By Ashley Bradley/ne news editor
Wanna hear some jazz?
The NE Campus Jazz Lab Band will perform 12:30-1:45 p.m. Nov. 23 in the Agora (the outside area between NSTU and NCAB) and at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 3 in Center Corner (NSTU 1615A).
The performances will include instruments such as saxophone, percussion, drums, guitar, piano and trumpets.
“We have all the instruments you can think of, the whole shebang,” said the band’s vocalist Rachel Meek.
Meek said she really enjoys singing.
“I have been a vocalist longer than I’ve known how to speak,” she said. “Because I was home schooled when I was younger, I didn’t start singing with a school choir until junior high.”
In 2007, Meek auditioned for American Idol and made the top 50.
“I decided I wanted to go back to school, so I decided to drop out of the contest,” she said. “My father thought I was crazy and said I should have stuck with it, but I really just wanted to come back to school.”
In her third semester as band vocalist, Meek said she is having a great time doing it.
“It is hard to stay healthy sometimes to keep my voice in shape, but it’s worth it,” she said.
Meek said when she started performing, she would often get stage fright but rarely does now.
She said because her dad used to be a minister, he would always volunteer her for singing performances without telling her until the last second, so she couldn’t back out.
“I’ve sang a lot for the church band,” she said. “It really gave me extra practice on top of the singing lessons I was taking. I started lessons when I was 12.”
Music instructor Philippe Baugh said that the students in the jazz band are really talented.
“They’re all experienced out of high school programs,” he said. “A couple of them are even professional musicians.”
Music instructor Warren Dewey will play percussion in the performances.
“He really helps out,” Baugh said. “It’s great to have a percussionist in the performances.”
The performances are free. For more information, contact Baugh at philippe.baugh@tccd.edu.
