By Ella Willmot, Staff Writer
On Friday at 3 p.m., the award-winning jazz guitarist Jocelyn Gould visited the College’s Paul Recital Hall, located in Schmucker Hall, to lead students in a masterclass. Several students of the Sunderman Conservatory chose to participate, learning and performing under the direction of Gould. Other students, faculty, and community members came out to watch as Gould instructed the students.
The masterclass began with an introduction from Professor Amanda Heim, the Coordinator of Jazz, Lecturer of Saxophone, Coordinator for Recruitment and Outreach, and director of the College’s Jazz Ensemble. Gould then invited interested students to play up on stage so that they can learn under direction.
(By Grace Jurchak/The Gettysburgian)
In tandem with Gould’s specialty, the focus of the afternoon was jazz music, and more specifically, how to be “more swingin.” Students first played the song “There Will Never Be Another You,” a classic jazz tune written by Chet Baker. Gould conducted and guided students on when to take solos, and how to communicate with each other while playing. She stressed that “the thing about jazz music is that it is really community music,” and the importance of being in conversation with the people you are playing with.
Throughout the masterclass, Gould used this metaphor of a conversation to help students understand the importance of connection and communication in jazz, rather than playing everything perfectly on their own. She guided students on the call and response aspect of jazz, and how best to “take what they [another musician] said, say a sentence, make another statement, give the band time to say something back.” Through this metaphor, students learned beyond just the notes, but how to use connection and conversation in their playing to create the “swinging” feeling that is so characteristic of jazz music.
(By Grace Jurchak/The Gettysburgian)
Students then performed another song, “The Charleston,” to practice their new musical conversational skills. After that, students asked questions on how best to improve these skills. Gould’s main suggestion to aspiring jazz students is to “seek out people who really have this feeling they’re playing, it will make you more swingin’ as well.” She said specifically that jazz cannot be learned individually, and that finding other people to “communicate with” is integral to finding the swinging feeling that makes jazz music so distinct.
One student who participated, Nick Alimo ’29, a music education major, mentioned that “it’s always nice when we have chances for masterclasses.” Alimo says that this allows him to “develop his craft,” from someone with more experience. Like Gould, Alimo too says that “in jazz music, communication is key.”
(By Grace Jurchak/The Gettysburgian)
Alongside Friday’s masterclass, Gould also had individual lessons with several of the students in the Sunderman Conservatory. On Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Majestic Theatre, she will perform alongside the College’s Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Heim, along with chamber voice ensemble Camerate, directed by Robert Natter.
