A unique group of students plans to jazz things up in Distler Hall tomorrow night. Members of the five-year dual degree program enrolled at both Tufts and the New England Conservatory (NEC) will perform a variety of musical styles ranging from classical singing to contemporary improvisation and original jazz pieces.
Last fall saw the first-ever dual degree concert to be performed on the Tufts campus. It was widely attended and well-received by students, and members of the dual degree program viewed the first concert as a huge success. The upcoming concert, however, will be more than a carbon copy of its predecessor.
Junior jazz pianist Jason Yeager cites different musicians and new music as two of the biggest changes since the first concert. "It's a somewhat different crew, and we're bringing a couple of friends from NEC," he said. "The repertoire is going to be totally different, but it's all original music again."
Sophomore vocalist Katharine Schimmer noted that the students are better prepared for the concert this time around. "Now we have a better idea of what needs to happen as far as setup goes," she said. "I think it's going to run a little more smoothly because know how to allocate our resources. It should be a more balanced representation of the program."
The show will be divided into two parts, each lasting an hour. The first half showcases classical music, vocal performances, and contemporary improvisation, a style which draws on all types of music and which Yeager calls "the blank slate" of improvisation. This half will be distinguished by the diversity of its performers, who include a cellist, two violinists, and vocalists in addition to others.
The second half features the jazz ensemble, a five-member group that will perform original compositions. Two out of the six or seven pieces that the ensemble plans to perform were written by a newly added bassist. His pieces are heavily influenced by Israeli folk and pop music, contributing to what Yeager calls a "variety in terms of world music" that is central to the show.
Students in the dual degree program hope that the concert will become something of a tradition on campus as they get the chance to perform in Distler Hall for their friends at Tufts and are also able to hear each other's music.
"It gives dual degree students a chance to do things we never get to do," Yeager said. "Before the [concert] last year we had never heard each other play. Secondly, we get to share our music with the Tufts students, which we rarely get to do."
"We're a pretty tight-knit group of people," Schimmer added. "There are only about 13 of us, but we don't get to spend much time together. The concert is just kind of a coming together. It strengthens our feeling of friendship and
closeness."
Both Schimmer and Yeager said the high quality of performance is another reason to continue the dual degree concert. They hope the concert will bring the dual degree students closer to the music faculty here at Tufts.
"Becoming integrated and making it a tradition would open lines of communication between us and music department and the great musicians at Tufts," Schimmer said.
For many dual degree students, performing on campus is rewarding on a personal level too.
"It's a lot of fun for us and a lot of fun for our audience," Schimmer said. "Tufts is really where we're half from, and when you're in your first couple of years, where your main social group is. I find that music reveals a side of me and many other performers that our friends don't usually get
to see."
The dual degree concert will be held in Distler Performance Hall tomorrow at 8 p.m. Admission is free.
