Thursday, February 23, 2012

Field work topic

I have always been interested in the jazz scene at Brown. I am interested in finding out about the jazz combo in particular. Unlike jazz band, it is usually formed by much fewer people, typically a drummer, a pianist, a vocalist, a guitarist and multiple combinations of saxophones, trumpets, and sometimes violins and clarinets. Therefore, the musicians are not expected to play the music as repertoires like the jazz band in often times, but instead really focus on interactions and improvisation. The students involved in the group have the freedom of picking tunes they would like to practice together. They also collaborate during the practice; they offer advice to reach other, they discuss the changes and rhythmic tempo, and they decide on who and when solos during the whole performance. I have been to a couple of performances before and I would describe them as "performances for the musicians themselves more than performances for the audiences"- and this aspect of it really fascinates me.
Coming from a Chinese cultural background, I had little knowledge about jazz before I came to Brown for college. As I got to know more about it, the more hit seems complicated and mysterious to me. So in this field research I would really like to find out more about these musicians's view on their music and collaborations. I would also like to interview their coach Ron, who might also have interesting views on the dynamics behind their music.

No comments:

Post a Comment