By Siddarth Tumu ’18, Middle School Editor

On Friday, April 11, 2014 hundreds of parents, students, friends, and fellow musicians took their seats in the auditorium, awaiting the soulful and stimulating jazz music that would soon bring pleasure to their ears. The Second Annual Evening of Jazz for Newton was an extremely successful event that was enjoyed by not only the audience members but also the musicians themselves. Many ensembles performed, including Chameleon (the premier jazz band at NA), Big Band 2 (the newly formed secondary big band), and the Middle School Jazz Band. Wanting to gain more insight on the planning process, I sat down with the man behind it all; Mr. Tolentino, one of the music teachers and jazz instructor at NA.

Organizing such a well-planned event is no easy feat. Mr. Tolentino has to pick the repertoire for the performing groups, bring the groups up to performing standards, and also find special guests who are free during the date of the event. This was a considerable amount of work. The days leading up to the Evening of Jazz were very stressful for Mr. T. He had to finalize everything and he also went up to Hartford, Connecticut the week before the event to partake in a ribbon cutting ceremony for a beautiful playground, in the name of Anna Grace Greene, a victim of the Sandy Hook Massacre. Mr. T is friends with her father, saxophonist Jimmy Greene.  Mr T said that he was very impressed with how the event went, and delighted that almost $5,000 was raised through ticket sales, refreshment sales, and donations.

A major part of our discussion was the difference between the performing groups. Mr. T said that he has expectations concerning the level every group can play at and that these expectations are very similar. These expectations can be met through group goals and performances, festivals, and competitions: essentially playing in high-pressure situations. Mr. T said that he was especially proud of the middle school jazz band, which played right after Chameleon. The MS jazz band had big shoes to follow and they did it. Mr. T believes that performances like these set goals for not only individuals but also the entire group. Looking ahead to next year’s Evening of Jazz and performances in general, Mr. T hopes to incorporate more performing ensembles, such as the newly formed Big Band 2 and the Improv Classes. He is always looking for ways to help groups play at a higher level.

A core part of the jazz program at NA is the middle school musicians. They are not always talked about but make up an important part of the performing ensembles. Curious about what their opinions were, I asked some middle school musicians what they thought of the Evening of Jazz. Many middle schoolers enjoyed the concert, but felt that it was on the longer side, since they only played two tunes. However, students found the overall experience to be great. Eight grade trumpet player, John Funda, said that he found it inspiring to listen to the upper school musicians and that he hopes he can practice like them to get to their level. Many others agree with John’s sentiments.

Overall the evening was magical.  It is events like these that make Newark Academy a special place. Events like the Evening of Jazz are special occasions that take a lot of planning and are exquisite delights to experience, either as a player or in the audience. It truly is a group effort, from Mr. T planning the event to all the musicians of the performing groups. It is the hope of the NA community that Mr. T can continue to channel the great music of jazz through the next generation of musicians here at NA.