As a devoted member of the Prairie Ridge Band, I think that it is safe to say that the 2013-14 school year has been an absolutely monumental year for the Band Program. From September to November, the Prairie Ridge Marching Band had its best season in history: placing in the top two of every competition it competed in, including a first place finish at Marengo’s Settlers Days Competition. While the winter weather prevented the Pep Band members from playing at many home basketball games, they have made up for it with two stellar concerts.

However, there is one division of the band most PR students have yet to hear: the jazz band. They are the sultans of swing, and the elite at improvisation.

On Thursday, April 10, I spoke with a few jazz band members during rehearsal to learn what it is like to be in the jazz band.

“Sometimes we play funk [and] blues rock, but right now, we have a lot of tunes that have Latin influences on them…. We also have a ballad called ‘My Foolish Heart’” explained pianist Nick Peterson, who also plays the oboe in the Prairie Ridge Wind Ensemble. “There’s obviously different instrumentations [among the two bands]. Sometimes if you’re playing alone, you don’t have a section leader, so … within the rhythm section, you’re listening to eachother. You listen to the drums or the bass. … You have a lot of parts, individual parts, that are isolated more in [jazz] band. You don’t have a saxophone part that is also covered by the clarinets, so you have to really step it up.”

Trumpet player John Lardino explained that another difference between the wind ensemble and the jazz band is that jazz band has “a lot more soloing.”

According to percussionist Connor Krizka, soloing is “more of a style thing, and it’s more unique to you. You can focus on taking a laid back and kind of interesting appeal.” By this Krizka referred to the idea of improvisation.

Pianist Matt Tucker told me that “improvisation is a big part learning any type of jazz.” However, improvising is more than just playing spontaneously. Trumpetist John Lardino mentioned that “[you] have to make it fit with that style of song and that type of piece. You can’t just go spazzing out.”

Currently, the jazz band is preparing for their spring concert, which they will perform on Tuesday, April 15. The concert starts at 7:00 in the theatre, and admission is free. So if you want to see PR’s top musicians at their best, come to the concert and celebrate one of music’s most influential yet underrated genres with the talented musicians that are the Prairie Ridge Jazz Band.