Spring Break
Jazz festival to feature students
Niki Jensen/ Staff writer
Issue date: 2/7/03 Section: Campus Life
Hundreds of eager students, a handful of devoted music educators and an accomplished saxophonist from the Netherlands will bring jovial jazz to campus this weekend at the 44th annual EIU Jazz Festival.
The festival begins at 6:30 p.m. Friday with an entertaining concert by the EIU Jazz Ensemble.
The Ensemble, composed of 17 student musicians who play the saxophone, trombone, trumpet and instruments of the rhythm section, is one of two big bands in Eastern's jazz program, said Sam Fagaly, associate professor of music and director of the performance.
In addition to student musicians, the concert will feature Dutch saxophonist Dick de Graaf, a gifted musician who has toured the exotic locales of South Africa and New Zealand in support of his previously released albums, a press release stated.
"The concert will be an opportunity for (de Graaf) to gain more exposure in the United States, especially in the Midwest, as he's already achieved elsewhere in the world," Fagaly said.
The event is sponsored in part by the University Board's Human Potential Committee.
Members of the ensemble will play along with the saxophonist while collaborating on some popular jazz standards, he said.
Jazz standards, Fagaly said, "are songs that come mostly from the period of Broadway musicals in the 30s and 40s."
Contemporary styles and pieces, including de Graaf's "Doubtful Sounds," also will be performed, Fagaly said.
As with the different musical styles, solos from de Graaf and featured students will bring varieties of expression to the overall performance, Fagaly said.
Fagaly said fellow music professor Simon Rowe will be playing piano at times during the show.
"He will also be playing a few selections with de Graaf," Fagaly said.
Rowe worked with de Graaf a few years ago in St. Louis and suggested the saxophonist be this year's guest artist, Fagaly said.
The concert will be followed Saturday with a competition among middle school and high school bands in the Grand Ballroom of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.
"There will be 32 groups here this year," Fagaly said.
The bands, two-thirds of which represent high schools, will play before judges who are music teachers, Fagaly said.
The judges will fill out comment cards for each respective band and will rate each band's performance according to a numerical scale, Fagaly said.
With two band classifications at the middle school level and four at the high school level, Fagaly said, "there will be a first, second and third place trophy given (to bands) in each of these classifications."
Fagaly said the schools are classified based on their sizes and band members also will attend clinics Saturday that are specialized for their types of instruments.
Eastern music professor Allan Horney will lead the trombone clinic, Todd Kelly of Bradley University will lead the trumpets, Randy Salman of DePaul University will lead the saxophones and Simon Rowe will help lead the instruments of the rhythm section.
The festival begins at 6:30 p.m. Friday with an entertaining concert by the EIU Jazz Ensemble.
The Ensemble, composed of 17 student musicians who play the saxophone, trombone, trumpet and instruments of the rhythm section, is one of two big bands in Eastern's jazz program, said Sam Fagaly, associate professor of music and director of the performance.
In addition to student musicians, the concert will feature Dutch saxophonist Dick de Graaf, a gifted musician who has toured the exotic locales of South Africa and New Zealand in support of his previously released albums, a press release stated.
"The concert will be an opportunity for (de Graaf) to gain more exposure in the United States, especially in the Midwest, as he's already achieved elsewhere in the world," Fagaly said.
The event is sponsored in part by the University Board's Human Potential Committee.
Members of the ensemble will play along with the saxophonist while collaborating on some popular jazz standards, he said.
Jazz standards, Fagaly said, "are songs that come mostly from the period of Broadway musicals in the 30s and 40s."
Contemporary styles and pieces, including de Graaf's "Doubtful Sounds," also will be performed, Fagaly said.
As with the different musical styles, solos from de Graaf and featured students will bring varieties of expression to the overall performance, Fagaly said.
Fagaly said fellow music professor Simon Rowe will be playing piano at times during the show.
"He will also be playing a few selections with de Graaf," Fagaly said.
Rowe worked with de Graaf a few years ago in St. Louis and suggested the saxophonist be this year's guest artist, Fagaly said.
The concert will be followed Saturday with a competition among middle school and high school bands in the Grand Ballroom of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.
"There will be 32 groups here this year," Fagaly said.
The bands, two-thirds of which represent high schools, will play before judges who are music teachers, Fagaly said.
The judges will fill out comment cards for each respective band and will rate each band's performance according to a numerical scale, Fagaly said.
With two band classifications at the middle school level and four at the high school level, Fagaly said, "there will be a first, second and third place trophy given (to bands) in each of these classifications."
Fagaly said the schools are classified based on their sizes and band members also will attend clinics Saturday that are specialized for their types of instruments.
Eastern music professor Allan Horney will lead the trombone clinic, Todd Kelly of Bradley University will lead the trumpets, Randy Salman of DePaul University will lead the saxophones and Simon Rowe will help lead the instruments of the rhythm section.
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