I’m an only child, so independence comes pretty naturally to me. That, paired with the fact that my hometown isn’t exactly a jazz-loving place, meant I ended up going to a lot of shows alone growing up. Our one and only jazz club had shows every weekend, and of course none of my teenaged friends were remotely interested in jazz. So off I went: I was dropped off by my mom, sat in the corner alone, and got my education on. It was only when I went to college that this idea didn’t seem as natural.
Moving to Boston was seriously exciting for a live jazz lover like me. Everyone comes to Boston, and between the Regattabar and Sculler’s, there’s always something to see. Of course I found a lot more like-minded people at Berklee who loved the same music as I did and wanted to see shows together. But as time went on and we all got broker and broker, my friends didn’t seem to want to shell out $30 for a show very often anymore, so I was back to flying solo.
Any time an artist I loved was in town (which was very often) I would hop on the bus and enjoy an evening of music and inspiration. But I started seeing kids from school at some of the shows, and I couldn’t help but notice their confusion when I told them I was there alone. “You came… by yourself…?” Yes! And why not?
As musicians, a massive part of our education takes place outside of school, through playing with other people and through seeing your heroes live. I absolutely refuse to miss out on that part of my education just because I don’t have a buddy to go with me. So why do so many of us just pass if no one can go with us? When did it become un-cool and weird to go places alone? Why is this generation of young people so dependent on others for fun activities? Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love going to shows with my friends and sharing the experience of live music with them! In fact, if I had it my way, everyone would come and listen to jazz with me!
At the beginning of August, the Newport Jazz Festival was happening only a 90-minute bus ride away from my apartment! I was very excited, and I was planning and looking forward to it for months. Whenever I asked my friends if they wanted to go, they always said yes and seemed enthusiastic about the lineup. But of course, being college kids, none of them committed to it in advance, and by the time it got closer, no one got organized enough to go. No one except me, of course! I had come to expect this from my friends (and fair enough, I can’t expect everyone to be into what I’m into), so I got online and found a cheap place to stay, booked my bus, and bought my two-day pass without thinking twice.
I got to Newport and was welcomed warmly by the lady I was staying with (found on Airbnb.com) and discovered that I was one of four other young people staying with her to catch the festival. Boom, instant friends! I rented a bike, ate a delicious seafood meal, and checked out the beautiful town of Newport. The following day, I biked along the ocean to the Festival and settled in for a fantastic day of music. I started out my morning with the Pedrito Martinez group, an amazing Cuban group led by Martinez on congas. I then headed over to another stage to see Christian McBride’s Inside Straight, which featured Steve Wilson, Ulysses Owens, Peter Martin, and one of the best vibes players out there right now, Warren Wolf. Over the course of the weekend I saw Pat Metheny, Bill Frisell, The Bad Plus, Kurt Elling, James Carter, the Tedeschi Trucks Band, and Maria Schneider’s Orchestra. I would have seen more if I could have been at two (or three) stages at once! But by far my favorite performance of the festival was Gretchen Parlato and Lionel Loueke featuring Becca Stevens. Three of my absolute favorite musicians, specifically Gretchen, who is my idol at the moment, playing together! It was incredible, and I was so inspired afterwards. How could anyone miss something so amazing just because they didn’t have someone to go with? My company was the music!
But apart from that, I met people at the festival. Standing in line for food, sitting under a tent waiting for a show, the festival was full of people that loved the same music as I do, and we always had things to talk about! I met some really interesting people from all over the world, including a couple from Serbia who happened to know a friend of mine at Berklee! Believe it or not, I’m actually a pretty shy person, but there are always people to hang out with whenever you go somewhere alone, you just have to be willing to get outside of your comfort zone and strike up a conversation! I also ended up seeing a lot of kids from school, and surprisingly, my private teacher ended up coming for the second day, called me, and invited me into the VIP tent where I got to talk to some of my favorite musicians and was promised a private lesson from Gretchen herself!
Even though the trip was a bit of a hassle (it was pretty close to finals time so I really had to manage my time, I didn’t have any pals to chat with on the bus ride there, and I ate a few meals alone) I didn’t regret going at all! You never know what’s going to happen, whom you’re going to meet, what connections you’re going to make, or what you’ll learn. You just need to go and not worry about anything else. It’s no biggie, and I can honestly say I’ve never been to a concert and thought “I never should have come to this by myself!” So take your education into your own hands, never pass up a listening opportunity, and go see some jazz!
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