Renee Alonzo
Jazz students on campus were thrilled at the results of the Texas Music Educators Association Region Jazz Ensemble auditions, which took place on September 14, 2019. Students prepared various jazz pieces to earn a top ranking and in turn earn a spot in the Region Jazz Ensemble, which is comprised of students from numerous schools and districts.
“Region Jazz pushes students to learn difficult music and become better musicians. Those that make the band get to perform with the best of the best in our region and across the state of Texas,” Jazz Director Michael Bradford said.
On campus, student musicians have made it into previous Region Jazz Ensembles. This year, students Jacob Chavez, Matthew Sepko, and Paul Schnoebelen scored seats in the 2019 All-State Jazz Ensemble among other musicians from schools all over Northside and region.
Participants were given their four pieces of music consisting of various Jazz styles and an improvisation guide to prepare for their auditions in late May, and their hard work paid off, although some pieces served as a challenge.
“Jazz, while it’s its own genre has many styles and sub-genres which the students are expected to demonstrate. This audition allows them to gain confidence, showcase their hard work and also evaluate themselves based on their peers and constructive comments from their fellow musicians,” Jazz Director Gabriel Valdez said.
The competition this year was intense and nerve-racking, as students must perform in front of other musicians of the same instrument, but according to saxophonist Schnoebelen, the key to overcoming nerves is to not be intimidated by other musicians.
“Being nervous is something that I have felt auditioning in the past, but, since I’ve improved through
the years, I’ve become less worried about the other competitors while I’m playing and more focused on just playing to the best of my ability,” Schnoebelen said.
Regardless of their placement, the jazz directors were proud of all students’ auditions. For some, this is their first year in the jazz program and their first time auditioning.
“This year as a program our goal is to build up our younger players and rebuild the stable of confident performers. For many students, this was their first jazz audition and for them to overcome the newness of this style of music is a feat to be proud of itself,” Valdez said.
All students who participated in the auditions left having learned more about themselves as musicians.
“Different students have different goals and we as directors have different expectations based on the student. For some, we are looking to see how they perform under pressure. Others we are looking for improvement from the previous year and for our top musicians we are looking for them to successfully perform at the highest level we know they can with the hope they make the region band,” Valdez said.
Students took inspiration from other professional jazz musicians when learning their etudes. “Jazz artists that inspire me are Wynton Marsalis, Lee Morgan, and Clifford Brown. I try to interpret their style into my playing which will help me grow as a musician,” Chavez said.
The jazz program is a stepping stone for student musicians who want to pursue jazz music as a career or continue after high school. It gives them a chance to get used to performing solos in front of an audience and to perform to the best of their abilities.
“I definitely see myself see myself doing gigs or shows after I graduate and I currently have no intention to stop playing music,” Schnoebelen said.
Now, students who made the Region Jazz Band will continue to practice their ensemble music in preparation for their concert on November 16, 2019.