Entertainment
Combo creates fusion
Jazz combo is an untraditional class that teaches music theory, improvisation and the history of jazz. Not only is the class educational, but it is also a performance based band.
Band instructor Randy Hoepker said that the band involves a lot of improvisational skills. “I think it is difficult for people to improvise in front of an audience,” Hoepker said.
Jazz combo is basically a band of eight students that play jazz music. There are three total bands, the regular band, the jazz band and the jazz combo.
The difference between the three is that the jazz band has about 15-16 people and the regular band has a lot more people.
“I think that they like playing their instruments with the freedom of the jazz setting,” Hoepker said.
Jazz combo is a class unlike jazz band which is a before school and after school activity. Jazz combo does a lot more improvisation than jazz band.
“The students in jazz combo class have to think more creatively with the elements of music,” Hoepker said.
Junior Eric Stacy has been playing jazz since sixth grade and it’s his sixth year playing it.
“It’s made me see how music is built and how it’s put together,” Stacy said.
Stacy has found only positive elements to the class.
“There’s nothing to dislike,” Stacy said.
Junior Sam Duncan has been playing jazz for six years.
“It’s (jazz combo) taken up time, and made improvising less scary,” Duncan said.
On top of the improvisational skills and time the class requires, it allows students to express and develop their own musical voice, Hoepker says.
“(Jazz combo gives students ) the ability for each person to develop their own musical voice while being sensitive about how others are communicating with music,” Hoepker said.