CSPA Pop-Up Jazz Workshop with STEVEN FRIEDER
Jump into a small-group ensemble and build your improvisation skills through classic repertoire from the jazz tradition. This workshop is designed for motivated students who are ready to challenge themselves and grow as musicians. We’ll cover key concepts like active listening, jazz history and culture, music theory, rhythm, and group interplay.
Students will spend plenty of time making music together while exploring styles like bebop, Latin jazz, funk, and free improvisation. Interested in pursuing music in high school, college, or beyond? There will be time for Q&A, where you can get real-world advice and insight from instructor and world-touring saxophonist Steve Frieder. Join us for a fun, challenging, and inspiring musical experience!
About the Instructor
New York based saxophonist and woodwind player Steve Frieder has established himself as a versatile, in-demand artist across jazz, pop, indie, funk, rock, club music, avant-garde, and free improvisation. In 2023, he completed a world tour with Boy George and Culture Club, performing at venues including Hollywood Bowl and the Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix. He recently toured with Los Angeles–based psych-soul band Rio Kosta and Hank Azaria and the EZ Street Band.
As a featured soloist, Frieder has performed the National Anthem at Citi Field for the New York Mets and at Madison Square Garden for St. John’s University basketball. He is a member of the Brooklyn-based psychedelic funk group Art Thief and the brass band Shag Horns, and has performed with a range of contemporary artists including Kosta G, Sir Woman, Rio Kosta, Gabi Rose, and Too Many Zooz. In the studio, Frieder has recorded with artists such as Zach Bryan, SHAED, Will Fox, DJ and the Yams, Aubrey Haddard, and Rocco of the Snow. In 2020, he was featured alongside Bob Meyer and Ratzo Harris on hyper-pianist Denman Maroney’s album Martingale. As a composer and bandleader, he has released multiple projects, including Steve World Vol. 1 & 2, The Pink Cassette, and Paul’s Promise—a dedication to Paul Robeson and the Peekskill Riots.
Frieder’s career is defined by a commitment to pushing creative boundaries while maintaining a deep respect for the roots of jazz and blues. He graduated as Valedictorian of The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in 2013. That same year, he appeared at the Bern Jazz Festival in Switzerland, opening for McCoy Tyner, and has since performed with leading jazz artists including Joe Lovano, Jerome Jennings, Andy LaVerne, Kelly Green, and Marc Mommaas. In 2024, he presented solo saxophone concerts featuring improvisations, electronic effects and cassette tape distortions, with performances at In the Mean Time (Los Angeles) and BAU Gallery (Beacon, NY).
An active presence in the New York City and Hudson Valley music scenes, Frieder also teaches private lessons at The Cortlandt School of Performing Arts, working with students of all ages. In recognition of his artistic accomplishments, he was inducted into the Hendrick Hudson High School Music Hall of Fame.