Aya's Jazz Era

In the spring of 2019, I stood up on a high school stage in Danville and completely bombed my solo in the song “Blue Skies” by Ella Fitzgerald. I was in the front row of the Edison jazz band and the second saxophone from the left. Oh no, I realized as soon as I stood up, my stand is too low! By that point, it was too late for me to remove my hand from my saxophone to fix it. Instead, I just squinted down at my paper, trying (and failing) the semi-practiced notes. All I got out were some oddly placed squeaks as my bandmates gently played in the background.

When the torture was over, I sat back down in shame, and played along until song's end. I walked off the stage defeated. At that moment, I felt like I’d let the whole band down, that I was proof of Edison’s tarnished jazz legacy. After all, we’d already lost to Franklin (Franklin of all schools!)at an earlier competition in Charleston. 

Looking back though, my lack of confidence disappoints me more than my actual sound. As soon as I realized I couldn’t read the notes, I had two choices: improvise or try and play them anyway. I chose the former, not trusting myself enough to try something new. I wish I could go back and look up from my low stand and play the notes and melodies that naturally sprung to my mind. I wish I had embraced the spirit of jazz; both repetitive and spontaneous, disciplined and free. 

Of course, I was still new to this whole jazz thing. I’d only started playing jazz at the beginning of my 6th grade year. I’d only started playing any instrument - clarinet - in 5th grade, where I’d first met the Edison band teacher, Ms. Branch.

As I transitioned to 6th grade at Edison Middle School, I was excited to continue playing music. While I was playing clarinet in concert band, Ms. Branch encouraged me to try out for one of the jazz bands on tenor saxophone. I didn’t know what to think at first of this heavier foreign instrument. But Ms. Branch believed in me and saw my potential for growth. She encouraged all the band members to find musicians of their instrument as inspiration. And so, I learned about saxophonists such as Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane. I’ll never forget what she said on one of the first days of Jazz Band: “Jazz imitates dance”. As soon as rehearsal started, I always got so swept up in the swell of the music. The urge to dance was nearly overwhelming.

And I was doing A LOT of jazz that year. Not only playing in the middle-level Jazz Band but also in the more advanced Jazz Ensemble. The first week I joined Jazz Ensemble, we were already performing in the lobby of Krannert. I went on to play at Edison's open house, Central High School, the Champaign Country Club, the jazz conference in Charleston, and even in the Krannert lobby again. And then, of course, in Danville. As much as I wish I’d done better in Danville, I’m so proud of how far I came and how hard I worked that year. 

I also loved the people in the jazz program as much as I loved playing. It was so fun getting into shenanigans at competitions and throwing shade at other instruments (the alto saxophones and trumpets always have it coming). I loved our band holiday karaoke before winter break and how my bandmates always made me laugh the hardest. It was bittersweet telling Ms. Branch I was leaving Edison and starting at Uni High the following year. Sometimes I still wonder whether I made the right choice and what price I paid for a different education. However, I know that my time at Edison forever changed my relationship with music.