Tag Archives: jazz

Arts and Entertainment

NECC Jazz/Rock Ensemble performs

 

Five music students make up the NECC Jazz/Rock Ensemble. Directed by music professor Mike Lecuyer, the Ensemble performed a concert on Thursday, Dec. 10 in the auditorium of the Hartleb Technology Center.

“This is the best group I’ve ever worked with,” said Lecuyer to the two dozen or so audience members. “I’ve never seen a group work harder and practice more and really embrace the spirit that is jazz music.”

Self-taught musician Ab Torres has been playing the piano since 2011. He favored classical music for most of that time, but is glad that he was invited into the jazz ensemble by the other musicians. He plays both the piano and the keyboards with the band and has really embraced the experience.

The group played nine jazz standards and the concert lasted about an hour. The group’s final song of the evening was “The Christmas Song” by Bob Wells and Mel Torme, arranged by Torres himself for the occasion, which the audience thoroughly enjoyed.

Sean Lavigne is a music major who has been playing the electric guitar for about seven years, but he got his start playing the baritone horn in his high school’s marching band. “It’s kind of like a mix between a trumpet and a tuba,” said Lavigne.

Drummer and percussionist Dominic Marraffa said that he always had a drum kit since he was a kid, but lacked the motivation to really learn how to play at first. After a life changing event, he decided it was time to make some goals and started taking lessons about a year ago.

“I knew I needed goals and something to drive towards so I started taking lessons and it changed my life entirely,” Marraffa said. “I practice for hours every day.” Unfortunately, he admits, he had to rent a storage unit to practice in.

“This is my first semester actually taking lessons,” said bass guitarist Richard Wildes, despite his experience playing the bass and electric guitar and dabbling with other instruments for about five years. He thinks the music department is really good and is surprised by how much he is getting out of it.

“Especially when you get to play with a bunch of nice young lads like these,” he joked.

The second drummer/percussionist in the group is Micah Puello, who said that he’s dabbled with drums, guitar and the piano but was mostly self-taught until coming to NECC.

“I’ve been playing with these guys and I’ve learned a substantial amount more,” he said, “and I’ve been turned on to the genre of jazz, which I’m really happy about, because it’s some great music.”

Lavigne said that his favorite part about being in the music department is meeting great musicians. “I’m in a band now with these guys, and that would have never happened if it wasn’t for this jazz ensemble.”

“One of the best ways to learn, I’ve found, is to surround yourself with people that are better than you. So I’ve accomplished that,” Wildes laughed, “and it has helped me significantly.”

Arts and Entertainment

Performing Arts Showcase Takes the Stage

 

The Performing Arts Showcase, including performances from dance, music and theatre programs at NECC, was held on Nov. 13 at 12 p.m. in the Technology Center.

The coordinator of the dance program, Michelle Deane, introduced the dance performances which started off the show. The first dance, choreographed by dance major Nina Cabral, was performed to the song “My Moon My Man” by indie pop singer Fiest.

There were four other girls in this dance dressed in all black, wearing top hats and dancing gracefully across the front of the room to this sassy jazz number.

“I started choreographing the group dance in September, so by the time rehearsals started, I already knew everything I was going to teach. I was really particular about being prepared. I didn’t want to end up close to the show with an unfinished dance. I know as a dancer how stressful that is, so I didn’t want my dancers to go through it… or myself,” said Cabral.

Alisa Bucchiere, a professor on the music faculty at NECC, introduced her students Ambar Marte Vargas, Carli Hamilton and John Francavilla at the Showcase.

All three had been participating in voice lessons with Bucchiere.

When Deane asked if she had any students who would be interested in performing at the Showcase, Bucchiere asked her students and they said yes. When making song selections, she tried to pick pieces that were in contrast with jazz, since the jazz band was also performing.

Carli Hamilton, a Voice and Music Therapy major, sang the song “Watch What Happens” from the musical Newsies, displaying her talent for theatrical singing.

“Carli’s performance was amazing,” said her friend Nicole Diamond, a Deaf Studies major in her sophomore year at NECC.

“It was a last-minute thing for her. She didn’t even have time to warm up and she still pulled it off.”

Other musical performances included Ambar Marte Vargas, who sang “To Make You Feel My Love” by Adele.

“Before performing, I was a little nervous,” said Vargas. “However, I’ve shared this piece with a couple people already. Performing is like my happy place. It’s the moment when I feel like I can truly be myself.”

Vargas is a Music Studies major in her sophomore year. After she finishes at NECC, she plans to help kids who don’t have the resource to pay for a music school, as she experienced that struggle when she was younger.

John Francavilla sang a jazz version of “Summertime” from Porgy and Bess, a 1930s opera written by George Gershwin.

“He kind of sounded like Michael Bublé,” said Diamond, who named Francavilla as one of her favorite performances.

Bucchiere described the performances at the Showcase as “phenomenal.”

“I’m a proud music mama,” she said.

The show wrapped up with songs from the NECC jazz band, including an original song titled “If I Were You” by Sean Lavigne, a music studies major at NECC.

“I originally titled it ‘Where’s the Pizza?,’” said Lavigne, who was performing his original for the first time. “It was really exciting,” he said.