Student Jazz Concert Packs Hurtado Hall

Nearly 70 guests packed Hurtado Hall on Friday, January 9, as Xavier’s young jazz virtuosos performed at their semester-ending concert.

Led by Director of Instrumental Music Dr. William Pace, more than 40 students from Instrumental Music I and II and Music Theory I and II performed selections for the assembled crowd. (Visit Xavier’s YouTube channel to view a clip from the concert.) Students earned grades for their performances and gained invaluable experience on the stage—not to mention an opportunity for reflection.

After major concerts, students view event videos alongside Dr. Pace to reflect on what they did well and to learn from their mistakes—a mark of Ignatian education, Dr. Pace said.

The jazz concert ties together several strands of music education at Xavier, performance and audio production among them. Xavier seniors have the opportunity to take an Audio Production Techniques class and produce their own senior projects, either in groups or individually. 

“The class adds an important technical component to the program,” Dr. Pace said.

Music students will maintain a busy schedule for the rest of the school year. A dozen performers will travel to Boston’s Berklee College of Music on January 31 to participate in the school’s annual High School Jazz Festival, while the entire program gears up for the Spring Concert on April 23 and 24. For more information about either event, please email Dr. Pace.