ARHS Jazz Band rockets towards their biggest show of the year

The ARHS Jazz Band recently held its Singer Soiree, the most important performance of the year for them.

The May 22 concert was the seventh annual year of performing this classy, live event, and the third year The Drake has hosted it. It combined the most talented singers ARHS has to offer and the tastefully curated music from an entire year of practice for the Jazz band.

It was a grand exhibition of young talent that was not to be missed. “Singer Soiree is the biggest one for visibility for Jazz,” said Jazz Band teacher Kara Bear. 

Jazz Band has many performances during the school year ranging from a Valentine’s Gala to performing in ARHS’ original immersive play, The Ring Thief, a mystery set in a late 1960s jazz club. But nothing is as integral to their class’s curriculum as the fundraiser, Singer Soiree.

“Audience-wise, it’s people who go to see chorale and the people that go see Jazz Band,” said senior Julian Camera, one of the band’s two trombone players.

“While it’s a small group, there isn’t a whole lot of time for chit-chat. The most we communicate is musically when we’re playing with each other and listening. It’s a very unique way to spend time with people,” said Tychon Tkachenko Coggeshall-Burr, the Jazz Band’s main pianist.

Being in an intensive music class like this requires all members to be as invested as possible. “It’s a very student-driven class,” said Tkachenko Coggeshall-Burr.

Unlike most electives at the school, this class takes place during a semester-long period rather than only a quarter. Since this class officially took place during the first semester their practice sessions have been moved to the 30-minute ‘Flex Block’ at the end of every Monday.

“It’s terrible, it’s totally terrible,” said Bear when asked about her thoughts on their time allotted to practice together. “It’s just not enough time.”

Despite Bear’s less optimistic view, some of the band members have a more positive outlook on it. “It’s enough time for the number of performances that we have in the second semester, which is much less than the first, but that’s assuming that everyone shows up and practices at home,” said Tkachenko Coggeshall-Bur. 

Along with the time constraints that come with this period, they also have to deal with the first Monday of every month being an Advisory day, that takes the place of the ‘Flex Block’, as well as Monday being regularly affected by holidays. In spite of all of those limitations, ARHS Jazz Band is still on track to play eight to ten fantastic songs for Singer Soiree.

Students who attended Signer Soiree this year were greeted with a core senior rhythm section that was accompanied by talented horn variations that switch between songs, adding an extra layer of excitement and wonder to the entire night.

Audiences were in for a mystery big band chart. Whether they were looking for beautiful voices or talented musicians, that night was like no other for the performing arts of ARHS.