Hundreds of students enjoy Juilliard in Aiken jazz

When Natalie Bolen arrived at the Etherredge Center at USC Aiken for a Juilliard jazz quintet performance Tuesday, did it occur to her that she would actually get to perform with them?

Not at all, but the Chukker Creek Elementary School fifth-grader and four other students got to do just that. She played the black keys as the professional musicians backed her up.

"It was cool, but I was very, very nervous," said Natalie, who takes piano lessons from Cheryl Matthews. "I've played one piece like this before, and I like this kind of music."

The Juilliard Quintet Kidz Bop Concert - one of the outreach programs with the Juilliard in Aiken festival - brought hundreds of kids to the Etherredge Center and will perform again for more children this morning.

The five musicians include Juilliard alumnus and bass player Jason Stewart and the current students - pianist John Chin, percussionist Luca Santaniello, trumpeter Matthew Jodrell and saxophonist Patrick Cornelius.

Some are from America, but others come from as far away as Australia and Egypt to study and perform music at The Juilliard School in New York City.

They introduced themselves in turn, each insisting that his instrument is the best and encouraging the children to yell their approval. It was close, but Santaniello won. Maybe.

More seriously, the musicians described how their instruments meld, with the trumpet and saxophone providing the melody. They constantly improvise, making things up with some logic behind it.

"We're copying each other and having a conversation," Jodrell said. "Like any conversation, somebody offers an idea and, if you like it, you can go with it."

Chin discussed the blues as one important aspect of jazz, asking the kids to name something that makes them feel blue.

Several said rainy days, while one boy yelled, "Eating vegetables!"

Cornelius improvised a blues and hopelessly comic vocal about rainy days and how he's got the blues so bad that he's just going to stay inside all day.

The outreach programs could reach as many as 4,000 Aiken County students this week - 1,000 more than estimated previously, said Dr. Sandra Field, the Juilliard in Aiken president.

"Having all three divisions this year - musicians, drama and dance - takes on the real feel of multifaceted outreach," she said. "Those from Juilliard are becoming more involved with the community in a much more expansive way. It has been a wonderful learning experience."

Contact Rob Novit at rnovit@aikenstandard.com.