Over winter break, the Wilsonville High School Jazz Club traded their familiar band room for a much different stage: a local retirement home.

 For the students, it was more than just another rehearsal, because it was their first performance outside of school and a chance to share jazz with a not-so-new audience.

Preparation for the performance is a lot different from a typical show prep. As senior James Lee explained, “Usually in our club meetings, we focus on learning new repertoire. We learn just like tunes. But essentially every day we are just expanding our set list.” Jazz club thrives on growth and experimentation, with Lee adding, “I try to encourage at least one new song every meeting.” Rather than perfecting songs, they put their own personalized spin on each.

When it came time to perform, the music was intentionally loose. “It’s not strictly prepared,” Lee said. “The way we learn songs is we learn like read them off a lead sheet… we have like the skeleton of the piece of the chart.” From there, the students made each song their own, adding new twists and solos every time they played.

The opportunity itself came through a personal connection. “Sophia Culp had a connection to the retirement home, so she got us connected,” Lee shared. That connection led to a meaningful experience none of the students would forget.

The residents’ reactions made it all worthwhile. “The thrill is what makes jazz really fun. Like, it’s really interactable,” Lee reflected. Seeing a generation that grew up with jazz light up was especially rewarding. “People really loved it… I think the generation that best knows it, getting to watch us, was super rewarding.” Sharing how music is something to connect people from all different backgrounds and generations. 

Being able to see an audience light up and enjoy the music with you is what drives a performer. Jazz is especially rewarding when young musicians get to interact with a generation that lived through it.