On April 23, UHS jazz students performed at the Jazz Extravaganza at Rancho San Joaquin Middle School. The annual event features three UHS ensembles, each playing a 30—to 40-minute set, as well as the RSJMS Jazz ensemble.
Though the event is usually hosted at UHS’s basketball courts, students traveled to RSJMS this year to enjoy more convenient equipment setup and seating at the school’s outdoor quad. Students, parents and directors from both schools collaborated to host the event.
“It’s exciting to meet them,” freshman and Jazz I member Tillie Lerner said. “A lot of my friends are in 8th grade. I tutored some kids here, and my brother was actually here, too.”
At 6:30 p.m., the event kicked off with Miles Davis’ “Milestones,” performed by the RSJMS Jazz ensemble. Unlike the UHS Jazz ensembles, RSJMS does not offer Jazz as a class, but as a club. Students rehearse early in the morning, three days per week. RSJMS director Kevin Homma described how the ensemble plays off of the head—the thematic melody—of a piece, and was able to learn a new jazz standard every few weeks in this way. RJSMS closed out their set with one such piece, “Autumn Leaves.”
Next, the Jazz III ensemble performed a vibrant set, including two new pieces for the ensemble, “Pick Up the Pieces” and “But Beautiful.”
“We just did a bunch of different genres of jazz,” sophomore and Jazz III member Shaya Khalili said. “I had a solo, so playing a slow, nice, smooth solo was nice, and then the ones with more energy—I just love playing with my friends.”
They were followed by the Jazz II ensemble, which performed a diverse set of pieces, notably “Song for My Father,” dedicated to a student’s father, and “The Chicken,” featuring a mosaic of pieces selected by students.
Finally, the Jazz I ensemble—the top ensemble at UHS—closed out the night.
“We played a lot of really interesting pieces,” sophomore and Jazz I member Athena Darway said. “You have to really be really involved in Jazz in order to get some of them, but I had a really fun time playing all of them.”
Occurring just before their last competition, Jazz Extravaganza marks the end of the season for all three UHS ensembles. For many members, it also marks the end of a season full of achievements.
“Earlier in the season . . . we went to Mayfair High School,” sophomore and Jazz I member Nico Higuchi said. “We broke 90 [points] as a score, and we scored the highest in the entire competition.”
While achievements like these stand as highlights of the season, students have grown in more ways than one. Each has had the chance to appreciate the distinctive charm of jazz music and participate in a unique musical ensemble.
“It’s a completely different kind of experience in a jazz ensemble versus, for example, a marching band ensemble,” freshman and Jazz III member Abigail Vanderwal said. “I hope to do jazz all four years, and hopefully get up to Jazz II or Jazz I.”
Through more connections with their RSJMS counterparts, UHS students ensure their program will grow in the future. Additionally, many students hope to not only continue in UHS ensembles but also develop as jazz musicians themselves.
“There’s so many other kinds of music out there . . . but then Jazz, it’s like the music of your feelings,” Khalili said. “You’re nervous, but then what you have to do is just focus and . . . play with emotion.”
