Jazzing it up

by Dalton Johnson, Staff Writer

As we transition into this fall season, Iowa Lakes students have faced many event cancellations. Sports seasons have been cancelled; social events have been cancelled as well. One event however that is not being cancelled is the Iowa Lakes’ music departments’ jazz festival.  

“I’m looking forward to it as I am getting permission to plan it,” said longtime Iowa Lakes band director Carol Ayres. The jazz festival is known for bringing in three top musicians in the field of jazz. Tony and Joey Gullizia are two of those musicians.  

“Tony Gullizia is a keyboard singer and player from Vale, Colorado and his brother Joey who is a percussionist,” Ayres said. Ayres said that the pair of brothers have been performing professionally for a longtime.  

“The two of them have played professionally since they were 10 and 12 years old,” she said.  

The third person of the trio is the bassist Andy Hall.  

“Andy Hall is a bass extortioner from Lincoln, Nebraska, he teaches at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln,” Ayres said.  

Because of Covid, the jazz festival will be looking a lot different this year as compared to previous years. The biggest difference is that the event will be held virtually.  

“We are not allowed to have groups of students on campus,” said Ayres.  

At the beginning of the jazz festival, the trio usually performs a concert and convocation for the high school and middle school students attending the festival. This year the trio plans on playing songs that relate to social justice.  

“This time its about social justice through, music I don’t exactly know because we are still in the planning stages,” said the longtime band director.  

Ayres said that students can expect to hear songs from famous artists such as Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gay. She also mentioned that the trio will talk about racial integration in music. 

Because groups of students are not allowed on campus Ayres and the trio plan on recording it live and sending it out.  

“We will film the convocation live with the help of the broadcasting students, that date is yet to be determined,” said Ayres.  

Other parts of the jazz festival will also be filmed. The concert the trio performs with the Iowa Lakes music department the evening of the festival will also be recorded. Ayres said that the concert will have to be recorded in pieces to let air recycle due to the amount of people performing in the concert.  

“We will have to film the music concert in pieces, because we can’t have that many people together at one time,” said Ayres.  

“The jazz choir will perform and then will have to clear the stage and let the stage have an air exchange,” she said.  

One of the best parts of the jazz festival is the jazz improvisation class. Ayres said that will also be recorded.  

“We will still do the jazz improve class for sure,” said Ayres. Ayres said that after recording the improv section, they will deliver the recording to the different high schools and middle schools through Canvas.  

One of the most beneficial parts of the festival is the clinics the trio does with different high school bands.  

“Hopefully we will be able to have the area high schools record their pieces and post them in Canvas and critique them,” said Ayres.  

The jazz festival over the years has helped high schoolers become better players in jazz music and increase their love of jazz. One of those high school students was Andrew Tran, a current Iowa Lakes sophomore who plays alto saxophone in the Iowa Lakes jazz band. He attended the jazz festival while apart of the Algona high school jazz band.  

“It’s always fun being in the gym with Tony, Joey and Andy,” said Tran.  

“They make learning fun, they’re not just telling you and lecturing you, you get to play with them, which is really fun,” he said.  

Tran also said that being with the trio during the annual Iowa Lakes jazz band camp in June also helped him further is playing abilities.  

With all the changes happening in the world. It is good to know that the Iowa Lakes jazz festival will continue to help students increase their love of jazz music.