The Improvisational Experience Workshop
recommended by the teachers association, offered free of charge for schools

Iris and Ofer Portugaly, experienced teachers and two of Israel´s leading jazz musicians, offer improvisational workshops, as part of high school faculty team building days.

Rationale – teachers´ team building workshops:
Jazz musicians´ entire artistic life is about creative teamwork. The skills they employ - real time improvisation, spontaneity, attentiveness to the environment and rapid response capability – are all required of any capable team member in any organization.

No previous musical background required.

Teachers´ team building goals:
Team building and getting to know each other workshop - through creative, experiential group work.
Breaking the ice and creating a relaxed atmosphere – as a fertile ground for creativity.
Developing active listening
Developing creative thinking, spontaneity and rapid response capability.

Themes:
Experiential intuitive improvisation
Nonverbal communication
Team work – soloist versus accompanyist. How, as an accompanyist, do I support the soloist, and how, as the soloist, am I helped by the accompanyist. Spontaneity – the art of the moment, bringing an idea into the world.
Listening – jazz is the only field of art where a person is tested and judged by his/her listening ability.
Mutual inspiration – the use and development of a motif by a group.
Blues explained via illustrations, practice and performance – each participant will compose a Blues piece (lyrics and music)
Live musical demonstrations – in between Iris and Ofer present – in their delightful, humorous style - songs and musical illustrations.

Teaching Methods in Teachers Team Building Workshops:
Group experiential workshop
Singing, lyrics writing and composing exercises for all participants
Live instruction accompanied by musical illustrations.
A show can also be added to conclude this creative, fun filled day.
Workshop approved and recommended by the teachers´ Association and provided free of charge for schools. 

Some of our satisfied customers: Artisch company, Intel, Klalit Health Services, Geo Teva Ltd., Various government ministries, Teachers, staff and directors of educational facilities. 

 Customers´ testimonial:
From: Tchernichovsky High School, Haifa
Amazing Iris and Ofer
Re: Our heartfelt thanks for our teachers´ team building evening

We´d like to thank you on behalf of the entire staff of the Haifa Tchernichovsky school. Your musical jazz workshop (recommended by the Teachers´ Association) enabled our staff members to get to know each other better. You have managed to reach and open everybody´s hearts and ears.

Our thanks for an evening that was enjoyable, fun, relaxing and, at the same time, team building. All of us wish you much success in your musical work.

Our deepest appreciation,

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Team Building workshops for institutions and organizations – employees´ team building through music

Jazz musicians´ entire artistic life is about creative teamwork. The skills they employ - real time improvisation, spontaneity, attentiveness to the environment and rapid response capability – are all required of any capable team member in any organization

Iris and Ofer Portugaly, highly experienced teachers and among Israel´s most prominent jazz musicians, offer improvisational workshops designed for teams ad groups.

No previous musical background required.

Employees´ team building workshop goals:

Team building and getting to know each other workshop - through creative, experiential group work.

Breaking the ice and creating a relaxed atmosphere – as a fertile ground for creativity

Developing active listening

Developing creative thinking, spontaneity and rapid response capability.

Themes employees´ team building workshop:

Experiential intuitive improvisation

Nonverbal communication

Team work – soloist versus accompanyist. How, as an accompanyist, do I support the soloist, and how, as the soloist, am I helped by the accompanyist. Spontaneity – the art of the moment, bringing an idea into the world.

Listening – jazz is the only art where a person is tested and judged by his/her listening ability.

Mutual inspiration – the use and development of a motif by a group.

Blues explained via illustrations, practice and performance – each participant will compose a Blues piece (lyrics and music)

Live musical demonstrations – In their delightful, humorous style, Iris and Ofer incorporate songs and musical illustrations into the workshop.

Teaching Methods used in Team Building Workshops:

-Group experiential workshop

- Singing, lyrics writing and composing exercises for all participants

Live instruction accompanied by musical illustrations

A show can be added to conclude this creative, fun filled day.

The workshop is approved and recommended by the Teachers Association.

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Choir Workshops – Jazz, Blues, Improvisation and Gospel Singing Sessions

Sessions organized around the following themes:
Introduction to jazz, Blues and improvisation:
1. Common jazz harmonic structures:
a. Blues
b. The thirty-two-bar-form
2. The Blues scale and the way it is used in improvisation.
3. The characteristics of various rhythmic styles and how to improvise in each (Swing, Bossa Nova, Funk, to name a few).
4. Roles of the various instruments (rhythm / wind section)
5. Technique and breathing work, how to produce the sound typical of jazz and gospel music (as opposed to the typical sound of classical music).
6. Jazz interpretation – swing feel, syncopations etc.
7. Gospel music – preparing a song for performance.
All sessions include recorded musical illustrations as well as live music. The material and instruction will be adjusted to suit the group´s level.
Workshops can be structured as a single session or a series of meetings, culminating in a concert (in which we, too, participate).
Workshops can also be held in a single day of intensive work, ending with a show.The nature and level of instruction will be adjusted to suit the group.

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How to Use Your Voice Correctly – for teachers, public speakers etc.,

As teachers and public speakers, we use our voices intensively, so much so that by the end of a work day we´re tired and hoarse. Without proper training, this takes its toll of our vocal chords and adversely affects our speaking ability.

Using our voice as an instrument, every day for years, requires technical exercise on a daily basis.

How to preserve our voice

Breathing exercises, relaxation techniques, posture, strengthening supportive muscles

Preparing the body for speech

Placement of voice in resonance boxes.

Extending the dynamic vocal range – from whisper to shout, using the voice correctly and avoiding hoarseness.

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Enrichment package for music programs and conservatoires
Being creative artists ourselves, involved with jazz and gospel music at both the educational-academic and performing levels, we offer music program students an ´enrichment package´:
The ´Jazz it up´ enrichment package for music programs and conservatoires.
The package consists of several events throughout the school year, or a single event of your choice:
1. A guided trio/quartet show with leading Israeli jazz musicians:
Iris Portugaly – vocals and drums; Ofer Portugaly – piano; Oded Goldschmidt – double bass; Erez barnoy – saxophone; Ilan Sallem – flute (quartet).
In this show, specially designed for high school music programs, we tell about our work in the past two decades, as Israel´s leading jazz musicians.
Among other things, we talk about integrating local ethnic music into our work, and how to jazz-arrange an Israeli song while still respecting the original and the text.
The show will also include original arrangements of jazz classics.
2. A selection of workshops for music programs´ students:
- Jazz and improvisation workshop for musicians / singers
- Vocal training workshop
- Gospel workshop: Gospel music´s roots and origins, Vocal training and warm up, Developing groove and introduction to the style´s characteristics, Work on songs arranged in gospel style, preparing songs for performance.

So far, we have conducted extremely successful enrichment packages in the following music programs: Kiryat Tivon music center, Katzenelson high school - Kefar Saba, Jerusalem High School of the Arts, Hadassim, Blich high school - Ramat Gan, Kala´I high school - Givatayim, Metro West - Ra´anana, Ben Gurion high school - Afullah, Dekel Vilnay in Ma´aleh Adumim, Galili high school - Kfar Saba, Hadarim high school - Hod Hasharon, Ben Zvi high school - Kiryat Ono – to name a few.