Musicians jazz it up for spring concert

The University of South Dakota’s music department will feature two jazz ensembles in concert for the first time this semester.

The ensembles will peform Wednesday Feb. 21 in Colton Recital Hall at 7:30 p.m.

The two ensembles feature approximately 40 USD students ranging from freshmen to graduate students.

Assistant professor Christopher Kocher said the ensembles have good music they have learned and are ready to perform.

Kocher said there will be a very wide range of music.

“We have two great bands. We’re doing a lot of good music,” Kocher said. “We’re doing things from the classics, but we’re going all the way and doing some real contemporary things like Radiohead.”

The students have been rehearsing three times a week in preparation for the performance.

“We rehearse Monday, Wednesday and Friday in the class they are enrolled in,” Kocher said.

Students in the ensembles have to be enrolled in the class to participate in the concerts, Kocher said.

“It’s different than a class,” Kocher said. “It’s more like a team and it’s definitely a commitment the players make because it’s something they all love to do,” Kocher said.

Kocher said they all rely on one another to be there and learn their music.

“In a sense that teamwork they meet a lot of different people and they get exposed to one of the great art forms of American jazz,” Kocher said.

Kocher said the performance should be entertaining for both the players and the audience.

“We’re going have fun and that will come across and the audience should have fun ,too,” Kocher said. “There is a lot of high energy music, a strong rhythmic aspect and a great beat,” Kocher said.

Kocher said people should come to the concert because it may not be something they would expect.

“Other students would be interested and maybe a little surprised at what their fellow students are playing and capable of doing.”

Reach reporter Payton.Randle at

[email protected].