Music is a universal language that brings people together no matter their background. Whether you are a musician or just a lover of music, the WSU School of Music has an opportunity this October to experience the world of Brazilian jazz.
The Brazilian Jazz festival will take place at WSU from Oct. 18 through Oct. 22. The festival will feature Brazilian and American jazz artists, Três Mais and multi-Grammy nominee drummer Rafael Barata.
It will start with a jam session with the guest artists at Bucer’s Coffee House in Moscow, Idaho. Multiple rehearsals and clinics will take place in the following days leading to the main concert.
WSU professor César Haas is one of the main organizers of the event and is a classical and jazz guitarist. This is the second year the festival is occurring.
“What students can expect is a great concert and a lot of interaction,” Haas said. “If you’re interested in music almost everything is open to the public. You can sit in and watch artists rehearse with a big band and maybe ask some questions after. For music students, I think it’s a great experience working with high level artists.”
About seven or eight years ago, Haas met Wayne Moose, a musician and music teacher in Buffalo, New York. They became friends through their love of music and have played together a lot over the years.
Moose is a guest artist this year and is the co-leader of Três Mais. He attended last year’s festival and said that he loved it.
“I really think that that is the number one priority for this festival is the students engaging with the faculty and learning new styles and music,” Moose said. “The great thing is that there might be a language barrier verbally, but with music we all speak the same language musically. It’s a deeper level of communication. That’s the crux of the concept. It’s to educate everyone about true Brazilian music and have a good time.”
Anna McPherson is a junior at WSU and a music education and saxophone performance major. She is the lead saxophone in the WSU big band.
McPherson attended and participated in last year’s festival. She said she learned a lot and is looking forward to this year, especially the jam session.
“I think these events are super fun,” McPherson said. “I think it’s fun to listen to the music. It’s definitely exposure to a new kind of music that we don’t hear a lot in this area. And having these people come from Brazil and from all over to work with us is pretty special. They came pretty far to come to Pullman. So I feel like we should really learn from what they have to offer.”
The jazz festival is an opportunity for musicians to learn from professionals about a type of music that is influential to jazz’s history. Even if you aren’t a musician, there may be something to learn and take away from the experience.
At 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 18, the event will kick off with a pre-jam session featuring Três Mais with Rafael Barata and Vern Sielert at Bucer’s Coffee House in Moscow, Idaho.
