The Pendulum
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Thursday, February 26, 2004 • Page 19
Musicians jazz things up at Elon’s 2004 Jazz Festival
Anna Johnson
Reporter
One of Elon’s snazziest tradi
tions was this week: the 2004 Elon
Jazz Festival hosted and directed
by musician, Eton jazz professor,
and associate editor of the
International Association of Jazz
Educators Jon Metzger. McCrary
Theatre doors opened on
Wednesday night, giving Elon stu
dents and faculty the chance to
experience American classical
music: jazz.
The 2004 Jazz Festival featured
Ira Wiggins, Director of Jazz
Studies at North Carolina Central
University; Thomas Taylor, a jazz
musician and professor at several
universities in North Carolina; the
Elon University Jazz Ensemble and
several middle school and high
school bands.
“The festival has grown so
much over the seven years I’ve
done it that I’ve had to expand it to
a two-day event,” said Metzger.
“This year I had to turn down three
bands because there wasn’t any
room in the schedule.” According
to Metzger, the clinicians selected
Photo courtesy of Jon Metzger
Thomas Taylor, pictured above on the drums, was one of the featured clinicians at this year's jazz Festival, host
ed by professor and musician Jon Metz^r. Musicians and clinicians from major North Carolina universities came
to Elon to share in a two-day long festival of learning and performances.
striking talent among the musicians
they heard on Tuesday, to return
Wednesday and perform at the
evening concert after rehearsing as
part of an “All Festival” Big Band.
Even after months of practicing
for this remarkable event, the
artists have maintained their eager
ness to learn more about jazz
music.
“That’s why I only select
artists/clinicians like Ira and
Thomas who are amazing play
ers—but great teachers too,” said
Metzger. “Like them, I know what
it meant to me when I got to rub
elbows with the pros who were
traveling through—the experience
gave me a tremendous amount of
inspiration to work hard to become
better.” Metzger said that just get
ting to hear the players and observe
their actions gave him a target to'
shoot for.
“It’s also a means by which to
perpetuate the music through edu
cation,” said Metzger, “High
school and middle school bands
from throughout the state and
Virginia will travel to Elon for the
opportunity to perform three selec
tions for our visiting artists/clini
cians.”
Another feature of the Jazz
Festival was the short presentation
made by Barth Strempek (School
of Business) and Brian Baker
(School of Communications) about
the connections between music and
these particular areas of study.
Contact Anna Johnson at pendu-
lum@elon.edu or 278-7247.
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