SFJAZZ High School All-Stars

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Meet the SFJAZZ High School All-Stars! The All-Stars program provides advanced-level training and performance opportunities for some of the most talented high school musicians in the nation. Selected annually by competitive audition, the All-Stars rehearse and perform with today’s top jazz educators and artists. One of the goals of SFJAZZ Education is to provide excellent opportunities for this young group of dedicated and talented musicians. These musicians are provided with clinics and workshops from among the best jazz musicians in the world. Case in point: the All-Stars recently had a master class with Chucho Valdéz, have had clinics with Taylor Eigsti and Robin Eubanks, and will be working with the SFJAZZ Collective next month.

The students also get a chance to travel as part of their education program. Both All-Stars ensembles have been accepted to play at Berklee College of Music’s High School Jazz Festival in Boston this March and compete at the Monterey Next Generation Jazz Festival in California this September. Many SFJAZZ students continue their study of music in college either at the conservatory level or at top-notch universities.

Two recent SFJAZZ graduates are now at Berklee: Josh Shpak and Calvin Barthel, who won the Jimmy Lyons scholarship.

I recently spoke with Laila Smith, vocalist for the SFJAZZ High School All-Stars combo and orchestra, about her experiences in the program:

Tell me about yourself and your musical experiences.

I’m 17 years old and this is my second year in the SFJAZZ education programs. I’m ridiculously lucky. I’ve been honored by organizations such as Downbeat, ASCAP, and the Jazz Education Network. I’ve been in the Grammy Jazz Ensembles and California All-State Jazz Choir; I’m a YoungArts finalist and was recently nominated as a Presidential Scholar in the Arts. I started playing piano when I was four and singing in a jazz choir when I was six. Classical choir followed soon after, along with musical theatre and opera children’s chorus. More recently, I’ve done some traditional Chinese classical music and I’ve been working on my popular music chops. Anything I can get my hands on, I’ll give it a go. Though some of these have faded in and out of my life, jazz has always been at the forefront.

How did you get involved with SFJAZZ program?

Where I’m from, SFJAZZ is quite the institution. I remember being in middle school, and all the best players in the Bay Area were part of the All-Star big band. In my sophomore year, I moved up to the North Bay; it just happened to logistically work out from there, so I gave the audition a go. They let me in, and it’s been fantastic ever since.

What are rehearsals like? How often do you rehearse?

Rehearsals are once a week. I’m there for about four hours every Tuesday because I’m in both the big band and combo.

What sort of pieces does the band prepare? Are there especially interesting pieces in your repertoire?

Luckily for me, my directors (Dan Zinn in the combo and Paul Contos in the big band) are both really musical guys. They’re not just educators, but musicians. In both groups, they have been trying to utilize my voice in interesting ways. I’m thrown a lot of wordless repertoire, a lot of vocal acrobatic horn lines. In the big band setting when Paul has me front the band (in other words, when my voice is not a texture within the ensemble), I’m being put outside of my comfort zone. This year, I’m doing this great Jimmy Rowles tune called “Peacocks.” It’s got a great Norma Winstone lyric that perfectly encompasses the melody. In the combo, we write and arrange all of our own repertoire. Our instrumentation is unusual: bari sax/bass clarinet/bassoon, alto sax, flute/alto flute, voice, guitar, piano, bass, and drums, and just by that fact, all of our tunes are intriguing.

How do you prepare for performance?

Being a vocalist functioning the way I do, I need to do a fair amount of work. All the tunes require muscle memory work from me. I hate to bring up the whole “vocalists don’t have buttons” thing, but it’s true. There is a lot of repetition-with-the-metronome work that I do at home.

Do the groups play student-composed music?

Everybody in the combo writes and arranges, which is a ton of fun. Our bari player has also ventured to arrange for the big band. I really like how everyone writes conceptually in the combo. I do believe we’re going to present an interesting set.

What are some of the differences or challenges between singing with a small group, big band or vocal ensemble?

They all require me to use my voice is different ways. In a big band, when I’m fronting, I need to make my voice fuller, and that setting is usually all about telling the story. You are meant to convey the lyric. It always depends on the song, but I’ve always felt that big band singing requires really laying into the pocket, while small group has room for more floaty-ness in the phrasing. In every setting, it is about dialogue, but I think it is especially important for singers to remember this tidbit in small group: space. Singers love to hear themselves most of the time, especially when they are young like me. When I’m singing in a vocal ensemble, I’m all about sacrifice. It depends on how big the group is — the smaller the group, the more room for individuality — but the main idea is that you give up on your own tendencies in order to better the unification of the ensemble.

What are your plans for the future?

I’m a junior graduating a year early, and I’ve got some options, but nothing is definite yet. I’ve got some ideas for a gap year, and after that I’ll probably head off to a conservatory. After that, who knows where I’ll be. Every musician is constantly on the move, finding new things to love or better understand. I might have some assumptions in the back of my mind (have a band, write a lot more, teach), but I don’t want anything set in stone.

Can you relate any good lessons you’ve learned through your experiences in the SFJAZZ program?

I’ve learned a lot musically, which is a given, but I’ve also learned a lot emotionally. The players that I work with in SFJAZZ are some of my closest friends. Everyday they remind me of how to be a good kid and a good musician. Just a couple weeks ago, Chucho Valdez came in and worked with us. This man is Cuban royalty, and he was just hanging out with us, telling us these stories as if he couldn’t believe them himself. He was so humble, which is a bit trite to say, but it’s the truth. He had to leave to catch a flight to Spain, but he stayed to listen to us play. He thanked us for the music but I don’t think we could thank him enough. I mean, these people can talk to you about theory or concepts; concrete stuff that you will always need. I just like the reminder that “good musician” is not synonymous to “good person”.

The SFJAZZ High School All-Stars will be performing at the 2012 High School Jazz Festival from 12:00-1:00pm in the Hynes Auditorium. More information on the clinic can be found here.