Around 2,000 central Ohio students experienced a jazz masterclass Tuesday at Ohio State University’s Mershon Auditorium, where trumpet legend Wynton Marsalis and musicians from Jazz at Lincoln Center performed and took questions.
The students, many in school music programs and traveling from as far as Bowling Green in northwest Ohio, were treated to a 45-minute performance called “Jazz for Young People” highlighting staples of the genre, followed by a question-and-answer session with Marsalis and the band.
Naomi Figueroa, a junior at Columbus City Schools’ Fort Hayes Arts and Academic High School who plays alto saxophone and flute, called it an amazing opportunity to hear players better than herself and see how good a musician can get.
Marsalis, the artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, announced in January he would step away from the role after 40 years. He has long placed special emphasis on engaging young people with jazz, a mission on full display at the Columbus event.
Fort Hayes instrumental music director Jochen McEvoy called the experience invaluable for his students and said he plans to bring the discussion back to his classroom.
— NewsForce Staff
