When jazz speaks: an insider story

This story is written from the perspective of NIC Sentinel Features Staff Writer Rachel Anderson.

Jazz is a conversation.

Created in the early 1910s, jazz musicians were able to communicate a new story through music.

Using techniques and singing about subjects that shocked some, jazz quickly became “America’s music.”

Featuring improvisation and topics pertaining to the common man, jazz represented itself as a form of speaking and conversing through music. For many musicians today, jazz is a natural way to communicate one’s feelings as well as create dialogue with an audience.

In the words of the great jazz vocalist Ella Fitzgerald,  “Forgive me if I don’t have the words. Maybe I can sing it and you’ll understand.”

NIC’s Cardinal Vocal Jazz was able to communicate the story of jazz at home and throughout the northwest region last weekend.

The choir sang to a boisterous full house last Thursday night in the local coffee shop Calypso’s Coffee and Creamery.

Steamy solos and swinging group songs helped the audience pass the time while drinking their coffee and tea.

Vocal Jazz member Maddie Nilges singing her second solo of the year. -Lily Anderson/NIC Sentinel 

Following the concert, the jazz choir packed their bags and headed for Edmonds, Washington, the next morning for a weekend jazz festival called the DeMiero Jazz Fest.

As a member of the group, the weekend was busy–but it was also full of music.

According to NIC’s choir director Max Mendez, the performance at Calypso’s and participation in the DeMiero Jazz Festival are always highlight of Cardinal Vocal Jazz’s year.

“Calypso’s is a very informal way for the the group and soloists to hone their craft,” Mendez said. “The DeMiero Jazz Festival includes an adjudicated performance that provides feedback to Cardinal Vocal Jazz to what makes the group successful in addition to suggestions for places for continued improvement and growth.”

Named after the man who created it, composer and jazz pianist Frank DeMiero, the fest is for those in the Northwest to listen to and support their fellow jazzers.

Founded in 1977, the festival allows jazz groups and soloists of varying levels to perform and receive feedback from professional jazz musicians. Workshops and master classes are also offered for those looking for ways to improve. The topics covered range from improvisation to what makes a good rhythm section and how to scat–an essential part of jazz made up of random nonsense syllables and accompanying notes.

Members of Cardinal Vocal Jazz out on the town. -Photo courtesy: Allison Parsons

Although tinged with exhaustion, the trip offered us an opportunity to know each other as people instead of just musicians. Spending almost four days in close proximity to each other was a learning experience.

“Time is limited for everyone during the week and we have other classes to get to so having time set apart for jazz was awesome,” Allison Parsons said, 20, CDA, Gen Ed.  “You can get to know people pretty well while in a van for 8 hours or so.”

The jazz choir even had an opportunity to perform in front of a professional jazz clinician who gave us feedback about our performance.

Members of the choir agreed that we performed with great energy and awesome connection. But some wished for more feedback from our clinician.

“I think the critique was fair, but it was mostly things I had already anticipated hearing,” Maddie Nilges said, 20, Hayden, Gen Ed. “I wish we had been able to spend more time actually talking with him instead of just reading the notes he took, but I understand there’s a time crunch and whatnot.”

Although fun times were had, the choir was still able to carry out professionalism throughout the weekend. Mostly in part to our choir director.

“Each group of singers brings their unique talents and challenges,” Mendez said. “The most important thing is to create an atmosphere of collaboration within the ensemble. Vocal jazz is all about artful communication between all the participants, rhythm section, singers, and audience.”

Even though he put on a pizza costume at an Italian restaurant our first night in Edmonds, he was still able to get us into shape and prepare us for a busy weekend.

 Vocal jazz members and choir director Max Mendez in a pizza suit. -Photo courtesy: Terry Jones

“He respects us. He has fun with us for sure, but he expects us to act professional in the right setting,” Nilges said. “I think he knows us well enough to trust us, and he doesn’t treat us like children.”

Learning and living together for a short period of time helped the choir relate to each other and experience a communal jazz story.

“Overall, I believe each of our musicians came home inspired to continue improvement,” Mendez said.

From a short trip to Central Washington University and a day spent adventuring in Seattle’s Pike Place Market, our group learned how to better communicate with each other–in all senses of the word.

Jazz is a conversation and this weekend showed us that everyone can speak it.