Harry Bartlett
About
I am a recent graduate of the University of Toronto's Jazz Performance program with a diverse set of experiences pertaining to music education. Teaching has played a large role in my life for almost as long as I have been playing the instrument. I am always excited to share with my students what I have learned through my own education and professional career.
Raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, my formative musical experiences were based in the blues and folk tradition. I developed an interest in jazz and improvised music, and moved to Toronto in 2016 to study Jazz Performance at the University of Toronto. While much of my music is rooted in the jazz tradition, I am inspired by and incorporate a wide range of musical idioms into my playing and composing. As a bandleader I have appeared in major festivals and venues across Canada and released my debut EP, Harry Bartlett Trio in July 2018.
I believe that music should be connected to the concept of play at every stage in one’s development. To achieve this, I strive to create an open and comfortable environment conducive to learning.
With a grant from the FMUA (University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music Undergraduate Association) I developed and presented a program on Open Improvisation to high school students across Canada in November 2019. This project successfully provided young musicians with an opportunity to improvise in a context free of right and wrong. This provides a sense of confidence and a deeper connection to making music for students, which speaks to my philosophy as a teacher.
As a teacher I have held positions at the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra School of Music, Sweet Music Lessons (Toronto, ON) as well as several years of freelance teaching.
EDUCATION
-BMUS from the University of Toronto's Faculty of Music
-Degree in Jazz Performance
-Studied privately with Geoff Young for 4 years
-Selected to play in competitive ensembles such as Terry Promane's 12tet, Andrew Downing's Hybrid Ensemble and Jim Lewis' 11 o'clock Jazz Orchestra
- School of Improvised Music (SIM)
-Summer intensive on improvised music in Brooklyn, New York.
-Studied privately with Juno Award winning pianist Andy Milne, bassist Michael Formanek, and saxophonist Michael Attias.
- Vancouver Symphony Orchestra School of Music
-Studied privately with Juno Award winning guitarist Bill Coon for 2 years.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
-Several years of freelance teaching
-Have taught students of all ages and ability levels
-Teaching Assistant at the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra School of music
-Duties include coaching ensembles and conducting group lessons for guitar students
- Ukulele Teacher, Sweet Music Lessons
- Teaching the fundamentals of music and improvisation to children aged 4-6.
- Open Improvisation workshops in high schools
-Developed a program for open improvisation which was delivered to high school students across Canada in November 2020
-Funded by the FMUA (University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music Undergraduate Association)
I offer a patient and intuitive teaching style, with every lesson centred around the student’s interests. In our first session we can work together to set goals and from there I will develop structured lesson plans. As we progress your goals and interests may change and I am happy to join you on your ever changing path!
“Sean describes Harry’s teaching style as ‘intuitive and helpful.’ In two years of teaching, there was never a disappointing session for Sean. He was always eager to see Harry and to learn from him.” –Parent of a Student
I like to use the music that inspires you to play as source material for our lessons. Together we will learn these songs by ear and it is my hope that after taking lessons from me you will have the skills to do this on your own. Each piece we work on will offer unique opportunities for growth as a musician and through learning them there will be opportunities to discuss technique, music theory, and improvisation. I also offer supplementary material in PDF form.