Students who love jazz don’t mind showing up at 8 am on a Saturday to learn from some of Central Florida’s best jazz professionals and educators. On February 3, 2018, over 120 young people gathered at Ocoee High School for our free Winter Jazz Clinic. They are members of local middle and high school jazz bands.
Clinicians were UCF professors Jeff Rupert, Per Danielsson, Richard Drexler, Bobby Koelble and Marty Morell; Danny Jordan; Scott Devlin; Mark Belfast; Derek Harris; and Andrew Kennedy. The free clinic for local middle and high school bands as well as individual students was coordinated by Bernie Hendricks, Ocoee High School director of bands.
The clinic began with local bands performing for the clinicians, who provided comments to their band directors. They then met with The Flying Horse Big Band, performing with them and receiving instruction from clinicians. There were also break out clinics for rhythm sections, sax, brass and improv.
The clinicians also shared insights on educational resources at the university level and guidance for pursuing professional musical careers.
The students grew their networks of jazz peers and professionals, and enjoyed the evening’s Winter Jazz Night Concert featuring The Jazz Professors and UCF’s The Flying Horse Big Band, directed by Jeff Rupert and the Ocoee High School Jazz Band, directed by Bernie Hendricks.
