Above: Members of the Blue Night Band with Darren Emanuel '02.

Band Members Develop Through Performance

Following a corporate gig on March 2, Xavier’s young musicians are looking forward to a busy spring.

Staples, Inc. welcomed Jon Petito ’17 (drums), James Rodgers ’17 (tenor saxophone), Rocco Sciangula ’17 (bass), Kenny So ’17 (alto saxophone), and Gian Tria ’17 (piano) to their regional managers’ meeting on March 2. It was Xavier’s fourth year providing performers. Petito, Rodgers, Sciangula, So, and Tria enjoyed meeting Darren Emanuel ’02, a Staples executive in attendance at the meeting.

“It was a nice gig for our students,” said band director Dr. Bill Pace. “The whole idea of the jazz program is their learning about the foundational skills of jazz and putting them into application."

Xavier musicians have several upcoming performances this spring—the New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 17; the Celebrate Xavier Scholarship Gala on April 7; and the Blues Alley Jazz Society’s Big Band Jam in Washington, D.C., in late April.