What elements set certain composers apart from their contemporaries? In any genre, there are those who “raise the bar” and gain respect both for being prolific and breaking traditions of harmony and form. Jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter took his cue from ground-breaking composers before him such as Duke Ellington and Thelonius Monk, helping to create new directions in jazz while being a member of the bands Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Miles Davis Quintet and Weather Report in the 1960s and 1970s. We will examine many of the songs written for these groups, as well as those written for his many albums as a leader (for Blue Note Records), looking at his unique way of combining melody, harmony and rhythm. Students will also be encouraged to compose and arrange “short” songs, using some of the techniques learned. Compositions will be performed in Music Workshop.