NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — A music-oriented nonprofit and its founders are auditioning students to perform in their first-ever Youth Jazz Band.
Yorktown Middle School student Kiara Ayala-Irizarry has been playing the piano since she was four. She’s one of 25 Peninsula students auditioning for a spot in the first-ever Peninsula Youth Jazz Band at the Peebles Theater on the campus of Christopher Newport University.
“I was a bit nervous, but I think I did well,” said Ayala-Irizarry. “I really like every style of jazz because they’re all good in their own ways.”
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Dr. Steven Cunningham, a classically trained trumpet and saxophone player from Central Virginia, will lead the group. He’s excited to expose these young musicians to the American art form.
“It gives them the opportunity to play music that is typically not taught in public schools,” he noted.
He will be choosing 10 to 12 middle school students to perform six times this spring.
“It’s a lot of things to tackle as a young musician. But we’re introducing our youth to the history of this country and really learning how to improvise and work together,” Cunningham explained.
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The new jazz band is the brainchild of Ray Ramirez, founder of Soundscapes.
“One of the things about jazz is that you get to improvise a lot; you get to make your own music. It truly is the American art form,” he said.
Soundscapes is a nonprofit that creates a platform for minority students and young musicians in underserved communities to have a chance to perform and cultivate their talents.
“To say to the world that I have something to say; I have something original to give in the structure of what the song is, but I can add to that,” said Ramirez.
“It’s just super fun because you can improvise, and the songs sound super cool,” said Kiara.
The debut performance is March 30 at the Peebles Theater, and it is free and open to the public.
