Since 2012, I’ve been tuning for the annual Clark College Jazz Festival, and it is still a joy 8 years later.
There is something extremely gratifying about being a part of a festival that brings together so many fantastic elements into one showcase: Big Band Jazz, music education, community, and amazing students from as close to a couple miles and as far away as Spokane, WA.
The combined dedication of everyone involved, from the organizers (Hi Shelly!), adjudicators, teachers, volunteers, stage crew (Hi Mark!), and students to make this event successful and something so special that the local community looks forward to and supports it year in and year out is just a wonderful thing to see.
I don’t know that anyone notices my work (as it should be, it’s one of those professions where no news is almost always good news), but I love being a small part of the festival every year. I’m not a jazz expert by any means, but I’ve always enjoyed it and spend a decent portion of my time listening to the stellar local KMHD Jazz radio station while driving from service call to service call. It’s a type of music that is truly American and has influenced everything from soul to rock to hip-hop and everything in between, what’s not to like?