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In October of 2009, William Allen High School was fortunate enough to have the Alan Gaumer Trio visit our school. They conducted a workshop with some of our instrumental students and put on a performance for our Art Academy.
During the workshop, the musicians were able to adapt to the students level of ability. The session inspired many to realize that they need to learn more about the basics of music theory in order to successfully improvise.
Until the performance, many of our students were not familiar with the genre of jazz, but from the moment the musicians began to play, they were hooked. To the delight of our students they performed many recognizable melodies from popular culture. In addition, Alan Gaumer was very informative, using the time in between each piece as a teaching moment.
In a dynamic way, the Alan Gaumer Trio made this style of music more accessible to our students. Because of the musicians’ obvious talent, energy, and passion, I believe they could have played anything and our students would have still been enthralled. They truly were able to touch the youthful urban spirit. In the words of one young man, “they’re feelin it man, they got soul”
—Kathy Alvaro
Art Teacher
Academy of the Arts Coordinator
William Allen High School, Allentown, PA
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