On Jazz.

You're a guest here, in this low-lit, intimate room. Half nestled, half-sprawled in a studded, leather-and-wood armchair, you swirl your whiskey. Others swirl a similar drink, and some ladies, blood wine.

A voice, smoky and slinky-dressed, low and sultry and breathy, reaches your ears. It almost makes your ears burn - or it could've been the whiskey – and you grin. It's been too long since anyone has heard the likes of Fitzgerald.

Or the rakish smooth-vocal arousal that's signature of Buble. Oh, that voice.

I'm in love with jazz. I think it's awfully witty a manner of making music, with the dancin' round the chords and attitude and the unexpectedness of it all. I think you might be in love with it too, especially if you like the idea of playing the keyboards like that pianist, in Casablanca. 

I thought I'd have to book a flight to the Yoo Ess of Ey (USA) so I can find a mentor, but thankfully, we have one who's already made the pilgrimage for this very quest.

Norman Seck is the Creative Director/Founder of both Primo Music and Elegant Swing.

Having graduated SummaCumLaude from the prestigious Berklee College of Music, Boston, USA, Norman's involvement with the professional jazz circuit has him performing alongside jazz vocalists such as Claressa Monteiro, Mandy Gaines, Anne Weerapass.

When he's not an accomplice crowd charmer, Norman coaches music students, to really create an arts hub out of Singapore. After all, culture does not come with the architecture.

He's coached, and is still coaching, thousands of students - surprised? 

Well, he's the current instructor for the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Jazz & Blues Band, an Academic Associate at the School of Technology for the Arts, Republic Polytechnic (RP). The evil music genius is also involved with music curriculum development for Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) and conducts NAC-AEP educational talks at secondary schools and junior colleges.

But people like me? I'm not going to pretend to be a student that's for sure. Luckily, he's set up a school.

The gist of it: -

Music Theory: Explores basic elements of music. Melody. Harmony. Rhythm. Texture. Timbre. Key signature. Time Signature. Formation of intervals and triads. 

Ear Training: Pitch recognition using Solfege. Conducting basic rhythms. Identifying basic melodic lines and intervals, triads. The equivalent of the secret handshake when you can identify that note. 

Keyboard Lab: Explore the fundamentals of keyboard and learn to play your favorite songs. Playing posture, technique and practice approach are discussed. This earns you the bragging rights because it will take you from being challenged by musical raiders in the Wild Wild West of the music world and winning, because seriously, who else plays jazz around here??

Class size (long and short of it): 5-8 people for Music Theory, Ear Training. 4-6 people for the Keyboards.

Price: $250 for 8 weeks, $35 to register.

To have the maestro play for you at your event/restaurant/partay: http://www.elegantswing.com/#

To be like the maestro himself: http://primomusic.com.sg/about-primo.html