Samuel Edoho-Eket walked into his childhood friends’ home – the Barbers – like he often did after school.
Being in the country music capital of America, one might expect one of the many CDs stacked in the Barbers’ Nashville home to hold the name “Shania Twain” or “Garth Brooks.”
Instead, on the couch next to Roland Barber’s trombone, strategically balanced on top of Rahsaan Barber’s saxophone, or scattered across the kitchen, were a different assortment of names.
Roy Hargrove, Antonio Hart, Wynton Marsalis. Jazz.
Edoho-Eket found his friends in their kitchen, a CD player already blasting one of Hart’s famous saxophone solos. The trio, brought together by rhythms and soul, critiqued the music for hours on end, pointing out their favorite sequences and gathering inspiration.
Years later, after going their separate ways to find work and start their adult lives, the group came back together. And it was jazz that did the trick.
The UNC Summer Jazz Workshop, an annual five-day program in June, teaches students from middle school through adulthood. Participants learn about improvisation, performance, jazz history, and theory from esteemed professional musicians.
Rahsaan and Roland Barber are both on the faculty for the 2023 workshop, while Edoho-Eket is a participant. A friend’s brother told Edoho-Eket about the opportunity and encouraged him to attend, both for the musical experience and to catch up with his friends.
“It’s a dream come true,” Edoho-Eket said.
Edoho-Eket is a multitalented musician, having played trombone for 33 years, alto saxophone for a year and a half, trumpet for seven months, and various recorders since he was a kid.
Growing up in the 1980s and ’90s, Edoho-Eket heard a lot of hip-hop music but said it was too negative for his taste. It was Roland Barber that played Edoho-Eket a J.J. Johnson record their freshman year of high school, causing him to fall in love with jazz.
“To get a window into what it takes to become at that level is really amazing to see firsthand,” Edoho-Eket said.
Having a group of friends who shared his same passion for music inspired Edoho-Eket to build his own skill, he said. Listening to the Barber brothers practice and try out new techniques pushed him to be better.
“It was really interesting seeing up close, what it takes to be a great musician,” Edoho-Eket said.
Edoho-Eket said he enjoys how applicable music is to other aspects of his life, particularly in the lessons it teaches.
“The thing I love about music is, you have to continue working to get better,” Edoho-Eket said.
Just because you can’t play something right now, it doesn’t mean you’ll never be able to get there, Edoho-Eket said.
Even in his job as an IT consultant, Edoho-Eket can utilize the lessons he has gained from music, particularly in his dedication to everything he does.
That dedication doesn’t go unnoticed.
Rahsaan Barber, Edoho-Eket’s childhood friend, complimented the musician on his attitude. Barber said that trait can be used to inspire other students at the workshop.
“One of the [reasons] I think he’s such a great model for our students is the openness to trying things,” Barber said.
Throughout the workshop, Edoho-Eket has played many of the instruments in his collection, including trombone, trumpet, alto saxophone, and bass recorder.
In speaking with Barber, he reflected fondly on listening to jazz records with his brother and Edoho-Eket as kids, noting that the love he had for music was something that began one day and never faded.
“There was something about the creativity of it and also the connection to it,” Barber said.
That connection that Edoho-Eket and the Barber brothers found within jazz music and formed with each other continues to grow stronger.
And if the friends ever miss home, there’s nothing like a week full of brass and blues to bring them right back.
Get to know Samuel Edoho-Eket a bit more:
- Favorite part of the UNC Summer Jazz Workshop: The “Music of Al Strong” concert
- What Samuel is looking forward to: Latin Night and seeing everyone’s combos on Friday
- Favorite piece he’s played: “Black Nile” by Wayne Shorter or “Soppin’ The Biscuit” by Roy Hargrove