I teach brass privately and at schools, and at East London Community Band, plus offer tuition in music theory, contemporary/jazz harmony, arranging and jazz improvisation. I have worked with students aged from 6 to 86 (or thereabouts - I didn’t ask!).
I also work as a Musical Director, and have run the John Ongom Big Band (JOBB) - a fun and feisty community jazz ensemble - since 2007.
I am fully DBS-checked and trained in up-to-date Safeguarding procedures.
I’ve been teaching in London primary and secondary schools since 2014. Responsibilities include:
Playing with others is a hugely important aspect of music, so my teaching at schools often involves running student ensembles of various shapes and sizes.
The available arrangements do not always match the available players, so I have written many new arrangements to suit.
I have also directed the NYJO Academy Jazz Ensemble at rehearsals and concerts, working with aspiring young jazz musicians playing very challenging arrangements.
The John Ongom Big Band is an 18-piece community jazz ensemble made up primarily of adult learners and semi-professionals. It’s a fun and friendly group, but we do take the music seriously and work hard to play it right!
We have an eclectic pad of music, including charts made famous by Basie, Ellington, Mingus, Monk, Sinatra, etc. The band rehearses weekly and typically plays 8-12 gigs each year at local (East London) festivals and events.
I’ve been the Musical Director since 2007, doing the following: