Boston Arts Academy Big Band’s Tip for Success

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To get an inside view of what kind of preparation it takes to get ready for the Berklee Jazz Festival, we followed the Boston Arts Academy Big Band during the day and interviewed them immediately following their performance.

Preparation for a music festival like Berklee’s annual High School Jazz Festival begins at least one or two months in advance, though many band directors will tell you it’s certainly more than that. Meet Boston Arts Academy Big Band director Robert Gallegos (known to his students as “Mr. G”), one of those director who has been working with his students for months and running six rehearsal hours per week. One of Mr. G’s featured soloists, guitar player Miguel Diaz, says, “To prepare for a performance like this, you need to have your part down as an individual, but you also need to know the song as a whole.”

Even at six hours a week, there’s still plenty of practice to be done at home. “I was running around my house trying to make sure I knew exactly where all the hits happened and when the time signatures changed,” said drummer and Judge’s Choice Winner Jamie Doran as he described his personal practice time leading up to the festival. A lot of work goes into preparing for a performance at a music festival as big and prestigious as this one.

Mr. G’s students claim his routine keeps them fully-aware of what they need to get finished in and what they need to work on for next rehearsal. Even with Mr. Gallegos’s demanding schedule with this ensemble, he recently starting working for the Berklee Ensemble Department and leading the Berklee City Music Big Band. He uses those experiences to keep his students prepared, professional, and in check.

Even despite a sound rehearsal routine and plenty of preparation, lead-up to their HSJF performance didn’t go as smoothly as possible: a student arrived only a few minutes before the performance and an alto player forgot his neck strap. Even with all of tireless rehearsing, it’s important to remember things are bound to go wrong — often the little things — so rolling with the punches in the moment while remaining calm and collected is paramount to maintaining the integrity of a performance.

And it’s a hard skill that Mr. Gallegos and his big band proved to be capable of. Their performance was fantastic and clearly showed off their thoughtful preparation.

We all can’t wait to hear where Mr. G and the Boston Arts Academy will take us next year!