Jazz Band Returns For Third Tri! by Lily Lokker
After a trimester-long break, Saugatuck High School's Jazz Band has returned! The zero-hour class boasts almost 30 members, a much larger group than in previous years. In preparation for the Spring Collage Concert, the Jazz Band is preparing a variety of songs from different time periods and jazz styles, so they're sure to play something you'll recognize.
Saugatuck High School's Jazz Band begins at 7:35 each morning, and rehearses each day of the week except Monday. When asked why Mr. Holtz gives jazz band students Mondays off, he had this to say: "It's hard enough to wake up on a Monday, much less another 45 minutes early." The 7:35 start time may sound way too early to some, but before Saugatuck Middle and High School changed school starting hours from 8:00 AM to 8:30 AM, the Jazz Band had to meet at 7:15. It can be hard to get back into the flow of things after just a weekend off, but what about a whole trimester? When asked about this, Mr Holtz answered, "You spend the first trimester getting your jazz style down and unified and perfected, and then you take a trimester off, and it just takes time to get that back together."
The upcoming Spring Collage Concert includes all musical classes offered through Saugatuck Middle and High School, including the Sixth Grade Band, Middle School Band, High School Band, Choir, and Jazz Band. The idea of the Collage Concert is that there is a very small amount of silence between each piece of music-it all comes together, hence the name of the concert. Along with the groups performing, band director Andrew Holtz allows students to perform "spotlight acts" at the concert-they can prepare a solo or small group piece.
The Jazz Band is preparing some well-known titles for the concert, including Vehicle by The Ides of March, and the theme from Mr Roger's Neighborhood. When asked about which songs he was most excited about, Mr. Holtz said, "I really like the arrangement of 'Vehicle' that we're doing. I think it's really exciting and really fun to listen to, but the one I'm actually most excited about is 'Won't You Be My Neighbor," just because Mr. Rogers meant a lot to me. Not just when I was a kid, but as an adult, I appreciate and embrace his philosophy on life, and just that "caring adult" that lets people know you're a safe person to be around. And I've always appreciated him for the person that he was, and I'm excited to play that title for that reason."
The Collage Concert isn't the only time the Jazz Band is performing, however. The local Music Boosters program has been working with Mr. Holtz to create another event, aiming to bring visibility of the school's music program into the community. This event will include only the Jazz Band, as it is a smaller group than the High School Band, allowing for more flexibility. One idea proposed was a jazz concert taking place at the SCA. The Jazz Band is working hard to prepare as many pieces as possible for this event. If you heard them perform at Saugatuck's Christmas Concert this past December, you may recognize some of the titles, including Peanut Vendor and Hot Chocolate from "The Polar Express," which the Jazz Band has renamed "Boxed Water" to better fit the time of year.
When asked about his favorite part about teaching this group of students, Mr. Holtz had this to say: "I think it's really cool to work with a group of students that are there 100% because they want to be there. When you're teaching a class, during the school day, you've got to be in school. You're gonna take a class, it's just a matter of 'What class are you taking?' When you're there for Jazz Band, you're there for Jazz Band, because it's a zero hour class. Your alternative is to be in bed, so the fact that you're there means a lot. Like, you are there to learn about this style of music. I also think it's interesting to watch kids grow in their confidence as far as improv goes, because nobody is confident about improving at the beginning. I think that's an important skill, just because it's like life. You'll need to improvise problems as an adult someday, and that's a good mental skill to develop when you're young."
The Collage Concert takes place on May 4th, 2023, and the SCA Concert is currently on track to happen in late April. Don't miss your chance to see this amazing group perform!
Saugatuck High School's Jazz Band begins at 7:35 each morning, and rehearses each day of the week except Monday. When asked why Mr. Holtz gives jazz band students Mondays off, he had this to say: "It's hard enough to wake up on a Monday, much less another 45 minutes early." The 7:35 start time may sound way too early to some, but before Saugatuck Middle and High School changed school starting hours from 8:00 AM to 8:30 AM, the Jazz Band had to meet at 7:15. It can be hard to get back into the flow of things after just a weekend off, but what about a whole trimester? When asked about this, Mr Holtz answered, "You spend the first trimester getting your jazz style down and unified and perfected, and then you take a trimester off, and it just takes time to get that back together."
The upcoming Spring Collage Concert includes all musical classes offered through Saugatuck Middle and High School, including the Sixth Grade Band, Middle School Band, High School Band, Choir, and Jazz Band. The idea of the Collage Concert is that there is a very small amount of silence between each piece of music-it all comes together, hence the name of the concert. Along with the groups performing, band director Andrew Holtz allows students to perform "spotlight acts" at the concert-they can prepare a solo or small group piece.
The Jazz Band is preparing some well-known titles for the concert, including Vehicle by The Ides of March, and the theme from Mr Roger's Neighborhood. When asked about which songs he was most excited about, Mr. Holtz said, "I really like the arrangement of 'Vehicle' that we're doing. I think it's really exciting and really fun to listen to, but the one I'm actually most excited about is 'Won't You Be My Neighbor," just because Mr. Rogers meant a lot to me. Not just when I was a kid, but as an adult, I appreciate and embrace his philosophy on life, and just that "caring adult" that lets people know you're a safe person to be around. And I've always appreciated him for the person that he was, and I'm excited to play that title for that reason."
The Collage Concert isn't the only time the Jazz Band is performing, however. The local Music Boosters program has been working with Mr. Holtz to create another event, aiming to bring visibility of the school's music program into the community. This event will include only the Jazz Band, as it is a smaller group than the High School Band, allowing for more flexibility. One idea proposed was a jazz concert taking place at the SCA. The Jazz Band is working hard to prepare as many pieces as possible for this event. If you heard them perform at Saugatuck's Christmas Concert this past December, you may recognize some of the titles, including Peanut Vendor and Hot Chocolate from "The Polar Express," which the Jazz Band has renamed "Boxed Water" to better fit the time of year.
When asked about his favorite part about teaching this group of students, Mr. Holtz had this to say: "I think it's really cool to work with a group of students that are there 100% because they want to be there. When you're teaching a class, during the school day, you've got to be in school. You're gonna take a class, it's just a matter of 'What class are you taking?' When you're there for Jazz Band, you're there for Jazz Band, because it's a zero hour class. Your alternative is to be in bed, so the fact that you're there means a lot. Like, you are there to learn about this style of music. I also think it's interesting to watch kids grow in their confidence as far as improv goes, because nobody is confident about improving at the beginning. I think that's an important skill, just because it's like life. You'll need to improvise problems as an adult someday, and that's a good mental skill to develop when you're young."
The Collage Concert takes place on May 4th, 2023, and the SCA Concert is currently on track to happen in late April. Don't miss your chance to see this amazing group perform!