All jazzed up
MMS excited about new band
Staff writer
It’s 7:15 a.m. on a school day, yet noise abounds from the Marion High School band room with drums beating, tubas blaring, and alto saxophones humming.
Each Tuesday and Thursday during the school year, a group of about 12 students gathers together with band instructor Adam Johnson to practice for the newly formed Marion Middle School jazz band.
“Sometimes they beat me to the door,” the second-year MHS teacher said.
Johnson loves the fact the musicians want to be there. The band is not a class, does not count for school credit, and the members must provide their own instruments.
Johnson donates his time just like the eager students.
“They are a really talented group of kids,” Johnson said, “and I am trying to make band a place where they want to be.”
And he doesn’t want that to be temporary.
“It’s all about the future,” Johnson said.
He hopes the students will enjoy jazz band enough that they will want to continue in high school.
The younger students will have an advantage because they will be coming in with experience.
“It’s about growing the program and trying to get them excited,” Johnson said.
What is jazz band?
Johnson said the biggest difference between concert band, which is the common band at high schools, and jazz band is the individual responsibility.
In jazz band, each musician is individually responsible for a piece. In concert band different pieces are played by numerous students.
Johnson also said the jazz band plays faster beats that could be considered “harder” than those in concert band.
“The range of styles is different,” he said, “and they have to learn to play on their own.”
Other than 45 minutes on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, the band is not together during the week.
That means students must practice on their own and practice consistently, if they want to perform during the school year.
“They want to perform, but we’re not quite there yet,” Johnson said.
For now, they will keep arriving at school at 7 a.m. and putting their hard work and own time into getting better.
“They enjoy playing their instruments,” Johnson said, “and they really want to get to the next level.”