VIU JAZZ STUDENTS AND SPECIAL GUESTS PLAYING END-OF-TERM CONCERTS

November 21, 2013 - 1:41am

You might think it would be difficult to muster enthusiasm for a job you’ve been doing for 53 years.

Not so for Bryan Stovell, who is looking forward to Vancouver Island University’s (VIU) end-of-term jazz concerts just as much as he did in the first years he taught music in Nanaimo’s secondary schools more than half a century ago.

As head of VIU’s Jazz Music program, Stovell is hoping to see music lovers out for four evenings of music in the VIU Jazz Program Fall Showcase, coming up Monday, Nov. 25 through Thursday, Nov. 28. The program varies each night and starts at 7:30 p.m. Admission is by donation.

“We have a great showcase of student talent, alongside guest musicians from the area who are coming out to play music and sing on VIU’s Malaspina Theatre stage,” says Stovell, who once taught the uber-talented Diana Krall while she was a young high school student at Nanaimo District Secondary School.

The music series starts Nov. 25 with jazz combos and original student compositions. On Nov. 26, the VIU College Singers and students in the Classical program perform along with VIU’s Wind Ensemble. A big treat awaits those who come out Nov. 27, when the Nanaimo Musicians Association’s Big Band players start off the evening, followed by VIU’s Jazz Ensemble. The final night, Nov. 28, will be a treat for those who love their jazz delivered by more powerful voices – VIU’s Vocal Jazz students start off the evening, followed by the singers in Nanaimo’s popular A Cappella Plus.

The 16 current members in Nanaimo’s A Cappella Plus, now in their 32nd season, perform a wide variety of repertoire, from the sacred to the secular, early to modern, classical to jazz. They have come out for VIU’s end-of-term concerts many times before.

The Nanaimo Musicians Association (NMA) has involved local professional musicians, VIU students and alumni, and VIU professors in its 45-year history. Sharing a love of Big Band music, the NMA has provided scholarships for music students and donated funds for equipment to school and VIU music programs.

Stovell says he knows there is a strong following for the guest musicians on the bill, and he is also sure the community will come out to support students who are pursuing music in their studies.

“Our students go on to pursue a wide variety of careers in music, and it’s pretty rewarding to be involved in helping them achieve their goals.”

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