The larger jazz pieces played during the performance were intentionally picked to be written by exclusively female composers.
John Mo ’24 and Ethan Liu ’26 smile for the camera in between pieces.
Paresky Commons’ Lower Right erupted into cheers as a student’s solo came to a triumphant end, prompting a standing ovation from students and visiting families. This Sunday, the Family Weekend Jazz Brunch featured three jazz bands, showcasing their musical talent to a room packed with attendees. Brandon Fu ’25, a saxophone player in several bands, reflected on the atmosphere of the performance.
“It was incredible. When we walked into Lower Right, it was buzzing with excitement: parents were enjoying their brunch, and the food was really good, too. The room was packed, and it was awesome to see so many people there to support. The performance itself was a blast, too. The audience was really into it, we fed off of their energy, and we played classic jazz tunes and some more modern ones. All the parents responded with cheers and it was very gratifying,” said Fu.
This Family Weekend, the Academy Jazz Band had a special message. Following the visit of Terry Lyne Carrington, faculty and students were determined to shine a spotlight on gender equality in the realm of music. Emily Wu ’25, who plays piano and bass guitar, shared the intention behind the particular song choices.
“I think we started preparing for this piece four weeks [ago]. I know the big Academy Jazz Band was more prepared, Mr. Cirelli also briefly touched on it during his monologue, he said that during Terry Lyne Carrington’s visit, she highlighted the topic that 99 percent of compositions are by men, so this time the big Jazz Band pieces were all by women,” said Wu.
In addition to choosing songs, some of the smaller bands encountered significant challenges in the lead-up to the show, with some students brand new to their instruments. This meant that a diligent preparation process was needed in order to get everyone comfortable and confident with performing.
“My small jazz group came together three weeks ago, and our drummer had only been on the drum for 4 weeks. I’m so glad that we pulled everything together in three weeks, which is pretty incredible for a small band with people who are touching jazz instruments for the first time,” said Wu.
For many of the musicians, the brunch performance was hailed as one of their best yet. Will Lucas ’24, a double bass player and one of the performers that day, highlighted his band’s talent for improvisation, adding spontaneity and intrigue to their pieces.
“It was a pretty cool moment where our pianist, Jacob, decided to switch the sound on his keyboard from standard piano to electric piano to one of the songs that we played in the big band. It took us all by surprise, but it added another layer of spontaneity, and I guess during our small group too, we went off script a bit, taking cues from each other, and we created pretty unique musical experiences from that. I remember one instance during our fast blues where we extended a solo section and everything just fit really nicely,” said Lucas.
Following the event, families stuck behind to connect with the performers in Lower Right and shower them with praise. Jazz members met the parents of their fellow bandmates, fostering a stronger sense of community as they got to know one another better. Wu reminisced on the friendly atmosphere.
“The parents actually had really good feedback. There were a lot of jazz parents there, and it was really wholesome, and I actually got to meet a lot of other Jazz Band parents. It was a really friendly experience, I got to know people and a lot of friendly compliments and good vibes,” said Wu.
The Jazz Brunch, designed with families and friends visiting in mind, provided an opportunity for visitors to witness the hard work and dedication that students put into the art form. Lucas expressed his hope that parents would recognize the passion that students pour into the music department at Andover.
“Given that it’s [Family] Weekend, I hope they see how hard their kids are working at all of this, on top of our school work. If there’s one thing I would really drive home into the minds of parents is that their kids are really enjoying their time at the music department at this school, and they’re really working hard to pursue their passions on top of school work, and we’re all very happy without a band,” said Lucas.
