BFA, M.Mus., PhD
Instructor, Jazz Studies
School of Performing Arts
604.986.1911 ext. 2305
Fir Building, room FR201C
jburrows@capilanou.ca
Education
PhD, Arts Education, Faculty of Education, Simon Fraser University, 2004.
M.Mus., Jazz Studies, University of Oregon, 2000.
BFA, Music, School for Contemporary Arts, Simon Fraser University, 1996.
Diploma, Commercial Music, Capilano College, 1992.
Bio
Jared Burrows (PhD, Simon Fraser University, 2004) is a guitarist, composer, educator and producer based in Vancouver, BC, Canada. He leads the Jared Burrows Quartet, and Sextet, the Vancouver Improviser's Orchestra. He is also involved with many other ensembles in the Vancouver area including Thunder Lizard, Dave Robbins' Electric Band, Delta Quartet, Brad Muirhead 4tet, Colin MacDonald's Pocket Orchestra, Gare de Lyon, Len Aruliah Quintet, Michael Vlatkovich Quintet and the Offering of Curtis Andrews.
With these and many other bands, Burrows has performed extensively on concert stages, festivals, radio and television throughout Canada and the United States. Recent performing highlights include concerts and recordings with mrdangam maestro, Sri Trichy Sankaran and legendary Los Angelos saxophonist Vinny Golia.
Burrows has taught at Capilano University since 2008. He teaches improvisation, arranging, conducting and directs small and large ensembles. Before coming to CapU, he taught at Douglas College, Simon Fraser University's School of Contemporary Arts and Faculty of Education, Stanford Jazz Workshop, Delta Community Music School and at various elementary schools in Surrey and Delta. He is co-founder of the South Delta Jazz Workshop and co-curator of the weekly Jazz at Presentation House Studio series.
Burrows holds a PhD in Arts Education from Simon Fraser University and is actively engaged in writing and research work in the areas of social models of cognition related to free improvisation, community music, the teaching of improvisation, and Sufi and Taoist philosophy applied to performance practice. He received his Master's degree in Jazz Studies from the University of Oregon,where he was fortunate to study and work with the great Steve Owen, a wonderful musician, mentor and teacher. He has studied improvisation with Gary Versace and composition with Rudolph Komorous, David MacIntyre, Martin Gotfrit, David Crumb and Robert Kyr.
In what little remains of his spare time, he enjoys fly fishing, building fine acoustic and electric guitars and basses, and volunteering with the Nunya Academy in Dzodze, Ghana.
I love sharing the jazz tradition with students. What I enjoy most is watching students find their own voices as they learn skills and develop abilities that will enable them to live fulfilling lives rich with creative activity. I see jazz as a vehicle for self expression, collaboration and exploration, and want to make my teaching reflect those values.
My research is focused on performing, composing and recording. In particular, I am interested in integrating rhythms from Carnatic music and West African traditions with my playing, composing and arranging in a jazz context. I write for large and small ensembles, often including mixed ensembles of vocalists and instrumentalists. I also write words, especially about philosophy of education, teaching improvisation and investigations into the nature of improvised music practices.
Recently I have been collaborating with Clyde Reed, an economic historian, bass player and emeritus professor at Simon Fraser University. Our recent work on path dependence and improvised music is published by Oxford University Press.
Articles/Chapters
Burrows, Jared and Reed, Clyde. Free Improvisation as a Path Dependent Process. Chapter in G. Lewis & B. Piekut (eds.) Oxford Handbook of Critical Studies in Improvisation. Oxford University Press, 2017.
Burrows, Jared. Developing Community-based Music Initiatives. College Music Symposium. Vol. 46, 2010.
Burrows, Jared. Grow Yer Own: Innovative Approaches to Elementary School Band Repertoire. The BC Music Educator. Vol. 51, No. 1, 2008.
Burrows, Jared. The Value of Community Music Education Programs. The BC Music Educator. Vol. 50, No. 3, 2008.
Burrows, Jared. Reflections on playing and teaching. The BC Music Educator. Vol. 50, No. 2, 2007.
Burrows, Jared. Musical archetypes and the collective conscious: cognitive distribution and improvised music.Critical Studies in Improvisation. (inaugural issue). Guelph, Ontario: University of Guelph Press, 2004.
Burrows, Jared. Confronting existential questions: the benefits of free improvisation in jazz pedagogy. IAJE Jazz Research Proceedings.Kansas: IAJE Press, 2003.
Recordings
As ensemble leader:
Burrows/Campbell/Golia/Reed, Tales from the Zoo. Third Rail Music, 2018.
Breathing Machines, Narwhal Plays the Music of Ridley Bishop, 2017.
Delta Quartet. Third Rail Music, 2011.
Jared Burrows Trio Aspects. Third Rail Music, 2009.
Ta Ki Ta. Third Rail Music, 2005.
Jared Burrows Trio Plan on Stan.Third Rail Music, 2003.
The Knotty Ensemble Live. Third Rail Music, 2002.
Jared Burrows Trio December Sessions. Third Rail Music, 2001.
The Knotty Ensemble Knotty Bits. Third Rail Music, 2000.
Jared Burrows Quartet Northern Exposure. Third Rail Music, 1999.
As ensemble member:
Len Aruliah Quintet, No Complications, 2017.
Brad Muirhead 4Tet, In/Out/Old/New, 2018.
Dave Robbins Electric Band Zap! Cellar Live Records, 2013.
Koan Who Hears?, 2009.
Chris Trinidad Quartet. Iridium Records, 2008.
Len Aruliah Quartet Full Circle. Independent UK release, 2007.
Sukha Trio Sukha. Third Rail Music, 2004.
Clark/Burrows/Taylor Scenes From? Third Rail Music, 2002.
Conferences/Papers/Seminars
2017: BCMEA Honour Jazz Band Director, Annual BCMEA Conference.
2016: Creative Guitar SymposiumI was one of 6 guitarists selected from across North America to participate in this 4 day event featuring teaching, performance, collaboration related to improvisation and guitar performance. University of Guelph.
2014: Jazz Combo Basics and Jazz Education panel coordinator, BC Music Educators Conference workshop for primary and secondary school teachers, Vancouver, BC.
2013: Improvisation is for Everyone. BC Music Educators Conference 2013 workshop for primary and secondary school teachers, Vancouver, BC.
2010: Free Improvisation as a Path-dependent Process. Paper.College Music Society Pacific Northwest Conference, Bellevue, WA.
2010: Talkin Digital Music Blues. Paper. College Music Society Pacific Northwest Conference.Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA.
2009: Improvisation for all musicians. community engagement project/workshop with University of Minnesota wind ensemble. College Music Society National Conference. Minneapolis, Minnesota.
2007: Developing Community MusicInitiatives. Paper. College Music Society National Conference, Salt Lake City, UT.
2007: Motivic development and harmonic movement in the music of KennyWheeler. Lecture/workshop. Stanford Jazz Workshop, Stanford University.
2007: Developing Community Music Initiatives. Paper.College Music Society Pacific Northwest Conference, Boise State University.
2005: Considering Curricular Challenges: Balancing Emerging Student and Cultural Demands with Traditional Teaching and Learning. Invited panel member.College Music Society National Conference. Quebec City, QC.
2005: Creative Music Think Tank. Invited panel member. Vancouver Creative Music Institute, Vancouver Community College. Vancouver, BC.
2005: Balancing Curricular Demands for the 21st Century.Paper.College Music Society Pacific Northwest Conference.Linfield College. McMinnville, Oregon.
2004: Imagining a New Music Education: Learning Through Improvisation.Imaginative Education Research Group Conference. Lecture/workshop, Vancouver, BC.
2003: Confronting Existential Questions: the Benefits of Free Improvisation in Jazz Pedagogy. Paper.International Association of Jazz Educators Conference.Toronto, ON.
2003: Confronting Existential Questions: the Musical and Educational Benefits of Free Improvisation. Paper.Northwest Philosophy of Education Society Conference. University of BC, Vancouver, BC.
2002: Confucian Philosophy and the Jazz Improvisor. Paper. Intellectual Frontiers of Music Conference.University of Aberdeen. Aberdeen, Scotland.
2002: Confucian Philosophy and the Jazz Improvisor.Paper. Investigating Music Performance Conference.Royal College of Music, London, UK.
2002: Confucian Philosophy and the Jazz Improvisor. College Music Society Northwestern Conference. Willamette University, Salem, Oregon.
Performance Highlights
Burrows/Morena Quartet tour of BC and Alberta, February 2019.
Concert and recording with Trichy Sankaran and the Offering of Curtis Andrews, September 2018.
Concert and recording with Vinny Golia, June 2018.
Vancouver International Jazz Festival 1994 - 2018 Numerous performances by Jared Burrows Quartet/Sextet/Trio, Karen Graves Quartet, Sound and Fury, Bruce Freedman Quartet, Musart, Len Aruliah Quartet, Karen Graves Quartet, Graves/Burrows Ensemble, Knotty Ensemble, Clark/Burrows/Taylor, Indigent Fauves, Delta Quartet, Koan, Djangophilia, Clark/Burrows Quartet, Brad Muirhead Trio. Opened for John Scofield with Dave Robbins Electric Band at 2013 Festival.
South Delta Jazz Festival. Several performances every July with artists from US, UK and Canada, 2004-18.
Sangati. Concert of Carnatic music with Dr. Vidyasagar Vankayala and Prabha Sivaratnam. February 2013.
Jazz at Presentation House Series. Numerous performances in this weekly series. April 2007 to present.
Colin MacDonald Pocket Orchestra. Annual chamber orchestra performances and recordings of new works by MacDonald, Nyman, Martland, Fitkin. Various venues, Vancouver, January 2007-present.
Dangerous Improv Series. Dance and improvised music series at Roundhouse, Vancouver, February 2009.
Improvised Music and Moving Image Festival. Guest artist and ensemble director in residence.Improvising musicians with experimental video art and classic silent films. Eugene, Oregon, 2004-09.
Moon Festival Orchestra. Annual collaboration between jazz and traditional Chinese musicians for Chinese lunar festival. Vancouver, 2004-10.
Stanford Jazz Workshop. Performances with Lee Konitz, Yosvany Terry, Ngugu Chancler, Roni Ben-Hur, Dayna Stephens, Bennett Paster and others. Palo Alto, California, 2007.
Indo-Jazz Connections Concert Series. Cross-cultural collaboration project with tabla player Hari Pal, 2004-08.
Freedom Festival of Improvised Music. Concerts with 18 musicians from all over the USA and Canada. Held during March and April at the Western Front and other venues, Vancouver, 2003-06.
College Music Society Pacific Northwest Conference duo performance with tabla player Dr. Terry Longshore. Douglas College, February 18-19, 2006.
College Music Society Pacific Northwest Conference performance with Sal Ferreras and Julia Nolan, Boise State University, 2007.
Quebec City Performances with Francois Cote and Pho Trio at L'Emprise jazz club. November 4-6, 2005.
Music In Alternative Spaces Concerts series of six performances with Sukha Trio at branches of Vancouver Public Library. Funded by a grant from the Canadian Music Centre. October-December 2004.
Vancouver Fringe Festival performed and composed score for the Vancouver Fringe Festival production of May, Maybe by Xiang Performance Group from Taiwan. September 5-15, 2002.
Vancouver New Music Mixtophonics Series concert with saxophonist Colin MacDonald. November 2001.
Burrows/Kohler Quartet Tour, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Oregon. June/July/August 2001.
Burrows/Kohler Duo Tour, Alberta and Montana. June/July 2000.
Jared Burrows Quartet Tour, British Columbia, Alberta, Oregon, Washington and Montana. June/July 1999.
Jared Burrows Trio Tour, Oregon and British Columbia. June 1998.