Making time to play
Music brings faculty together after hours
Joshua Rice
Issue date: 11/5/09 Section: Arts
"Keep it nice and bright," jazz program director Chris McCourry directs the other members of the faculty jazz quintet. It's Thursday night and they're rehearsing their closing number one last time.
Discussions of the music itself or friendly banter can't break their concentration, even as laughter rings out across the fluorescent lighting of the studio. If the camaraderie wasn't evident enough during practice, it becomes clear as the members head to McCourry's house for dinner.
The love of playing jazz - with or without an audience - is what brings the Hillsdale College faculty jazz quintet together for a few hours every week. Members enjoy each other's company and expertise as they prepare for the half dozen shows they play each year, including one each semester at Hillsdale College. "The challenge of it is what makes it fun," McCourry says. "I get to see great musical work being done in front of me."
The group began with McCourry playing jazz music with students and "grew over the years as we added faculty," McCourry said.
The most recent addition filling out the quintet, is lecturer in music Mathew Endahl, who brings his jazz piano expertise to the group.
"I joined last fall, when I joined the faculty," Endahl said.
One of the group's difficult dynamics is the physical distance separating them from their bass player, James Ball, who lives and teaches at Albion College. Endahl laughingly remarked that his left hand gets an extra work-out on the keys when Ball is absent, but also said that the group is able to be together 90 percent of the time.
According to Endahl, 15 to 20 percent of the group's matieral is original.
"Almost all the songs are arrangements by the group of other material," he said.
The writing and arranging is a high point for McCourry.
"I can write the hardest music I want to," he said. "It's a great joy to be able to work with these guys on higher level concepts."
Endahl described the style of jazz the group performs as resembling hard-bop.
"It's is a style from the 50s and 60s," he said. "People like Horace Silver and Art Blakey were influential in that style."
For their Nov. 5 and 6 shows, the quintet will be joined by sophomore vocalist Erin O'Luanaigh, who has studied with the group since the start of her freshman year.
"I'm grateful the college funds this group," McCourry concluded. "It's nice when what you make a living at is what you would do anyway."
Discussions of the music itself or friendly banter can't break their concentration, even as laughter rings out across the fluorescent lighting of the studio. If the camaraderie wasn't evident enough during practice, it becomes clear as the members head to McCourry's house for dinner.
The love of playing jazz - with or without an audience - is what brings the Hillsdale College faculty jazz quintet together for a few hours every week. Members enjoy each other's company and expertise as they prepare for the half dozen shows they play each year, including one each semester at Hillsdale College. "The challenge of it is what makes it fun," McCourry says. "I get to see great musical work being done in front of me."
The group began with McCourry playing jazz music with students and "grew over the years as we added faculty," McCourry said.
The most recent addition filling out the quintet, is lecturer in music Mathew Endahl, who brings his jazz piano expertise to the group.
"I joined last fall, when I joined the faculty," Endahl said.
One of the group's difficult dynamics is the physical distance separating them from their bass player, James Ball, who lives and teaches at Albion College. Endahl laughingly remarked that his left hand gets an extra work-out on the keys when Ball is absent, but also said that the group is able to be together 90 percent of the time.
According to Endahl, 15 to 20 percent of the group's matieral is original.
"Almost all the songs are arrangements by the group of other material," he said.
The writing and arranging is a high point for McCourry.
"I can write the hardest music I want to," he said. "It's a great joy to be able to work with these guys on higher level concepts."
Endahl described the style of jazz the group performs as resembling hard-bop.
"It's is a style from the 50s and 60s," he said. "People like Horace Silver and Art Blakey were influential in that style."
For their Nov. 5 and 6 shows, the quintet will be joined by sophomore vocalist Erin O'Luanaigh, who has studied with the group since the start of her freshman year.
"I'm grateful the college funds this group," McCourry concluded. "It's nice when what you make a living at is what you would do anyway."
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