It’s hard to believe that the term is winding down already! It’s ninth week now and it feels like it was warm and sunny out just yesterday. This term has been full of exciting things, and lots of hard work as well. Musically, there has been a lot to see in the conservatory this term, as usual, and outside of academics and music, there has been a lot going on, too. So far, although it’s been busy, the term has been packed with new experiences, and I’m so glad that I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of them.
This past weekend was the 34th annual Jazz Celebration Weekend. It was a bittersweet one, with the recent passing of Fred Sturm, who originally started Jazz Weekend as a non-competative jazz education festival. However, as always, the musicians performing were fantastic, and it was full of experiences for learning and enjoyment of the creation of music. This year, our guest artists included Terri Lyne Carrington “The MOSAIC Project” and Peter Erskine. Seeing the MOSAIC Project was a great experience. All of the performers were inspiring, especially because most of them were female jazz artists. Seeing Ingrid Jensen perform for the second time was great, because I am also a female trumpet player, and her performance inspired ideas for my improvisation solo during the Jazz Band concert that took place the following day. Performing with Jazz Band went great, and it was a really fun performance. We got to perform with José Encarnación, which was a great opportunity, and later that evening Jazz Ensemble performed with Peter Erskine, which was another great and inspiring performance. High schools from different areas came to Lawrence to play and learn about jazz as well as to see the performances, and it was great to have such a large audience! Jazz Weekend is always great, and this year was no different. Fred Sturm will always be remembered on this weekend, which has been renamed after him after this year.
Although this past weekend was full of musical events, I’m still looking forward to the rest of the events left in this last short portion of the term. Greenfire, the environmental club that I am co-president of, is having an event in a little over a week called Friendsgiving. Friendsgiving is an event where all three of the student-run food co-ops on campus cook dishes to share with students that choose to come to the event on campus. It’s a great event for meeting new people, and enjoying something that we all like to enjoy together! I’m looking forward to it also as a way to educate students to the different food co-ops that are on the Lawrence campus. It’s a great way to get involved in environmentalism and also a great way to support local businesses and learn more about the way that our food is produced. It’s always nice when the weather gets cold like this to come inside to a room full of friendly people and hot food!
Finals are coming up, and I’m trying not to get too stressed about them. The term has been full of lots of exciting new things for me, and I’ve tried to use those things as a way to de-stress, and it’s been working so far! I’m glad that I am on a campus that has so much to offer to the students. I’ve enjoyed the term, and I’m sure as it gets closer to winter break, it will be bittersweet thinking about leaving! My friends and peers have been great to me this term, and although I’m looking forward to winter break, I am sad that I will have to be without them for over a month! Hopefully I’ll get some time to visit!