May 29, 2005
“Big band blows in to inspire future jazz lovers” Observer & Eccentric, Detroit, MI
Corey Micheel-Mays found it hard to stand still as Johnny Trudell’s Big Band filled the Clarenceville High School Auditorium with jazz on Thursday. Micheel-Mays has brought all of the sixth-through eighth-grade students from the district to an early morning concert to introduce them to the American art form. For weeks the Clarenceville Middle School band director has been playing jazz for his students as well as talking about legendary musicians. It’s a huge deal”, said Micheel-Mays. “We’re trying to start a jazz band. I’m surprised how many students are excited, not just band students”.
Ellen Demray was just excited to bring Grandview Elementary students to the concert funded by the Michigan Jazz Festival and a grant from the Music Performance Fund through the Detroit Federation of Musicians, Local 5. “The fifth-graders are playing in the band so we take advantage of any opportunity to expose our children to live performances,” said Demray, Grandview’s principal. “We just went to the DSO. We want to inspire them”.
Fifth-grade students Molly Lemon and Libby Siecinski weren’t new to jazz. They’d both seen concerts before. Zac Schlotta had never heard the jazz live, but that didn’t stop him from clapping in time with the rest of the audience. “I thought it was cool,” said Siecinski, an 11-year old Grandview student. “I like the music they played”. “I thought it was fun”, added Lemon. “I like jazz”.
The overwhelming response of students to the music is exactly what the Michigan Jazz Festival committee was hoping to achieve. If jazz is to survive, the next generation must be introduced to the music.
“It is difficult to get a time to get all of the students here,” said Livonia resident Midge Ellis, the committee member who coordinated the event. “We needed a time that didn’t interfere with lunch or busses because all were bussed here”. Ellis didn’t mind putting dozens of hours in to make the event a reality. The concert carries on a tradition that began with the Clarenceville Jazz Series, which brought musicians such as Stan Kenton and Woody Herman in to the Clarenceville High School to perform and give workshops.
On Thursday, George Benson told the next generation about the tenor sax he was playing. One by one, several members of the big band stood up to talk about their instruments. Mike Rumbell gave a demonstration of the trombone, saying it was one of the original jazz instruments and that it could do something no instruments could do as he demonstrated the slide. Rumbell, a Farmington Hills resident, teaches instrumental music at Northville High School and leads their award-winning jazz band.
Before the concert several of the musicians, including bass player Ray Tini of Livonia, gave their reasons for rising early to put on the show for hundreds of fourth-through eighth-grade students from Clarenceville’s middle and elementary schools. All want to share their love of jazz with the younger generation. “Jazz isn’t something you see in pop culture. It’s often more appreciated in Europe than America,” said Rumbell. “it’s important to pass the art along to students in live concerts. You always have to be an evangelist for jazz.” Micheel-Mays plans on spreading the word about jazz with the new band at Clarenceville Middle School. Within the next several weeks about 230 students will have the opportunity to audition, but first the school needs to raise money for a piano, drums and music. “We’re thinking about selling piano keys as a way to raise money”, said Micheel-Mays. There’s no stopping it now unless the school burns downs.”
To make a donation or for information no the jazz band, call Micheel-Mays at (248) 473-8915.