Just Like Jazz - Filed under 'Easy Jazz Orchestra'

Sep 20

Easy Jazz Orchestra demonstrate their talents

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Other posts about Easy Jazz Orchestra Performance

Sep 19

Music As Culture at the Scarborough Jazz Festival

I wrote last night about the sense of camaraderie we've encountered at the Scarborough Jazz Festival and how it reinforced my feeling that music is not just about commerce and protectionism and big business but also about culture and identity, about how individuals and groups make sense of each other and collaborate to create new partnership and music.

This has again been evidenced today at the festival. There has been a workshop event this morning which encompassed two local youth jazz orchestras getting some tuition from Mike Janisch and members of his band. I watched as the musicians really got involved with the orchestra, continually stopping them, pointing out where they were doing things right or wrong or where they need more place more emphasis on a particular piece of the music. I watched as they got literally right into the musicians, making their way to the back of the orchestra to provide some one to one tuition.

And here's the rub, they didn't have to do this. The Mike Janisch Quartet understand the how inspiring it can be for younger musicians to learn from established players, how it is vital to share knowledge, to encourage and cajole, to praise and ensure that music is shared amongst us. That music is culture, and it belongs to all of us.