Village Squire, 1980-02, Page 10He believes stage band experience helps students to develop
as players, because they have to know the music and they know
they have to play solo parts. Some of the Knights of Jazz
members intend to pursue an education in music, and many will
discover stage band is part of the university course.
Blake Smith further contends that providing more than one
form of music for high school students is giving them a
well-rounded musical education. Several schools in Bruce
County and the Kincardine area have a stage band that runs in
conjunction with a concert band.
In January, Mr. Smith was hoping to form a junior concert
band in Kincardine as well as a junior stage band to serve as a
training ground for replacements for Knights of Jazz graduates.
Many of the members have been with the jazz ensemble since it
began, but almost half of them will graduate this year.
All 22 musicians in the Knights of Jazz are regular members of
the music classes at the school. Membership in the group is
based on invitation. "In September, every part is open to
challenge - including my own," explains Smith.
At the end of September, he picks the people that he feels are
best suited to play all the parts. Every year one or two Grade 9
students "through dint of an awful lot of hard work" are able to
join the organization. Most Grade 9 students are new to
instruments, but a few have one or two years experience. Three
of Kincardine's feeder elementary schools have instrumental
programs, and two more started them this year.
Knights of Jazz repertoire covers everything from the
beginning of the big band era to the contemporary - Maynard
Ferguson, Buddy Rich, Stan Kenton.
JAZZ CLINICS
They try to attend as many clinics and/or concert sessions that
the big bands do as possible. For example, last fall some of them
went to the Buddy Rich and Maynard Ferguson concerts in
London. For the past two summers, the seniors have gone to a
jazz clinic run by Phil Nymans and his group at the University of
Toronto during the first week of July. Smith hopes this will be an
on-going program with more juniors attending. Two of the
students are studying privately with professional jazz musicians
in Toronto.
Band members study
with jazz pros
Belonging to the Knights of Jazz requires talent, hard work
and dedication. Rehearsals are held three times weekly -Monday
afternoon from 3:30 to 5 p.m. and Wednesday and Thursday
mornings from 7:30 to 8:45 a.m.
In an average year, they perform 15 to 20 concerts. During
their five years of existence, they have competed in the Owen
Sound Music Festival twice and the Stratford Music Festival
once. They have taken two one-week tours to Northern Ontario,
raising their own money for the tours.
The group is enthusiastic, and according to Jane Buckingham,
who has been one of the drummers with the Knights of Jazz for
three years: "It's fun!" Jane plans to continue her music studies
and to obtain a teaching degree at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New
York.
TRIP TO BRITAIN
Last year was the busiest and most exciting for the band. They
gave 35 to 40 concerts in preparation for a performance in
England in an international music festival. In Great Britain they
performed with bands. orchestras and choirs from around the
' PG. 8 VILLAGE SQUIRE/FEBRUARY 1980
world - Italy, Malta, Germany, Japan and Argentina. The only
other Canadian representative was a combined orchestra and
choir from Regina, Saskatchewan.
Before their trip. they were fortuante to receive support and
donations from individuals, service clubs and businesses in the
town, but they also worked hard to raise money for their
expenses. They held a car wash, a bake sale, dances and
concerts. They shovelled manure and shovelled snow, delivered
flyers during the election campaign, gathered garbage at the
plowing match. catered and were waiters. busboys and coat
check girls.
"You name it, we did it!," says Mr. Smith. In spite of the
work, he is convinced the trip was worth it and he'd do it all
again. "The experience for the kids was unbelievable," he
explains.
They benefited not only from the experiences in Great Britain
but also from their preparations for the trip. They learned that
they have to pull together as a unit not just musically but in
raising funds as well. The Knights of Jazz have an invitation to
return whenever Blake Smith feels they have a band worthy of
going. It will give the junior musicians something to aspire to
1980 will be another busy year for the Knights of Jazz. They
hope to participate again in the Owen Sound Music Festival and
the Stratford Music Festival. They have tentative plans for a
concert in Kincardine in March or April and definite plans for a
concert in Kincardine in late May or early June. In addition, they
have applied to give an afternoon performance at Ontario Place
the last week of June - a fitting climax to the school year.
Mr. Smith describes the Knights of Jazz as "a good group to
work with. very enthusiastic." Anyone who would like to bring
the enthusiasm and the music of the Knights of Jazz to their
area can contact Blake Smith at Kincardine District Secondary
School.
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