New York – A Jazz Experience
10 Jun 2007 16 Comments
in New York, Reggie and his music
This is the fourth and final installment of my four-part photo album of Reggie’s trip to New York.
The main reason my son, Reggie, and the rest of the River East Collegiate Senior Jazz Band went to New York is to compete at the 12th Annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition and Festival. The sight-seeing is just part of the package. They were already there, so why not make the most of it, right?
Essentially Ellington is a unique program created by Jazz at Lincoln Center to make Duke Ellington’s music available to as many high school music students as possible and to support schools in developing their music programs.
· This year Jazz at Lincoln Center distributed more than 5,400 newly transcribed Ellington scores, reference recordings and additional educational materials.
· These materials were sent to more than 920 high schools in the United States, Canada and American schools in Bolivia, Brazil, France, Japan, Malaysia and Switzerland.
· 88 bands entered the competition by submitting a recording of three Ellington works.
· The entries were evaluated in a blind screening by jazz education experts RONALD CARTER, LOREN SCHOENBERG and REGINALD THOMAS.
The 15 finalists for Essentially Ellington 2007 were (in order of appearance):
Garfield High School, Seattle, WA
Edmonds-Woodway High School, Edmonds, WA
Roosevelt High School, Seattle, WA
Agoura High School Jazz A, Agoura Hills, CA
RIVER EAST COLLEGIATE, Winnipeg, MB
Mead High School, Spokane, WA
Williamsville East High School, East Amherst, NY
King Philip Regional High School, Wrentham, MA
Greenwich High School, Greenwich, CT
Carroll Senior High School, Southlake, TX
Grandview High School, Grandview, MO
Foxboro High School, Foxboro, MA
Agoura High School Studio Jazz Band, Agoura Hills, CA
Honeoye Falls-Lima High School, Honeoye Falls, NY
Rio Americano High School, Sacramento, CA
2007 COMPETITION & FESTIVAL WEEKEND
The three-day festival began on Friday, May 4th when the finalist bands arrive at Frederick P. Rose Hall for “One-On-One With Wynton Marsalis,” a reading by the essay contest winner, workshops, rehearsals, a banquet dinner and jam sessions with members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JLCO). The three-part competition was in Rose Theater on Saturday, May 5th at 3pm and Sunday, May 6th at 10am and 1pm. The panel judges each band’s performance of three Ellington works. At the May 6, 7:30pm Concert and Awards Ceremony in Avery Fisher Hall, the three top-placing bands performed alone and with Wynton Marsalis, followed by the JLCO performing an all-Ellington set and the culminating awards ceremony honoring outstanding soloists and sections and the three top-placing bands.
1st Place:
Roosevelt High School
2nd Place:
Agoura High School Studio Jazz Band
3rd Place:
Foxboro High School
The Judges:
WYNTON MARSALIS, Jazz at Lincoln Center Artistic Director;
DAVID BAKER, Music Director, Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra;
DAVID BERGER, composer, conductor, and Ellington authority; and
GUNTHER SCHULLER, author, composer, and conductor
Source: http://www.jalc.org/about/news/newsflash.asp?releaseID=104
Here’s what was written about the River East Collegiate Senior Jazz Band at the “Meet the Finalists” Program of the Playbill of Frederick P. Rose Hall, May 2007.
(Names of band director, principal and 18 band members.)
The River East Collegiate Jazz Program consists of the Senior Jazz Band as well as an intermediate jazz band and jazz combo. Throughout this season, the Senior Jazz Band has performed on numerous occasions at the local, provincial and national levels. In addition to working with local musician Ron Paley, the Senior Jazz Band has worked extensively to expand the jazz listening library to further develop the resources available to the students. River East Collegiate Senior Jazz Band has been an Essentially Ellington finalist in 2003, 2004, and 2007.
You can view the pictures of River East Collegiate’s participation in this competition at My New York Photo Album.
A New York Experience Photo Album:
Part 1 – The Sights of New York
Part 2 – Shopping in New York
Part 3 – More sight-seeing in New York
Part 4 – New York – A Jazz Experience
June 20, 2007 Update:
The recordings of the finalists to the 12th Annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition and Festival are now up on the Jazz at Lincoln Center website. You can listen to the three selections each of the 15 finalists played at the competition.
More sight-seeing in New York
06 Jun 2007 11 Comments
in New York
This is the third of my four-part photo album of Reggie’s trip to New York.
The very first day the River East Collegiate group arrived in New York, they went on a walking tour of the city that afternoon. They saw Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, etc.
The following days, when they were not at the Jazz at the Lincoln Center, they were walking through Midtown and Manhattan. It was on the second day when they dropped by the Today Show on NBC. Reggie and his friend Clay were on camera for about four seconds. I missed it. I was watching Good Morning America on ABC.
They also went to the Ed Sullivan Theatre where the Late Show with David Letterman is taped. And if you watch this show, you must be familiar with Rupert from Hello Deli. Reggie got to meet Rupert and even took a video clip and they had a picture together too.
They also went to the Grand Central Terminal, The New York Public Library, Central Park, Times Square, Ground Zero, Ellis Island, etc.
When they were starting to line up to go to the ferry that would bring them to Ellis Island to see the Statue of Liberty, there was this street musician who was then starting to pack up. When he learned that the group was from Canada, he stayed and played “O Canada,” our national anthem, much to the delight of the group.
You can see more pictures at My New York Photo Album.
Next time: New York – A Jazz Experience.
A New York Experience Photo Album:
Part 1 – The Sights of New York
Part 2 – Shopping in New York
Part 3 – More sight-seeing in New York
Part 4 – New York – A Jazz Experience
Shopping in New York
04 Jun 2007 18 Comments
in New York
This is the second of my four-part photo album of Reggie’s trip to New York.
Reggie and his group visited not only Toys R Us, but also FAO Schwarz, another huge toy store and was made famous by the Tom Hanks’ starrer “BIG,” where his character wished he were big and he became an adult overnight. Remember that scene where Tom Hanks played the big electronic floor piano? Well, Reggie got to play that piano, too.
They also visited Tiffany & Co., another store that was prominent in a Hollywood movie, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” starring Audrey Hepburn. Reggie has watched this movie several times and owns not just a copy of this movie but also other movies of Audrey Hepburn. At first I thought that he just fell in love with the song “Moon River,” which Audrey sang at “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” but I think he’s also in love with the young Audrey Hepburn. He has a movie poster of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” which he bought in Brandon, Manitoba when they went there for the spring jazz festival.
You can see more pictures of the stores they went to and passed by on their walking tours at my My New York Photo Album.
More New York pictures next time.
A New York Experience Photo Album:
Part 1 – The Sights of New York
Part 2 – Shopping in New York
Part 3 – More sight-seeing in New York
Part 4 – New York – A Jazz Experience
The Sights of New York
03 Jun 2007 26 Comments
in New York
When Reggie came back from Chicago last year and brought home over 250 pictures, I thought that was a lot. This time, he brought home over 400 photos from New York plus four video clips. I didn’t even know that I could make video clips from my Canon PowerShot A520 digital camera. And I’ve had it for two years now.
I thought I could only choose a few photos to summarize his trip, just like I did with his Chicago photo album. But there are just too many photos that I’d like to share. I narrowed it down to about a hundred. So this will be a four-part series.
The picture that most amuses me is the “No standing” sign on the streets. Reggie said that if anybody do stand still, a policeman will approach the person and tell them to keep walking. The streets are just too crowded and I guess it’s not in your best interest if you don’t go with the flow.
And I was surprised when he told me that sandwiches at the delis where they mostly ate are $15.00 a piece. So expensive.
They rode the subway. We don’t have subways here in Winnipeg, so that’s a first for him.
One more thing I noticed is that there are a lot of tall buildings, huge billboards, taxicabs and just too many people.
You can view the pictures at My New York Photo Album. Don’t forget to read my captions.
Next time, I’ll share pictures of the many stores and landmarks of New York.
A New York Experience Photo Album:
Part 1 – The Sights of New York
Part 2 – Shopping in New York
Part 3 – More sight-seeing in New York
Part 4 – New York – A Jazz Experience
Letting go
03 May 2007 42 Comments
in My life as a mom, New York, Reggie and his music
The only worry I had last night was that I won’t hear my alarm clock and then Reggie would miss his 6:30 a.m. flight to New York. So I told him to also set his alarm just in case I don’t hear mine. I did go to bed earlier than usual. I was in bed at 10:30 p.m. That was way too early for me as I usually go to bed at 1:00 a.m.
I did hear the alarm when it went off at 3:30 a.m. I fixed breakfast while Reggie was in the shower. I woke up his dad at 4:00 and we were all in the car by 4:30. Reggie had to be at the airport at 5:15.
As I sat at the front seat, I thought, so this is it. After months of preparing for this trip, he was finally leaving. We were just pulling up to Henderson Highway when my eyes started to well up and tears rolled down my cheeks.
I was just talking to Lisa yesterday about Reggie leaving and how I cried when he first went away to winter camp in sixth grade. And he was only gone for three days then. And how I still cry whenever he goes out of town on these band competitions and festivals. “I know it’s silly,” I told her. “But I just can’t help it.” She said she also knew about the grade six winter camping and that she thinks that she would also cry when it’s her son’s turn to go, which is still in two years since he’s only in fourth grade now.
I know I told Lisa that I always cry. But I also thought that maybe since I already talked about it, perhaps I wouldn’t cry anymore this time. But there we were, just a couple of blocks from home and I was already crying. Then again, I thought, it’s good that I let these tears out now while I’m still in the car, get it over with and maybe I won’t cry at the airport anymore.
We got there in time. Some of the kids were already there. There were also a few parents. The three chaperones were also there. Reggie met up with his friends. They were taking turns getting their boarding passes on the electronic machine. Then they checked in their baggage. I saw Iian’s dad and chatted with him for a while.
At around 5:30 a.m., the principal, who was also going with them to New York, told them to gather upstairs at the second floor. They could buy coffee if they wanted and they would wait there until 6:00. My husband and I also went upstairs and so did the other parents.
The kids, or I should say the teen-agers, gathered together talking amongst themselves. Reggie was talking to Iian and their friends. Some sat down with their parents. I saw one of the boys had his arms around his mother, her head against his shoulder. I could tell that he was consoling her. I knew how she was feeling. When she walked away, I saw her wipe her eyes. Then one of the girls told her, “It’s a good thing. We’ll be back real soon.” The mom asked her something. And then she said, “My dad dropped me off.” But I bet you that her own mom must also be feeling a little bit lonely even though this trip is a good experience for these kids.
At around 6:00 a.m., the principal said, “Alright ladies and gentlemen, we have to check in at the gate now. Don’t just turn away. Wave to your parents or give them a hug.” I’m glad that she said that. Iian stood up from his seat, followed by Reggie. Iian went up to his dad and gave him a hug. Reggie went towards me and also gave me a hug. He doesn’t usually hug me but I’m glad that he did. I hugged him back and stroked his back. “Okay, you go now,” I told him in my crackling voice. Darn, I should have brought the box of Kleenex with me.
We still followed them up to the departure gate. “I want to go too,” one of the dads said. “Me too,” I said. I asked Iian’s dad if he had ever been to New York. He said no. I said that I have never been to anywhere. Then he said, “Yes, you have traveled halfway around the world.” I said, “Well, yeah, but that’s different.” He said, “of course, that’s for family reasons.” And then we talked about how these kids are lucky that they get this opportunity to travel while they are still young. We never had anything like this when we were still in school.
At around 6:15 a.m. they were all checked in. My husband said that he’d go to the washroom before we leave. I also said that I would go. And of course, once I was alone by myself, I started to cry again. Darn it, I only have two sheets of Kleenex left in my purse. I rolled out a long piece of toilet paper and used it to wipe my tears and blow my nose. Looking at the mirror, I tried to fix myself up before I went out.
Somehow the drive back home took longer. He took a different path. We were still driving when the clock read 6:30 a.m. They are taking off now, I thought. Tears just kept flowing and I cried silently in the car, wiping my tears with my hand, trying to save my remaining tissues.
I know that he’d be back before I know it and that this experience is really good for him especially since he’s pursuing a career in jazz music. I also know that I should let him spread his wings but it’s just too darn hard to let go.
This is the River East Collegiate’s senior jazz band, one of the 15 finalists in the 12th Annual Essentially Ellington Competition and Festival at Jazz at the Lincoln Center in New York City. This is the only Canadian group that made it to the finals so we are very proud of these young talented musicians.
Related posts:
River East jazz band on the Herald
