Students, united by a forte for music, join together to share their passion through practices and performances in the Touch of Class Jazz Choir at Nebraska Wesleyan University. This Sunday, the choir will be performing in the O'Donnell Auditorium at NWU.
The jazz choir, directed by associate professor of choral music Boyd Bacon, consists of 14 singers, one bassist and a drummer. Bacon also plays keyboard and he directs the men's glee club at Wesleyan. He directs all the rehearsals for the choir, but once a week, someone else teaches so that he can step away and listen to the choir. Bacon will be directing the performance Sunday, which will include a piece that he arranged.
"I am really happy with both of my choirs; they are singing especially well this semester," Bacon said. "I look forward to sharing their material."
Rodney Mount, a sophomore music major, loves being a part of the jazz choir.
"We have a close connection in the jazz choir," Mount said. "For most of us, it's our favorite thing."
Mount is excited to perform on Sunday with fellow choir members, where they will share their talent and hard work with an audience of about 300 people.
"I think it will really show the talent of the group," Mount said. "It's a different type of music than what Wesleyan is used to," he added.
The performance is unique in that it will have more styles besides traditional jazz music. The group will go beyond Bach and Beethoven to create a style of music that is more original to the Touch of Class Jazz Choir.
"We do old jazz and jazz renditions, among other things," Mount said. "It's a multi-purpose group."
Bacon has high hopes for the choir this semester, as he sees a great deal of talent and potential in them. He is sure the Sunday performance will go very well, as long as the musicians don't let the pressure of performing get the best of them. Regardless of its outcome, Bacon knows that this performance will be a great experience for his students.
"For some, performing is an outlet of their artistic side. For others, it's a growth in skills to learn better breathing techniques," Bacon said. "Blending yourself in with other singers is a good exercise for us."
Whether these musicians are performing for fun or to improve their skills for a possible career in music, they love to share their progress with an audience through an ensemble.
"We love to be there," Mount said. "It's an honor to get to work with professor Bacon."
These musicians are eager for their upcoming performance, in which they will share their talent with peers, family, friends and anyone who wants to check out a great jazz choir.
kelseyhaugen@dailynebraskan.com
If you go…
What: Touch of Class Jazz performance
Where: O'Donnell Auditorium, Nebraska Wesleyan University
When: Sunday, Nov. 7 at 3 p.m.
How much: Free
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