Missouri Western Jazz Band performs at East Hills
By Jazmine Knight
Missouri Western’s Jazz Band brought sounds of the season to East Hills Shopping Center on Friday evening.
Missouri Western director of jazz studies and music education, Bob Long says performing at East Hills used to be a tradition prior to COVID. He says it’s nice to finally be back, especially during the holiday season.
“It’s nice to get out and share music with the public, play some great holiday tunes that people can enjoy and a great way to wrap up the semester for the students,” said Long.
He believes music is something that needs to be shared amongst others. For Long, his students have been honing their skills all semester. They’ve performed various concerts on campus but it’s just something different when it comes to performing in the community.
“[To be] in a different location like this and to have a different crowd coming through, it’s fun to do that. It’s great to watch the crowd reaction,” he said.
The band put their own touch on various holiday classics such as Feliz Navidad and All I Want For Christmas is My Two Front Teeth. But the tunes didn’t stop there. They also played some classic jazz pieces as well.
Caleb Niehoff, a senior trumpet player, says he’s happy to spend another Gold Friday being involved in the community.
“It’s always really interesting and really engaging to share music with the community,”Niehoff said. “We love doing it, obviously. It’s something that we’re really lucky to do.”
For Niehoff, this is his second year playing in Missouri Western’s band after transferring from Kansas State. He gives kudos to his teacher, Mr. Long and the rest of the talented performers alongside him.
Both Long and Niehoff said that their favorite pieces from the concert come from Count Basie, an American jazz composer and artist. Switching Time, one song performed at the concert, comes from Basie’s Straight Ahead album.
“That one’s always just really fun to play. It’s one of my favorites to listen to in the car,” said Niehoff. “It’s really classic for trumpet players, especially lead players.”
Overall, Long says he’s very proud of his students. Over the course of the semester, they have learned a lot about how to listen and work together to create a musical masterpiece.
“It’s always so encouraging to watch the growth and the maturity during the semester. From the beginning of the semester to the end,” said Long.
East Hills shopping center will also be continuing their Sweet Sounds of Christmas all throughout December.
For more information about future performances, visit their website at shopeasthills.com.
