By Mary-Justine Lanyon
At the opening concert of the Blue Jay Jazz Festival on Aug. 22, Future General Jazz scholarships will be presented to 10 young musicians: Colin Hobson, Vincent Felix, Dylan Whitter, Brenden Watson, Hazel Perez, Martha Urrutia, Katherine Bouchard, Evangeline De Leon, Sophia Wheeler and Christopher Witty.
They will play with the Speakeasy Jazz Band at the concert prior to Poncho Sanchez taking the stage.
Chris Levister, president of the Blue Jay Jazz Foundation, spoke to the Crestline-Lake Gregory Rotary Club on Aug. 8, sharing that they started their instrument lending library as they became aware of the number of students who wanted to play but did not have access to instruments.
“We have 150 to 200 instruments available that we keep repaired,” she said.
In addition to wanting to enable students in their quest to play music, the Foundation also strives to introduce people to jazz. In 1987, Congress passed a resolution declaring jazz, America’s indigenous art form, an American National Treasure.
Levister brought one of the scholarship recipients, Dylan Whitter, with her to the Rotary meeting. He told the Rotarians he came to music later than many of his fellow Rim High jazz band members. He started playing cymbals in the marching band as a freshman, then picked up the guitar on his own. The high school’s music director invited him to play guitar in the jazz band. And then, as a senior this past year, he switched to the drums.
The Blue Jay Jazz Foundation, Dylan said, let him borrow an electronic drum kit. “I put my heart and soul into practice,” he said.
“Jazz as an art form is unique. Its instrumentation comes from marching band, where I started.
“Music,” he added, “is one of the best parts of my life.”
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