2008 Woodie Awards
The Idea of North swings with students
Brandon Williams
Issue date: 1/31/08 Section: A&E
Jazz fans and music enthusiasts may want to mark Feb. 15 on their calendars.
The Kirkwood Vocal Jazz Festival is approaching its 10th anniversary. This year's show hosts 15 high school choirs with Kirkwood's Jazz Transit and R.S.V.P. performing at 8 p.m. in Ballantyne Auditorium. The Australian group, The Idea of North, will also be making a guest performance.
"When we started this event we had about half a dozen schools from central Iowa," said Ray Salucka, associate professor, vocal music. " It's grown to be one of the biggest local jazz festivals in the state."
During the day high school jazz choirs will perform in half hour increments and will also be coached by the guest group The Idea of North.
Salucka said that it's a great opportunity for students from small towns to be able to have the chance to share the stage with professional award winning artists.
"Each high school session is recorded onto a CD and a video so students can go back then and look at the work and remember what they did and build on that," said Salucka
Following the high school performances during the day will be the Kirkwood Jazz Transit and R.S.V.P. with songs from Stevie Wonder, Take 6 and Paul Simon. The Idea of North, an a cappella jazz group from Australia, will then perform a full-length concert.
"One of the reasons this is unique is this is the first time this group has ever performed in the state of Iowa or in the Midwest," said Salucka.
"It's rare to get professional jazz choirs to perform in the Midwest. Most vocal jazz is on the east and the west coast and we don't have a lot of big auditoriums around here so to get a group like this is really rare," he added.
Kirkwood's Jazz Transit and R.S.V.P will not only get to perform before The Idea of North but will have the opportunity to participate in a four-hour workshop with them as well.
"It's going to be great to see that high of a group perform," said Sheila Wagner, theatre major and a member of R.S.V.P. "To be able to work with them is going to be a great experience."
The Kirkwood Vocal Jazz Festival is approaching its 10th anniversary. This year's show hosts 15 high school choirs with Kirkwood's Jazz Transit and R.S.V.P. performing at 8 p.m. in Ballantyne Auditorium. The Australian group, The Idea of North, will also be making a guest performance.
"When we started this event we had about half a dozen schools from central Iowa," said Ray Salucka, associate professor, vocal music. " It's grown to be one of the biggest local jazz festivals in the state."
During the day high school jazz choirs will perform in half hour increments and will also be coached by the guest group The Idea of North.
Salucka said that it's a great opportunity for students from small towns to be able to have the chance to share the stage with professional award winning artists.
"Each high school session is recorded onto a CD and a video so students can go back then and look at the work and remember what they did and build on that," said Salucka
Following the high school performances during the day will be the Kirkwood Jazz Transit and R.S.V.P. with songs from Stevie Wonder, Take 6 and Paul Simon. The Idea of North, an a cappella jazz group from Australia, will then perform a full-length concert.
"One of the reasons this is unique is this is the first time this group has ever performed in the state of Iowa or in the Midwest," said Salucka.
"It's rare to get professional jazz choirs to perform in the Midwest. Most vocal jazz is on the east and the west coast and we don't have a lot of big auditoriums around here so to get a group like this is really rare," he added.
Kirkwood's Jazz Transit and R.S.V.P will not only get to perform before The Idea of North but will have the opportunity to participate in a four-hour workshop with them as well.
"It's going to be great to see that high of a group perform," said Sheila Wagner, theatre major and a member of R.S.V.P. "To be able to work with them is going to be a great experience."
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