Tag: AY1516

Happy Second Week of Classes, UHP!
This week’s extracurricular is something that can unquestionably apply to everyone, and I’ll take a bit of liberty in terms of “extracurricular” and its usual definition by discussing an extracurricular activity near and dear to my hear, while on principle also co-curricular: music.
Specifically, I’ll talk about my organization, the GW Jazz Orchestra, but I’ll also do my best to touch on all of the, perhaps surprisingly, multitudinous offerings that GW provides for all those musically inclined, how those who aren’t might be able to enjoy them, and how my experience might be able to help you figure out what extracurriculars YOU want to get involved with as you embark on your journey at GW.

So to start at the heart of the matter, I’m a Sophomore History major and Law & Society minor with a heavy eye on Law School—but I’m also a Jazz Studies minor. And that manifests itself in many ways, but none more so than my dedication to the GW Music Department and the growth of opportunities for EVERY individual at GW, whether that means as a performer or as an observer.
Last semester, a friend and I took that belief and our dedication to the craft of America’s true original art form to form what would become the GW Jazz Orchestra (simply, GWJO). We began with a group of handpicked musicians, students who were members of the Jazz Studies program and regular attendees at the Friday Jazz Jam Sessions, began rehearsing in March, and debuted as part of the 24 Hour Protest Concert to #SavetheArtsGW (more on that later) in April. At that point, we had attained approval to exist as an official GW Student Organization. Our mission is as it always was, to propagate “a new breed of jazz at GW.” That means playing music composed for large jazz ensembles as it was meant to be played—the classic greats like Duke Ellington and Count Basie as well as more modern goliaths of the jazz world like Gordon Goodwin and Maynard Ferguson. It means that we’ll play as much as we can, as often as we can, and gosh darn it we’re going to be as good at it was we possibly can.
And after a nearly 40% reduction in musical opportunities due to administrative budget, it now means that we must be dedicated to fulfilling our obligation to ensure that all students who desire to play music have that opportunity. That’s an obligation that we take with the utmost sincerity; so seriously that we took care to restructure our organization so that we can include as many people who would like to participate as possible—an important step to take as an organization, and a difficult one to acknowledge as necessary, what with starting an organization as a Freshman and all.
Moral of the story: if you want to start an organization as a Freshman, DO IT. Make sure you have a lot of money for coffee but definitely DO IT. It’s one the most rewarding experiences I’ve had thus far at GW and I’ve taken away invaluable lessons about leadership, organization, and camaraderie. If you want to be involved in something and the 400+ student organizations at GW don’t quite fit the bill, take that bold step. Get in touch with the Center for Student Engagement and start the process. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
But I digress. What other music stuff do I do, you ask? And how do I get involved, you ask? And what else can I do in the Music Department? And where do I see musical things, in the abstract, happening, you ask?
The last one’s easy: the basement of Philips Hall houses the music department. Walk on down there, check out the bulletin boards, and check in with the office to sign up for the Music Department Listserv to stay up to date on concerts and recitals. Like the GW Music Department on Facebook as well for the same updates!
What else do I do in the Department? I take jazz performance lessons with world-renowned saxophonist Peter Fraize, play in the Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band (depending on the semester), and when I have a few hours to spare, play with the Colonial Brass basketball pep band—all incredible opportunities to get involved and meet a new group of AWESOME people, especially if you’re a hopelessly lost band geek looking to dust off that clarinet.
How do I get involved? See above—just walk on down to the basement of Philips Hall and peruse the bulletin boards/talk to the office staff for more information! I’d also be happy to direct you to any relevant persons—just shoot me an email!
What else can I do in the music department? Just about anything! There is a choir, chamber ensembles, and a symphonic orchestra besides the jazz area ensembles and GW Bands. If you would like to take lessons, you can register for MUS 1106—a new GPAC course, Introduction to Music Performance, and take a semester of lessons with any of the world class music faculty for FREE!!#$@#^&#@@!!!!!!!!
But what if the only music stuff I can do is play “ Chopsticks” on the piano or “Hot Cross Buns” on the recorder? COME SUPPORT THE ARTS AS MUCH AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN! Whether it’s the fine musicians in the GW Jazz Orchestra, the incredibly talented vocalists of any given acapella group on campus, or individual performers who practice relentlessly to perfect their art, take a walk down to Philips and check out what the department has to offer. Come to a concert or attend a recital and you will experience firsthand how incredibly diverse and talented this musical student body truly is.
Though my involvement spans what some might consider inter-dimensional boundaries, music is truly my lifeblood. Making time for it, even if it’s in a formal class setting, doesn’t feel extracurricular—it feels natural.
I encourage you to find that wherever you end up at GW, whether it’s a performing art or not, departmentally associated or not: find your niche, find what makes you happy, find what allows you to expend hopeless amounts of energy with zero regret, find what makes you lose sleep because you’re up late spending time on it.
And if you can’t find that niche, create it.
If you have any questions about balancing extracurriculars with your crazy lives, feel free to get in touch. If you want to know more about the music department/musical opportunities, definitely get in touch.
Thanks for reading—and be sure to like the GW Music Department (https://www.facebook.com/GWDeptOfMusic?fref=ts) as well as The GW Jazz Orchestra (https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-GW-Jazz-Orchestra/756427921139607?fref=ts) on Facebook to stay updated on concerts and opportunities!