University Daily Kansan, August 18. 1983
Page 15
'Jazzy' recruits heighten KU's excellence. reputation
By JUDITH HINDMAN Staff Reporter
Staff Reporter
This year, a KU recruiter landed the bostest player to graduate from a Texas high school in the last five years.
He plays jazz trumpet.
But he doesn't play football, basketball, run track or swim.
AS A JAZZ RECRUIT, he represents
the continuing effort to
upgrade its JAZZ system.
And, if that effort sometimes seems like a one-man band, it's no coincidence.
The KU jazz program, which includes an improved jazz curriculum and a growing reputation in jazz performance, is a direct result of the efforts of Ron McCurdy, KU instructor of music and director of iazz studies.
McCurdy's aggressive recruiting of top high school jazz players is possible only because of KU's growing reputation as having a strong jazz program
"My task is never-ending in recruiting," he said.
ALTHOUGH THE UNIVERSITY of Kansas is behind some schools in developing its jazz curriculum, McCurdy said that an outstanding jazz program was somewhat unusual for this part of the country.
"I can't think of any other program in the Big Eight that is comparable to ours." he said.
Curt Bradshaw, band director for Eastville Community College, Dallas, taught at the KU band camps this summer. He has sent several students to KU even though North Texas State, which has one of the top jazz programs in the country, would be much closer for his students.
"I send them here instead of North Texas because I think Ron will be better for them. He will take care of him. North Texas is a big factory," he said.
KU'S REPUTATION has been enhanced by winning some prestigious titles.
Last year KU won both the Central States Jazz Festival held at Kansas State University in Manhattan and the Wichita Jazz Festival.
McCurdy said that the KU jazz band played mostly big band, and 'cool school' jazz plus a lot of beep in the clubs. Gillespie and Charlie "Bird", Parker
"These guys play like pros." Me:
"I don't know what thing is, they just
need I get them."
"All of our concerts are always packed. Unless you get there early, you won't get to see them."
LAST FALL THE JAZZ band did the warm-up program and was the pit band for the Parents' Day Bob Hope show.
"Five years ago we couldn't have the skills. Didn't have the advanced players."
Three performances last year also enhanced the reputations of the jazz band and the jazz choir.
Last January, McCurdy conducted a clinic at the National Association of Jazz Educators convention in Kansas and worked with Jazz ensemble for his demonstration.
And the jazz band and jazz choir both performed at the Women's Jazz Festival in Kansas City last year.
Those performances and festival wins are beginning to pay off because KU is now starting to attract students who can already play jazz.
"SOME KIDS ARE CALLING me before I call them because they are starting to hear about the program," he said.
In recruiting, McCurdy finds prospects through state conventions, music contests, and rapport with high school band directors.
"My philosophy is if a kid can play a horn, I can teach him how to play jazz if I can keep him long enough. So I go after any good musician," MeCurdy
said. "If you run into a kid like the trump player from Texas, who can play jazz already, well that's like iceing on the cake."
But the job of improving KU's jazz program is demanding.
McCurdy is nearly the entire faculty for the jazz performance classes.
And he is the entire faculty for many other jazz classes.
"ITS BECOME MORE than a one-man job to tell you the truth." he said. "I do the improvisation courses, teach singing, pedagogy, keyboard, taz chair"
Dick Wright, KU associate professor of music who teaches jazz history classes, said that McCurdy had the best jazz ensemble KU has ever had.
McCurdy said it was because he was the first, full-time faculty member at CSU.
The first jazz band was offered for 1 hour credit in 1971. It was initiated by the group, which later became Jive.
By the time McCurdy arrived at KU, in 1976, as a graduate student from Florida A & M, KU had three jazz classes but still no other jazz classes.
AFTER MCCURDY RECEIVED his master's degree from KU in 1978, his teaching load was increased.
"I became a glorified graduate assistant," he said. "I had the teaching load of a full-time instructor."
"After I had been here a couple of years, we started a jazz improvisation class. We now have three levels of jazz improvisation," McCurdy said.
Since then, he said, the department has added combo classes, jazz theory, jazz pedagogy, jazz piano, and jazz chor.
He said that the combo classes were added to give students a laboratory for improving their improvisational and composing skills.
Combos are small groups of musicians, usually three or four horns and a rhythm section.
IN ADDITION to the combo groups, KU also has three jazz bands with 22 members each and a jazz choir with 28 members, including the rythmic set.
Ensemble members are chosen by auditions each semester during the spring term.
The jazz choir was added last year as a section of the jazz ensemble class. This fall it is offered for the first time as a credit class in jazz choir.
The three jazz bands are chosen according to the players' abilities, with jazz band I containing the most advanced musicians.
McCurdy said that his next goal was to offer a class in third-stream jazz ensemble. This ensemble would include non-traditional jazz instruments such as strings, oboe, bassoon and French horn.
He hopes to use a similar technique in a fall concert.
THE JAZZ BANDS and jazz choir will give several concerts on campus this year.
On Nov. 8, the second and third jazz bands will perform, again at Swar-
The first scheduled campus concert will be Thursday, Oct. 13 at Swartwout Rectinal Hall, and will feature the first jazz band and the jazz chorus.
On Nov. 21, the Jazz Band I will perform at Swarthout.
On Feb. 10, the Jazz Band I and jazz choir will perform at Swartwhorf.
April 3 Jazz Bands II and III will perform at Swarthout.
The jazz bands also have periodic jam sessions at Murphy Hall. These are open to the public and are announced on large bulletin board next to Murphy 21.
“This has been good for us, because in a University this size, it is very easy for a person to walk right by Murphy or maybe know that there a jazz program here.
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842-4900
world series
Buy a season ticket before September 10 and save 10%
over individual ticket prices (Season tickets will not be sold after September 10, 1983)
Concert Series
Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra*
Saturday, September 10, 1983, 8:00 p.m.
Hoch Auditorium
New York City Opera National Company*
presents Pucarcin's Boheme
Wednesday, February 1, 1984; 8:00 p.m.
Crafton-Prevent剧院
Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra*
Thursday, October 27, 1983, 8:00 p.m.
Hoch Auditorium
Vinson Cole, tenor, and Wilhelmene Fernandez, soprano
Sunday, November 13, 1983, 8:00 p.m.
Crafton-Preyer Theatre
Bob Wilber Jazz Reporter Ensemble
(formerly known as the Smithsonian Jazz
Reporter Ensemble)
North Hall, 1948, 8:00 p.m.
Houdt Auditorium
Pilobolus Dance Theatre*
Thursday, February 16, 1984, 8:00 p.m.
Hoch Auditorium
*This program is made possible by support from the Kala-i Karma Act, Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts, through their participation in Mid-America Arts Alliance, a regional arts organization.
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center*
Sunday, October 9, 1983, 3:0 p.m.
Monday, October 10, 1983, 8:00 p.m.
Washington Routh Court II
London Early Music Group
Sunday, November 6, 1983, 3:30 p.m.
Craftion-Prayer Theatre
Chamber Music Series
All programs are sponsored in part by the Student Activity Fee, the KU Endowment Association and the Swarthmore College.
Guarent String Quartet
Sunday, September 25, 1983, 3:30 p.m.
Crafton-Prayer Theatre
Orford Sring Quartet
Sunday, February 5, 1984, 3:30 p.m.
Crafton-Preyer Theatre
Empire Brass Quintet
Sunday, March 4, 1984, 8:00 p.m.
Crafton-Preyer Theatre
Tokyo String Quartet Thursday, April 26, 1984, 8:00 p.m.
Plymouth Congregational Church
Special Event
Kurosawa Koto Musicians from Japan in cooperation with East Asia Studies Friday, October 7, 1983, 8:00 p.m. Swarthout收回 Hall
For more information call Murphy Hall Box Office, 864-3982
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