April 04, 2024 By Rebecca Dust
YouAlberta is written by students for students.
Rebecca is in her final year of her BSc majoring in biology and minoring in music. She is a born and raised Edmontonian who loves exploring Edmonton’s dynamic arts scene. When she’s not in the lab with the fruit flies, she’s in the practice room playing the piano or trumpet. She hopes to one day be accepted to medical school!
When I began my undergraduate degree in 2019 as a neuroscience Honors student, I was extremely immersed and occupied by my courses, but something was missing. A year before, in high school, I was on Bear Tracks, deciding between a science degree and a music degree. I was confident in my choice of neuroscience and I loved what I was learning in class, but it came at the expense of not being a part of engaging musical experiences.
The reality was, in 2019 at the U of A, there were few opportunities for non-music students to engage in bands on campus without applying for a course overload. These opportunities were within the music program and deeply rooted in the classical repertoire; necessary and important to the music community on campus, but just not for me. What I wanted was to be in a jazz band again. The energy, intimacy and community within a jazz band are unmatched and engage the public in a way that draws them into a wide genre of music a jazz band can play. Where was this band on campus?
As it turned out, the U of A did not have a jazz band and hadn’t had a jazz band for years! Before I could mourn this lack of opportunity on our campus, a pandemic hit that shut down all possibilities of any bands to run for the next two years.
Fast-forward to the fall of 2022, the U of A was back to in-person operation and more than ever, I needed to return to my musical roots and be in a band. If the opportunity to be a part of something is not already there, then what is stopping us from creating that opportunity ourselves?
By October 2022, there was a U of A Jazz Band with the help of the former U of A Jazz Band director, Dr. Tom Dust. Working together, the two of us, along with other hard-working and dedicated students, revitalized the Jazz Band. Within a year, we had two bands with a total of 50 members! We have two amazing volunteer directors, Dr. Dust and Mr. Curtis Farley, and the bands perform sold-out concerts multiple times a year.
Who are these musicians? Who is dedicating their Thursday nights to extracurricular band rehearsals?
These are science, engineering, education, arts and high school students along with faculty and alumni. These musicians are people who have found their way back to a passion that maybe, like me, thought they had to leave behind at one point.
The beauty of the U of A Jazz Band is in our motto… music is for all. No matter your academic background or status on campus, you deserve an opportunity to revisit passions that make you happy and balanced.
To see the U of A Jazz Band’s Green and Gold Bands in action, we are hosting our final concert at the University Club on Friday, April 5, at 7 p.m. Hear the sounds of the Big Band Era with live music and a dance floor that needs filling. Tickets are $20 at the door, cash or card, and include hors d ’oeuvres. We hope to see you there!
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