OBU Jazz Combo goes abroad to participate in British Festival
December 10, 2012 - Ryleigh Salmon
The Ouachita Baptist University Jazz Combo traveled to Liverpool Hope University in
England to participate in the British Association of Symphonic Bands and Wind Ensembles
Festival from Nov. 17-18. The festival included a variety of bands and ensembles from
the Liverpool area.
The trip came about when Dr. Craig Hamilton, OBU’s Lena Goodwin Trimble Professor
of Music and director of bands as well as the music education chair, visited Liverpool
Hope University this past spring. He was invited to return by band director Anne James,
a lecturer in teacher education, to be the guest clinician and conductor for the festival.
The Jazz Combo includes Hamilton; Dr. Sim Flora, professor emeritus of music; Michael
Curtis, a senior music major from Wylie, Texas; Chris Mazen, a senior church music
major from Shreveport, La.; and Zach Zucha, a senior business major from Wylie, Texas.
With Hamilton on trumpet, Flora on trombone and flute, Curtis on bass, Mazen on piano
and Zucha on drums, the group is “basically the rhythm section from the Ouachita Jazz
Band and Dr. Flora and me,” Hamilton said.
When Flora was unexpectedly unable to attend the trip, “Zach, Mike and Chris had to
step up and present the improvisation master classes while I was doing the band clinics,”
Hamilton noted. “They did an outstanding job. I am very proud of the way they ran
the master classes, played in all the concerts and represented OBU on our trip. They
are wonderful men and musicians.”
“We were excited about the opportunity more than anything,” Zucha said. “Teaching
the improv classes was as much a learning experience for us as it was for the students
in the classes.”
“Honestly, I was crazy nervous up front since I had no idea what kind of players were
going to be there and was wondering if I could adjust on the fly to teach effectively,
but things turned out great,” Curtis said. “Of course, it would've been great to have
Dr. Flora there, but we managed to make things work.”
“Liverpool is such a musically rich community,” Zucha added. “There were all kinds
of music being played all over the city at any point in time. With jazz being an American
art form, we were definitely looked at as being ‘the real deal.’ They were very interested
in what we were doing and seemed to really enjoy the music. It made playing for them
so much fun.”
“The festival was phenomenal,” Mazen said. “Listening to the different talent was
great, but we met an incredible piano player over there. … We made some great friends,
and I am still in contact with them.
“I always enjoy working with bands and this was no exception – we had a blast!” Hamilton
said.
Liverpool Hope is Ouachita’s newest partner in international education. The partnership
has facilitated the exchange of several faculty members and students for the benefit
of both universities.
For more information on the Jazz Combo, contact Dr. Craig Hamilton at [email protected] or (870) 245-5137.
By Ryleigh Salmon
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