Jeff Coffin is a musician, educator, Yamaha Performing Artist, Boston Sax Shop Ambassador, Jody Jazz Artist, composer, artist, and author. Through his encouragement, and mentorship (well over 325 clinics), Jeff has inspired literally tens of thousands of students to explore and find their personal joy in music.

In addition to his extensive education and clinic work, Jeff is a member of the legendary Dave Matthews Band.

Coffin also toured for 14 years and won 3 GRAMMY® Awards with the genre-defying Bela Fleck & the Flecktones (1997-2010).

FOR CLINICS, CONTACT: BRIAN HORNER bhorner@soundartistsupport.com

THE BIG 5
1) LISTENING
2) TONE & DYNAMICS
3) ARTICULATION
4) RHYTHM & TIME
5) HARMONY

“These fundamentals are, quite literally, the ‘tools for your narrative.’ - JC

A solo or group performance by Jeff starts things off and what follows is a thoughtful, open, candid back and forth discussion with the students about what they heard…which re-connects everything back to fundamentals that Coffin considers to be the building blocks of music. 

This is education that will last far beyond the time your students spend with Jeff in the classroom or concert hall! Student participation is kindly required.

CLINIC OUTLINE:
This is a super easy and understandable approach to improvisation and to comprehend the many relationships between chords by understanding simple voice leading.

HOW DOES IT WORK?
Using a one chord, two chord, and, eventually, a blues progression, Jeff will take you and your students from the fundamental principles of voice leading into the early stages of improvisation. 

Voice leading is the way the notes of one chord connect to the next. Jeff will demonstrate this by using only the notes of the arpeggios (1 3 5 7 of the chord) to get from one chord to the next.

Improvisation is the way you use notes and rhythms together much in the same way that we use sounds and rhythms to create words. There will be call & response as well as individual improvisation using the notes from the Connecting The Dots exercises.

CLINIC OUTLINE:
Jeff will present and elaborate on his 10 simple tips for taking your students' improvisation to the next level. This presentation includes tips on articulation, rhythm, voice leading, motivic development, non-traditional techniques, tone, dynamics, and using the fundamentals to give your students greater depth, breadth, and connection to the music.

1. Where am I right now? Being honest with yourself regarding the fundamentals identifying and write down 5 strengths & 5 weaknesses.

2. Where do I want to be in the future? Timetables/Goals…

3. How do I get there? How to develop effective lifelong practice habits.

4. Tradition...imitation vs. individuality. (Follow the spirit, not the style.)

5. Transcriptions. The HOW & WHY!

6. How to become a better listener thru active (the act of) listening.

7. Can you imagine your instrument as the piano/bass/drums, or more?

8. Don’t limit yourself to one style of playing or listening. Be ‘wide’.

9. Using unusual expressive devices: multi-phonics, growling, alt. articulations, slap tongue etc.

10. Limitless Wonder. ("Can I really do that?")

CLINIC OUTLINE:
It’s the DMB horn section!!

Your students might very well lose their minds when you bring this incredible horn section in to work with them. Having played together with Dave Matthews Band since 2008, these guys know the stage, studio, and the 'business' of music inside and out!

"Jeff and Rashawn's clinic was incredibly musical and educational with sincere anecdotes of being professional musicians on the road and in the studio with Dave Matthews and other artists." - TOM SCOGNAMIGILIO • Music Den/Randolph, NJ

CLINIC OUTLINE:

Go down the rabbit hole with these two incredibly creative master musicians.

This interactive duo clinic/workshop has been called 'life-changing...incredible...mind-blowing', etc...by people attending this presentation by two masters of their craft.

“Many of our students told me that working with Jeff has changed their lives and how they approach music.”
– CALEB CHAPMAN • CCSoundhouse, Past President of the Jazz Education Network (JEN)

”These two guys are one of a kind!”

"Jeff and Futureman were exceptional. They are great clinicians and were really wonderful to our guests!" - Laura Cupit • Amro Music Store, Memphis, TN

Please ask about support from our incredible education partners at Yamaha Music, The Boston Sax Shop, & Jody Jazz!!!

It's all about the students. - JC

Bring JC in to perform these charts with your Big Band…

(Click here for audio examples).

Tall & Lanky • (comp. Coffin/arr. Bret Zvacek)
Fruitcake • (comp. Coffin/arr. David Joyner
Sweet Magnolias • (comp. Coffin/arr. Ryan Middagh)
The Mad Hatter Rides Again • (comp. Coffin/arr. David Joyner)
As Light Through Leaves • (comp. Coffin/arr. Bob Washut)
The Inside of the Outside • (comp. Coffin/arr. Chris McDonald)
Move Your Rug • (comp. Coffin/arr. Ryan Middagh)
12th & Edgehill • (comp. Coffin/arr. Ryan Middagh)
Espoo You • (comp. Coffin/arr. Ryan Middagh)
Dewey • (comp. Coffin/arr. Michael Jenner)
Wobble • (comp. Coffin/arr. Bret Zvacek)
Weird Beard • (comp. Coffin/arr. David Joyner)
The Commissioner • (comp. Coffin & Ryan Middagh/arr. Ryan Middagh) {written for Wycliffe Gordon}
Bubble Up • (comp. Coffin & Alana Rocklin/arr. Tyler Mire)
Going In Circles • (comp. Coffin, lyrics by Liz Johnson/arr. Ryan Middagh) {vocal chart}

The Saxophone Book (Books 1-3)

These books are printed on demand thru Ingram Spark and they look and feel great. This is all tried and tested material from Jeff Coffin that has benefited students and pros of all levels and all styles around the world.

These comprehensive sax books were over 15 years in the making and are based on material Jeff has determined students most needed to address.

Look thru the first 50 pages of each book online: www.thesaxophonebook.com

The Articulate Jazz Musician

Co-written with veteran educator and former President of the Jazz Education Network, Caleb Chapman, the AJM is an articulation method for students and directors alike. Great for collegiate music ed majors and pro educators who have little experience teaching jazz band. PLAY-ALONG CD INCLUDED WITH EVERY BOOK! Available for every transposition. 

The AJM is a proven approach for mastering the fundamentals of jazz articulation, phrasing, and interpretation. The included CD has demo and play-along tracks featuring a one-of-a-kind quartet of Jeff Coffin (tenor sax), Victor Wooten (acoustic bass), Roy “Futureman” Wooten (drums) & Chris Walters (piano). These guys sound awesome and so will your students after working on this material!

"Check out The Articulate Jazz Musician!" 
– Gordon Goodwin • Big Phat Band

"This book should be standard study in jazz education."
– Randy Brecker • Brecker Brothers/Trumpet legend

Available at Alfred.com

10 LEFT-HANDED IMPROVISATIONAL
ETUDES FOR SAXOPHONE

From JC:

How (and why?!?) did this all come about? A few years back, during a practice session, I decided to challenge myself by playing ONLY with my left hand. I made a couple of videos and kind of left it at that (no pun intended), but it was always in the back of my mind to go further with it. I had witnessed pianists like Phineas Newborn Jr., and others (as well as numerous classical pianists) play solos with only their left hands and I thought, if they can do it, so can I! I discovered it wasn’t quite as easy as it sounded. Cause it sounds kinda easy, right??

THE RABBIT, THE CARROT, THE CROW & THE QUARRY

Check out the new children’s book, THE RABBIT, THE CARROT, THE CROW, AND THE QUARRY, written by Jeff Coffin with illustrations by NYC trumpeter Augie Haas!!

(Recommended for ages 4-9)

A sweet bedtime story about the fun adventures of a bunny named Davey (His fur was quite wavey...) and his new found friend, the Crow. This is Jeff & Augie’s first children’s story and they know you’ll enjoy reading it out loud with your little ones!

**A portion of every sale donated to the Children’s Literacy Initiative! https://cli.org/

Soooooooo, you want to be a touring musician. You feel you’ve got the passion, the willingness, the desire, and the drive, and you want to go out and see what life on the road is really like. Right on! This book contains useful information from 3x Grammy winning saxophonist Jeff Coffin (Dave Matthews Band/Bela Fleck & the Flecktones) that he has gathered from his over 25 years on the road as a touring musician...such as...

What’s the road like? How do I get on it? Who do I take with me? How do I get where I’m going? How do I get back? What are some steps to booking my own gigs? What are some creative ways of being creative on the road? How do I make financial ends meet and come back with money in my pocket? How do I decide how many players to take, or how much I can pay them? Who will be in my band? What’s a rider? How do I deal with merchandise? Do I need a road manager? What do I need for merchandise, how do I get it, and much does it cost? How do I deal with press and promo? How do I figure out a budget before I leave? What about contracts? What about the van rental? What do I include in an itinerary?

These are just some of the questions, with real-life suggestions, that are covered here. This book includes lots of things to think about on your journeys, as well as Jeff Coffin's professional and personal suggestions (like make a budget before leaving, and don’t eat lots of fast food on the road!). Don't leave your driveway without The Road Book!