a privilege and an honor to be able to do this trip and I’m hoping to make many special memories – feel free to follow updates on Facebook and Instagram (Monika Herzig) and even better, join us wherever you can!
First stop – Tuesday, June 26, 7pm, Altes Pfandhaus – Cologne/ Germany, Experiencing Chick Corea featuring Peter Lehel – saxes, Inga Luehning – vc, Monika Herzig – pn, Andre Nendza – bass, Josh Roberts – drums. This concert is part of the Indianapolis – Cologne Sister City Exchange efforts and combined with a workshop that we’ll present earlier that day for a local school on Indiana Jazz History. To rsvp for the concert that is close to sold out go here. Below is a taste from last year’s concert.
Second stop – Graz/ Austria – As part of a course on Group Creativity and Entrepreneurship that I will be teaching for the Timegate – Department of Corporate Leadership and Entrepreneurship at Karl-Franzen University based on the Jazz Jam Session Model for Improvisation, I will lead a jam session on Thursday, June 28, 8-11pm at Miles/ Graz with Tin Dzaferovic on bass and Josh Roberts on drums. Bring your instrument to demonstrate the Seven Factors of the Jazz Jam Session Model. I will also join Hannes Kawrza’s Gruppe at Babenbergerhof on Wednesday, July 4 for an evening of standards.
July 1-14 will be the third installation for SPEA in Graz – Comparative Music Industry. Ten Indiana University students will spend two weeks at the KUG Jazzinstitut joined by local students and experts in the field for discussions and readings on various components of the music industry and international comparisons. Special guests this year include Marty Ashby, Executive Director of Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild Jazz, Verena Dunstan from Dunstan Media House, Stuttgart, Fritz Thom from Jazzfest Wien, Kim Nazarian from the New York Voices and many more. And of course many cultural excursions and encounters including a weekend in Venice and a day in Vienna. We’ll showcase our musical talents on Wednesday, July 11 at the WIST.
Next stop – International Society of Music Education (ISME) gathering in Baku, Azerbaijan, July 15-20. The Time Flies will be on adventure with Peter Kienle and Josh Roberts joining up for a feature concert at the conference as well as two nights at Etud Cafe on July 17 & 18. I will also present a session on Experiencing Chick Corea during the conference. This will be my first time in Azerbaijan, I’m very excited about this new adventure.
And finally, new recordings and two performances in Germany at Whitefir Studios in Trochtelfingen with The Time Flies and Aron Caceres joining Josh Roberts, Peter Kienle, and myself. The Kaffee & Kuchen session on Saturday, June 21, 5pm is a must not just for the intimate live music setting at this amazing studio but for the amazing German pastries! Check info here and feel free to connect in person if you’d like to find out more. And the last concert on Sunday, June 22,noon at Frau Hopf im Schlosscafe in Tubingen/ Germany will be with the Time Flies on fire while we’re recording more tracks for a new Flavoredtune release – analog on LP – not to be missed and add the previous recording featuring Bob Berg to the collection. Relive last year’s concert below
I’ll be back stateside July 27 – see you August 2 in Indianapolis for Animals & All That Jazz – see you soon!