The St. Louis jazz band attended the 51st Annual Central Michigan University Jazz Weekend at CMU Friday, Feb. 9, to perform for a crowd and attend a clinic!
The day was long for the band, as the group of musicians left during first hour and returned during seventh hour. The students arrived at CMU, and got prepared for a performance at 9:30 a.m. The band then played two songs for a group of judges and a crowd. After the performance, Rob Kilips, a professional musician, provided a clinic filled with great advice for the students!
“I really enjoy when other musicians work with my students,” stated director Stephen Lawhorne. Lawhorne has led the jazz band for many years, and looks forward to the jazz festival every year. “I always come away from those clinics with new ideas to use in the classroom.”
The day wasn’t over there, though. After the performance, the jazz band watched several other bands perform before lunchtime. Following lunch, the band watched a saxophone group play and finished with one last performance before heading home.
Many students enjoyed the day, including junior Rebekah Ross. Ross, a trumpet player in the jazz band, stated, “I really enjoyed going and participating in the events.”
Going to the event wasn’t just a day off from school, though. Watching other bands perform and attending a clinic was very helpful for the band, as Ross explained, “I think listening to the other bands will help us as a band not only find new music to play, but also hear others play the same instruments we play. It helps us get better and set a goal like, ‘Wow, I’m going to play like that one day.’”
For seniors, like pianist Rachel Jewell, the experience was very helpful, but also a little bittersweet. “I absolutely love jazz band. Even though it’s early in the morning, the end result is absolutely worth it,” shared Jewell. “It’s so fun to go hang out for a day and just play music and listen to others play. As a senior I will definitely be sad to be leaving the jazz band next year, but I will always have these amazing memories to keep with me.”
