Global Recognition: WAYJO band member and alumni head overseas

WAYJO always enjoys hearing the success stories of our band members, guest artists, and alumni, and so we are thrilled to share news from two former and current band members. 

Our Wednesday Night Orchestra lead alto, Holly Forster, has been accepted to go on exchange to the prestigious Frost School of Music in Miami this year! She’ll be following in the path of many of our great alumni who have studied there including Troy Roberts, Tim Jago, Daniel Susnjar, Jeremy Greig, Matt Smith, and Catherine Noblet. Holly is currently in her 3rd year of a Bachelor of Music studying jazz saxophone at WAAPA and has been a dedicated member of WAYJO since 2018.

Former WAYJO member and current Progressions tutor, bassist Kate Pass, has been awarded a scholarship to complete a Master of Music at The New School’s College of Performing Arts in New York, as part of the Performer-Composer program.

We wish Holly and Kate every success as they go abroad for further jazz education.


WAYJO 2022 Brubeck Scholarship

WAYJO 2022 Brubeck Jazz Summit Scholarship

The WA Youth Jazz Orchestra (WAYJO) are proud to announce Wednesday Night Orchestra members Cass Evans-Ocharern (bass) and Bob Tweedie (keyboard) were selected as this year’s recipients of the 2022 Brubeck Jazz Summit Scholarship. Joined by musical chaperone and WAYJO board member Kate Pass, they travelled to Sierra Nevada University, North Lake Tahoe July 10 to 16 for the annual United States jazz performance intensive.

“We had an amazing week at the Brubeck Jazz Summit in beautiful Lake Tahoe. It was an invaluable experience getting to hang out with and learn from some of the best jazz musicians in the world right now” comments Kate. “It was wonderful to see Cass and Bob thrive within the cohort, bringing a mature musical outlook, ensemble skills and etiquette, and of course a sense of humour!”

Cass says “The Brubeck Jazz Summit was an absolutely incredible experience. It was surreal to fly across the world because of Jazz. We had the amazing opportunity to work under some of the best Jazz musicians in the world, such as Chad LB, Connie Han, Rodney Whitaker, Sean Jones, Gilad Hekselman, and Eric Harland. We were able to work with each faculty member in ensembles, learn from their Masterclasses and also watched them perform with Dave Brubeck's son's, Chris and Dan Brubeck.”

“We also had the absolute pleasure of meeting other like-minded, young Jazz musicians from not only all over America, but also the UK! It was so lovely to make new friends from such different backgrounds and I am looking forward to seeing where each student goes in their career.”

"I am so fortunate to have had such an incredible opportunity because of WAYJO and Classical Tahoe. It was an absolutely amazing learning experience and I am so thankful to have gone.”

Brubeck Jazz Summit is a one-week intensive jazz performance training program offered to thirty selected students from throughout the world. It offers the unparalleled opportunity to workshop with Brubeck Institute faculty, guest artists and master teachers as the living legacy of the musician and international statesman, Dave Brubeck.

The Brubeck Jazz Summit accepts annual online applications from highly motivated students. More information about the program is online at davebrubeck.com/brubeck-living-legacy

 

WAYJO 2022 Brubeck Scholarship
Kate Pass (Ctr. R), with Brubeck Artistic Director Chad Lefkowitz-Brown (pic. Ctr. L), and WAYJO members Cass Evans-Ocharern (R) & Bob Tweedie (L). Photo by Connor Moen.

Hashtags: #WAYJO2022 #BrubeckJazzSummit

Contact:

Justine Thornley WAYJO Marketing
marketing@wayjo.com
+61 8 9471 1950


2022 WAYJO Pathways Education and Composer in Residence Programs Open

WA Youth Jazz Orchestra (WAYJO) returns for 2022 with four fantastic opportunities for young West Australian musicians.

WAYJO’s Act Belong Commit Pathways Program offers a chance to explore jazz music, or learn more about auditioning for the band. Three audition-free, inclusive workshops for aspiring young musicians are now open for registrations;

  • WAYJO Northern Corridor (NC) is a training orchestra for high school students wishing to extend themselves through learning how to read and play various styles of music. It is held Tuesday evenings at St Stephens in Duncraig with a performance in their theatre in September. Registrations for Semester One close Monday 7 February, 9.00am.
  • WAYJO Club is an exciting opportunity for aspiring instrumentalists and vocalists, aged 12-18 years, to learn about and participate in jazz music making with WAYJO in a social and inclusive setting. WAYJO Club is open to all young musicians with a basic understanding of music. It runs semester one and two, with a discount offered for participation both semesters. Registrations close Tuesday 22 February, 5.00pm.
  • Young Women in Jazz is an 8-week workshop program open to female identifying instrumentalists aged 14-25 who have an interest in exploring jazz and improvised music in a like-minded, judgement-free space. Registrations close Monday 11 April, 5.00pm.

WAYJO’s Pathways Education Program is supported by Healthway promoting the Act Belong Commit message, and our Major Partner Minderoo Foundation. Head to wayjo.com/education for more information and registration details.

WAYJO's Composer in Residence Program is also open for applications, supporting two emerging composers to develop new works for a large jazz ensemble with generous commission fees, artistic mentorship, and professional recordings of the new works. Applications for both positions close Tuesday 1 March, 5.00pm;

  • Composer in Residence is open to any composer aged 30 years or younger (as at 1st January 2022), residing in Australia, offering $2,000 for two original big band works.
  • Associate Composer in Residence is open to any jazz composer aged 21 years or younger (as at 1st January 2022), residing in Western Australia, offering $1,200 for two original big band works.

Head to wayjo.com/get-involved/composer-in-residence for more information and to apply.

With so many opportunities on offer for young musicians, WAYJO's 2022 season promises to offer something for both jazz aficionados and those new to the genre. Stay tuned to wayjo.com for more details soon, as the season program launches Sunday 20 March at Lyric Lane in Maylands.

 

WAYJO thanks continuing Government Partner, the Department of Local Government, Sport, and Cultural Industries, Lotterywest, Principal Partner North West Shelf Gas, Major Programs Partner Minderoo Foundation, MinterEllison Monday Night Orchestra Naming Rights Partner, St John of God Healthcare Tuesday Night Orchestra Naming Rights Partner, and Healthway Act Belong Commit.

 

Photograph by Adrian Hicks.


WAYJO in the USA - 2019 Brubeck Colony Scholarship Recipients

Two WAYJO members have returned from an incredible week of working with jazz luminaries and other exemplary students at the Brubeck Institute in Stockton, California.

The standard of the all the students and staff was jaw dropping, with Julia Wallace (pictured right) and Cameron Fermoyle (pictured left) doing a superlative job representing WAYJO in a spectacularly creative musical environment.

"Congratulations to the WAYJO team for continuing to provide these kind of opportunities to further develop Australia's place in the international jazz community. Massive thanks to Patrick Langham and Randi Sandoli for administrating and directing all involved at the Brubeck Summer Colony 2019." - Marty Pervan, WAYJO TNO Musical Director.

Some words from the participants;
"We had an incredible time at the Brubeck Colony. It was a whirlwind experience where we were in a busy environment surrounded by amazing American music students and a world class faculty, including Carl Allen, Steve Davis and Essiet Essiet. Ingrid Jensen worked with Cam's ensemble all week and he learnt so much from her unique and freeing teaching style. Steve Davis and Greg Tardy were my ensemble teachers and I feel so lucky to have had such professional and experienced musicians be so kind and encouraging the whole week."

"One of the things that the faculty would always mention is the importance of deep listening and researching. I think as young musicians now on steaming platforms and such, the process of checking out records has deteriorated, creating a lesser grasp of the history and mastery of the music."

"The Brubeck Colony has enlightened us on this idea through multiple rehearsals, masterclasses and clinics, with some of the world’s best, which I believe has begun maturing our sense of musicianship and has created a profound new hunger for learning and striving to achieve greatness everyday."

"Advice to people planning to audition and participate in the Brubeck Colony would be to learn as many tunes as humanly possible between now and then. It’ll mean you’ll be able to play in all the Jam sessions and get the most out of the rehearsals, so the faculty can spend the time on imparting their wisdom on deeper level."

Thank you very much WAYJO for this incredible opportunity - Julia & Cam!