Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) hosted its 57th annual Jazz Fest March 27 to 29. The music building was alive with the sound of smooth instruments and enthusiastic students ready to learn and showcase their talents.
Competition was in the air as various high schools and middle schools from around South Texas gathered to compete against each other and show off their skills. The halls buzzed as students moved from warm-up rooms to performance halls.
“The students that are competing here… knowing that they’re getting feedback from some really high quality judges and that’s going to help boost their performance level and their understanding of jazz and knowledge and help them on their quest to be better musicians,” Kyle Millsap, jazz professor and director at TAMUK, said of the event.
Special guest Rex Richardson, professional trumpeter, joined TAMUK’s jazz band for a performance that had the audience with proud parents and peers cheering and delivering a standing ovation that echoed down the corridors of the music education building.
“I realized what a big deal it is here, it’s an amazing festival and the musicians at the school here are so high level and it’s a real pleasure to play with them,” Richardson said.
There were many excited students ready to attend and learn from Richardson’s masterclass that took place on Saturday, March 29. With his extensive jazz background and wise words, Richardson sought to inspire young musicians to practice and keep learning.
“It’s great to see the tradition in the music being carried on so effectively by young people and it’s really inspiring to people like me who’ve been around for a while… I’m hoping I can offer a little inspiration and I want them to leave the room kind of happy and wanting to go practice,” Richardson said.
This festival was not just a competition, but also a celebration of jazz music that allowed students to meet with others from different schools, learn from some of the finest players and experience the Javelina music community. This event not only brought interested students, but also drew alumni and local music lovers to campus.
Now with its 57th year concluded, Jazz Fest will remain a TAMUK annual staple to inspire and recruit future Javelinas to ensure the jazz legacy lives on. “We do these things for the students… for them to come out with a lot of love for their instrument, for the jazz idiom, loving jazz music, loving to play, maybe it’ll have an incentive for them to practice more… to keep music alive here,” Oscar Diaz, professor of trombone at TAMUK, said.