Lakewood High Will Swing The Apollo In New York
If your spirit needs rebooting this spring, there’s a fail-safe way to ditch the blues: Find out when a nearby high school’s bands and orchestras are holding concerts. The quality of music you hear may astound you. At Lakewood High School, the Jazz Band will soon head to New York City.
Later this month the musicians will play both the renowned Apollo Theater in Harlem and the outdoor venue at Lincoln Center. It’s hard to tell whether they’re more excited about performing or about hearing the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra – directed by the irrepressibly talented Wynton Marsalis – and having hands-on workshops with some jazz greats at the Apollo.
Don’t think these 19 guys are new to the game; they’ve won high honors in Florida competitions, judged and organized by the Florida Bandmasters Association. This year, they’ve also earned their way to the State Level competition, selected from among the best high school jazz bands in the state.
Director Michael Kernodle takes a rare break during rehearsal and points emphatically to a large poster of grinning musicians. It reads: “Florida State Competitions 2015: Lakewood High Jazz Band, Straight Superiors.” (That’s as good as it gets within the state.) “I want four more of those up there, you hear? Four! And you can do that!” he says. All the students’ eyes are on him.
Lakewood’s invitation to the New York Jazz Festival came unsolicited. Last year, the band traveled to New Orleans and played the Crescent City Jazz Festival. A musician/organizer in New York heard the recording of their performance and was so impressed that he asked Kernodle to bring the musicians to the Big Apple. It’s a given that what he hears this year will be an even bigger and better sound.
To get to where they are now, performers have worked hard, practiced endlessly, and shown up for classes no matter what. All of them must first play at least a year in Concert Band, and all must be able to read music before achieving Jazz Band status.
“I first listened to jazz because my parents do, so I liked the sounds,’’ sophomore trombone player Ernest Houston says. “But jazz isn’t this freeform thing that you just pick up your instrument and play. In jazz, it’s all about learning your scales until you can play them in your sleep.”
What appears to be effortless improvisation takes hours and hours of practice in major, minor, and diminished keys, plus conquering a series of different modes. “More than classical, jazz has a lot of odd chords, where the harmonies are way off,” Houston says.
Rehearsals under Mr. K’s direction are tight and professional. Still, there are occasional whoops of sheer joy over something that just sounds so good! A fist in the air, a just-can’t-help it dance step: the guys celebrate the sound they make together.
Lakewood’s extensive music program includes a variety of bands, orchestras, ensembles, and choruses. Director Kernodle already knows that all of his Jazz Band members will graduate, and at least three of the seniors are college-bound. Matt Sala will take his sax talent to the University of South Florida, where he will also study medicine. Trumpeter Johnny Liles will head to Florida State University’s highly rated music department, and “Bari Mike” Dodge and his baritone sax probably will end up at the University of Central Florida.
Meanwhile, there’s New York. Scheduling and organizing an out-of-state trip takes endless planning and hours of work. Mr. K reminds students to make sure their collapsible music stands are ready and suggests bringing clothespins to hold their music at Lincoln Center, where they’ll perform outdoors on a day that’s likely to be blustery. Tuxedos and trousers must be cleaned, and shoes and instruments have to be shined up.
Another challenge: Raising the $50,000 to make the trip and house the youngsters. The band played a concert at the historic Manhattan Casino and sold CDs of performances. The Lakewood Band Boosters, in endless fundraising mode, still have another $15,000 to go. Everyone’s still hustling T-shirts, passing the hat, and praying a lot. Optimism is a prerequisite for band directors, and Kernodle is no exception. “It takes a lot of faith and a lot of patience,” he says. “But we’re well on our way – and we will make it.”
To contact Lakewood High School Band Boosters, email [email protected];
Secretary, Janice Thiel, [email protected]; Michael [email protected]; Lakewood High Reception desk: (727) 893-1387.
Lakewood High School Jazz Band 2017-2018
Director
Michael Kernodle
Reeds
- Matthew Sala: 1st Alto Saxophone
- John Binkley: 2nd Alto Saxophone
- Tristan Nelson: 1st Tenor Saxophone
- Edward Giese: 2nd Tenor Saxophone
- Michael Dodge: Baritone Saxophone
Trumpet
- Jack Willet: Lead Trumpet
- Johnny Liles: 2nd Trumpet
- Harry Sauers: 3rd Trumpet
- Shamar Dean: 4th Trumpet
- David Keister: 5th Trumpet
Trombone
- Miguel Jackson: 1st Trombone
- Henry Thiel: 2nd Trombone
- Daniel Small: 3rd Trombone
- Ernest Houston: 4th Trombone
Rhythm Section
- Jacob Golden: Piano
- Zach Blair-Andrews: Guitar
- Nick Love: Drums
- Erik Hempel: Double Bass
- Tobin Frazier: Vibraphone
