Jazz Bands host final concerts

By Olivia Gard
Ames247 staff writer

The last concert for Jazz Bands 1 and 2 will take place at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Martha-Ellen Tye Recital Hall in Music Hall. Each ensemble will be playing four to five pieces.

The concert is an opportunity for students to hear their peers perform jazz, a unique style of music marked by on-the-spot improvisation and pop-like elements. Students can often times easily relate to jazz band music, said Michael Giles, director of Jazz Band 2.

“The vibe is really relaxed,” Giles said. “People clap in between solos, during the tune. It’s relaxing, it’s not stiff.”

For graduating members, the concert also may represent a final tribute to the improvements and memories they have experienced as musicians in the jazz program. Jonathan Thoma, senior in music, describes it as “bittersweet.”

“I was a terrible bass player when I first came in,” Thoma chuckled. He said the jazz directors helped him improve over the years.

Now, Thoma is a bass player for Jazz Band 1 and will be recognized in the concert Wednesday. He has been involved in many aspects of the music department, including ISU Orchestra, both jazz bands and smaller jazz combo groups.

Both ensembles will be playing new music for the concert. Jazz Band 2 will begin, and Jazz Band 1 will end with “Channel One Suite” by Buddy Rich. Students will improvise solos within the pieces. Thoma describes this as “energizing” and “electrifying.”

“If somebody stands up to the microphone, they’re making that music right then. It’s right there,” Thoma said. “You know, if it wasn’t recorded it would be gone forever.”

Jazz Bands 1 and 2
When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Martha-Ellen Tye Recital Hall, Music Hall
Cost: $2 students, $4 adults