Carson band to perform at festival

The nature of jazz is spontaneity. But when you've only played with the same people, it's easy to fall into a pattern.

Carson High School band teacher Robert Brooks wants to break his students out of that pattern.

"It's really important to have your ideas stimulated," he explained. "You get new ideas from different people. It's really easy to not only take each other for granted, but the music and being able to play together in a band for granted."

He's taking the 22 members of the high school's band to the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival in Moscow, Idaho, from Wednesday to Sunday.

"They're going to benefit more than they know," he said. "You get up there and meet a lot of people with similar interests and it's affirming to know that there are other people who get it. They understand why you get up so early to practice and spend money on lessons.

"They know why you love the music."

The festival is a 37-year tradition where thousands of college, high school, junior high and elementary school students travel from all over the United States and Canada to meet some of the world's greatest jazz performers.

The students participate in vocal and instrumental adjudicated performances and attend concerts and workshops given by the jazz artists.

"It's going to be good to listen to professional jazz musicians in their concerts then learn from them in the workshops," said trombone player John Akerly, 17. "They're people to look up to."

The first indigenous American style of music, jazz is a improvisational form that began in New Orleans in the early 1900s and was popularized in Chicago during the 1920s.

"Songs are based on a series of chord progressions with a melody on top," Brooks explained "In jazz, the chord progression stays the same but the soloist invents a new melody on top. You get the chance to tell a story and that's really the heart of jazz."

Chris Martinovich, who plays lead trombone, is interested to see how other artist interpret the music.

"I'm looking forward to hearing different people and different styles of jazz," he said. "It will be interesting to hear their styles of improvisation."

The trip was paid for through a series of fund-raisers, including a concert at the Brewery Arts Center with the Mile High Jazz Band, where they raised $4,000.

They also performed at Harley-Davidson and the Greenhouse Garden Center as well as other community events.

The owners of Tux Town donated rental tuxedos for the students to wear for their performance Saturday night.

"The reason we're able to do this is because the community really got behind us," Brooks said.

Contact Teri Vance at tvance@nevadaappeal.com or at 881-1272.