“One! Two! At sixty-three again!” At Mr. Michael Schwartz’s cue, the Jazz Band launches into The Beatles’ “All My Loving.” It’s a slinking, swaggering piece, and as I walk across room 309, my stride involuntarily falls in line with the band’s rhythm. It’s a Wednesday, and Wednesdays mean rehearsal. Mr. Schwartz wields his trumpet like a third limb, alternating between doubling the band’s parts and calling out mistakes. All the while, his right foot keeps time. Room 309’s daunting windows and impressive square footage dwarf the band, but the sounds of saxophone and clarinet and tuba still fill the space. The band woodsheds until 3:50 pm, at which point students pack up their instruments and head to their next obligations.
A typical rehearsal might lead you to believe that Jazz Band is a class, albeit a suspiciously sparse one. However, Jazz Band occupies a peculiar gray area: it’s officially a club, but it takes place during “tenth period,” and its members earn half a credit and a grade. To further sweeten the deal, this half credit comes at the low, low time investment of one after-school rehearsal per week. This allows students who can’t fit a music class into their nine-period schedule to still participate in the music program. The perks of a half-credit and grade boost are undeniably enticing. But while Jazz Band does offer some benefits—and what South High student could turn them down?—its members stay for more than the grade.
“[Jazz Band] is special because you can bring your friends and play instruments together,” says junior Kimberly Chan, who plays the alto saxophone and has been part of Jazz Band for two years. “It’s a smaller activity compared to Symphonic Band or Wind Ensemble, so you don’t feel like you’re playing with random people. […] Outside of school, we play video games together, we talk a lot, we discuss what pieces we want to play—the people [in Jazz Band] are really cool.”
Due to its members’ closeness, subsections of Jazz Band sometimes get together to perform at school events. Last year, Henry Xu (junior, piano), Alexander Chang (junior, double bass), Ben Li (sophomore, double bass), and Kimberly Chan (junior, alto saxophone) performed Joe Hisaishi’s “Merry-Go-Round of Life”—which you probably know from Howl’s Moving Castle—at Coffee House. Though the students represented Jazz Band, they coordinated and rehearsed on their own time.
Every year, the full band plays at the winter concert and for the Great Neck Retired Teachers Association. The location of the latter event varies, but last year’s performance took place at the Glen Cove Golf Club. After playing for the retirees, the band, as part of an annual tradition, was served ice cream sundaes. Plans for the winter concert remain more static between years—Jazz Band consistently performs its staples “Winter Wonderland” and “Frosty the Snowman,” but this year’s members hope to incorporate more modern pieces into their repertoire.
“A lot of the group members, me included, want to play different songs this year: maybe the ‘Pink Panther Theme’ or something by Laufey,” says junior Henry Xu, who plays the piano and has been part of Jazz Band for two years. “This year, we want to rehearse more often, make sure everyone follows through with their music, and provide sufficient aid for anyone who needs it. We also want to increase our reach in terms of performances.”
Evidently, Jazz Band’s members have no shortage of enthusiasm. However, they face a serious concern: the band’s numbers dwindle with every graduating class. Jazz Band isn’t facing extinction, but in the almost desolate vastness of room 309, the band seems quite a bit smaller than it actually is. Jazz Band’s members are well-aware of their numbers problem: as of now, they’re on the lookout for more trombonists, trumpeters, and perhaps vocalists.
“To join, just have an interest in jazz music,” says Henry. “Your proficiency level, while important, isn’t that serious. People often join the band and work on their musical skills here. For example, Kimberly Chan originally joined Jazz Band to play flute. However, she learned how to play the saxophone during the process, and that became her instrument.”
If you don’t believe Henry, take it from Mr. Schwartz, the Department Head of Performing Arts and director of Jazz Band: “Some people aren’t familiar with jazz, and they’re intimidated by that. But we don’t expect our high school students to know how to play jazz. You may not have had the experience, but once you jump into it, we teach you how to swing and play in a jazz style. And that’s something that I love doing—I love teaching students to play this style of music.”
When asked if they’d like to say anything else, every single Jazz Band interviewee responded (word-for-word, no less) to “Join Jazz Band!” After all, the only people capable of breathing new life into the band are students.
“If you have any interest at all,” says Mr. Schwartz, “just come down on Wednesday after school, sit in on a rehearsal, and listen to the music that we’re playing. You won’t regret it.”
