Students in the WHBHS Jazz Band are swinging to the music every Tuesday night.
To be a conductor, Mr. Comerford had to put in a letter of interest. “It’s definitely something I love to do.” But with conducting there also comes the task of choosing the music, which is not always easy. Mr. Comerford sometimes spends a few days just listening online to pick out songs that students could improvise to or songs with some articulation challenges to get the band to learn and feel the genre.
When asked about the difficulty of the music, tenor saxophone player Edward Hennessey said, “Everything is a challenge at first, but once you get use to it, it becomes normal.” The selection process to get into Jazz band is pretty straightforward. WHBHS has two Jazz groups, so when students try out, they’re really trying out for the Jazz ensemble.
After the Jazz ensemble members have been chosen, Mr. Comerford takes in anyone for the band, with the exception of guitar, piano, bass, and drums. He is forced to limit these in order to keep the band balanced. In the beginning of last year, there was no assessable money for the Jazz band. However, when budget cuts were made, the Jazz band was cut so the Jazz ensemble could survive, ultimately saving the Jazz program. However, a benefit concert was created by a group of students to bring back the Jazz band. “It was amazing to see students like Luke Jurow and Riley Owens taking the initiative and supporting the arts here at Westhampton Beach,” Mr. Comerford said.
The Jazz band was a hit by starting out the winter concert on December 11, with “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and “Blues Walk”. With student solos and Mr. Comerford’s graceful conducting, everyone, even the audience, got into the swing of the music.