Author: chrisahn

I spent this past week at the UNC-Chapel Hill Summer Jazz workshop, and I would say it was quite the experience.

We spent the first hour and a half of the day with Dan Davis, who taught us about jazz history and even got us to improvise on the piano to the tune “So What.” We learned about journalism with Andy Bechtel in another class, which leads me to this post about what I learned from the UNC-Chapel Hill Summer Jazz workshop. There were many takeaways from the concerts to the people that teach here to the passion of the students that attend, but here are my top 4 takeaways from this workshop.

1. It don’t mean a thing if it don’t got that swing.

I wasn’t really big into jazz styles of music until this week. I would say that I was exposed to a lot of different types of jazz and really liked fusion jazz from the 1970s. I had a good time learning about the history of jazz and how it was influenced by the socioeconomic status of different groups in the U.S. Dan Davis made it engaging and so interesting to listen to while going through the significant events and important people of jazz. I would say that I never knew how interwoven jazz was with the journey African Americans had in this country and how apparent it was in the music of jazz once it was pointed out.

2. Live tweeting was very enjoyable.

This was my first time tweeting or even having a Twitter account in the first place. It was cool to explore social media sites and see how journalists use and gather information from these platforms. I went to a jazz concert on Thursday while live-tweeting, and it was actually very engaging. I paid more attention and tried to capture the big moments in the concert. Although my Twitter account was brand new and had 0 followers, it still felt very much so like I was documenting and sharing the moments of the event to whoever wanted to see what it was like in the future.

3. Improve is hard.

In our piano class, Dan Davis gave us a very simple modal-style piece to improve over. He gave us two chords to play which were Dmaj7 and EbMaj7. I had a fun time learning the chords and learned about what notes sounded good with those chords. But the last performance and playing test really gave me a taste of what these jazz musicians live through. The quick thinking on your feet trying to convey stories and emotions through your note choices without getting caught up in the technical details opened my eyes and gave me a deeper understanding of jazz. I would say it made me appreciate the soloists more than I ever had before.

4. Live music is a special thing.

I was never a person that went to concerts of any kind of music. I only really heard the music live through street performers while walking by. But seeing live music in this format, from being in the audience while a band played on stage, or dancing in front of the band while they jam together, it was really an experience I have never thought of it being. I would take away that I would like to go to more events for live music and the atmosphere it created was really a joy to experience.

Overall, I would recommend that people take this course and come to the workshop. It’s a great way to get your college credits, and doing so while having a good time spells a win-win in my book. 10/10 would do it again.

Stephen Thompson, who goes by Stevie, is attending the UNC Summer Jazz Workshop this year. Stephen is from Lumberton, North Carolina, majoring in economics here at UNC-Chapel Hill.

I had the opportunity to ask Stephen some questions about his experience at the workshop and his personal journey regarding his musical interests.

Q: What brought you here to this workshop and how did you find yourself here?

A: Stephen told me that he is here mainly for the credits that this workshop gives to put toward his college degree.

“I also like jazz guitar so it was a really good match for me,” he said.

Stephen said he’s been in jazz bands throughout middle and high school and was interested in seeing what he could learn here at this camp.

Q: How did you end up playing the guitar?

A: Stephen said that his dad also played guitar, and so when he was growing up, there were always guitars around so he naturally picked on up. His dad taught him basic chord shapes, but he eventually took lessons and learned more guitar over the years.

Q: Do you listen to any other kind of music?

A: Stephen said he listens to a lot of rock and pop music so the jazz guitar fingering patterns and chord shapes aren’t foreign to him. He said his other musical interests pushed him further to attend this workshop and dive deeper into other kinds of music there are.

Q: How is your experience at this camp so far and is there anything that stuck out to you?

A: Stephen’s experience at the camp has been a very positive one. He said that although the days are long he feels that he’s learning a lot and having a lot of fun while doing it. He said he likes the jam sessions and would regularly plug in his guitar to jam with everyone else.

He also said that the Wednesday night concert was his favorite since it was the first time a guitar player performed this week.

Q: Any other takeaways from the Summer Jazz Workshop?

A: One of the takeaways that Stephen mentioned was how nice the instructors were and how into the whole experience they were. They were fully committed and passionate about jazz, and he found it very refreshing in contrast to other learning experiences he has been to.

 

Al Strong opens the first night in a weeklong full of concerts with a bang. The UNC Summer Jazz Camp was blessed tonight with the performance of Al Strong and other renowned players including Rahsaan Barber on the saxophone, Stephen Anderson on the keys, Jason Foureman on the bass, Roland Barber on the Trombone, and Kobie Watkins on the drums.

Al Strong played many original pieces all with a personal connection to himself. He told stories of African American history even having one of his original pieces about Harriet Tubman.

The venue was bright with a stage set with soundboards at the back to project the band’s sounds into the crowd. Microphones also accompanied them to help resonate their wonderful melodies with even more clarity.

One of the highlights of the night was Strong’s original piece titled “The Dog”, which he says is a story about relationships and the backstory behind it not particularly suited for a younger audience. But the piece itself was invigorating with lots of bombastic sections followed by wonderful and passionate solos.

The atmosphere was transformed into a vibe of passion. Throughout the piece, you can see the iconic “stank face” on all of the performers as they stirred the souls of the crowd.

At the end of the concert, Strong got the crowd involved with the music. He initiated a call and response with his soothing voice and tasty melodies. He would sing a line and the crowd would sing it back to him.

As the final chords were played it was clear that this was a moment to remember as the crowd stood in applause in awe of the masterpiece they had just witnessed. The ability to captivate the crowd and take them on a journey through the melodies and rhythms of the pieces was legendary.

In a transforming world, the live music played here tonight serves as a reminder of the timelessness of being in the present and experiencing the now. Tonight truly showcased the impact of jazz on our souls, community, and country.