F.E. Blog 10

BHS Jazz Band

I am honestly not sure if teaching concert band would be the right fit for me. However, if the situation did arise that I needed to teach a band, I would hope it would be jazz band.  I think it is so great that BHS has a jazz band.  I hope that wherever I teach in the future has one.  You learn an entirely new set of skills, while still reinforcing the ones you use in other ensembles.  What really struck me about this rehearsal was Mr. Burdahls warm-up.  EVERY SINGLE STUDENT IMPROVISED! This blew me away.  I do not think that band members in my high school could have done this and these students did it effortlessly.

Mr. Burdahl established this warm-up in such a way that each student played the whole time, mostly comping, and also got a chance to solo.  With this band being at 7:30 am, I was interested to see how quickly the students' brains would wake up to the improvisation.  There are some very talented young musicians in this band.  This did not seem like school for them.  They all honestly seemed to be enjoying themselves.  At the end of this observation, I was given the opportunity to start the jazz band.  It was SO much fun.  I would love to conduct a jazz band for a concert.  I love performing and listening to jazz music, and conducting it is unlike anything else I have done before.  It is almost like dancing.  For Professor M. at MSU... it is dancing! And I love it.