January Whirlwind - Traveling South and Back Again
- Keri Chryst
- Jan 31, 2024
- 2 min read
Updated: Jan 30
Conferences, Reunions, and Scat Cat Sessions, Oh My!
Jazz Education Network (JEN) Conference
New Orleans, LA - Jan 3-6, 2024
January rang in with another amazing JEN Conference in the birthplace of Jazz. As usual, I volunteered as badge checker and general gopher, which always allows for a thousand little spontaneous encounters with friends and colleagues old and new.
A few highlights
...de nouveaux amis Québécois; productive discussions with potential institutions for pursuing my doctorate in jazz composition & arranging; fantastic clinics on a plethora of timely topics; and a truly transcendent closing night of concerts on the main stage.
Amazing Reunions - There and Back Again
I love driving across this beautiful country - as it allows me to reconnect with folks I've known and loved all along the way. Highlights of this trip south included:
A quick lunch in Kentucky with my old mentor from Northwestern days - Dr. Kevin-Holm Hudson - to talk turkey about making music and pursuing doctorates.
FINALLY seeing Nashville! Getting a taste of its PALPABLE good vibe, and reconnecting with friends met in Paris a decade ago.
Lunch with Uncle C.B. (plus bonus Uncle John and Nancy on the way back!) in Mississipi
Scat Cat Sessions, Toledo - le retour
Would have loved to spend a few more days in NOLA to explore the city, but had to hurry back to Toledo to do the 2nd half of our Scat Cat Sessions at Beverly Elementary - thanks to the efforts of Melissa Mason, 2 grants from the Ohio Arts Council, and an extra boost from our Arts Embassy International supporters.
The kids did GREAT! And I'm amazed and gratified to witness just how much of the information I introduced them to back in October actually STUCK! So cool to be able to interact with the same group of kids more than once, and witness the impact your teaching is having <3 #everybodywantstobeacat
Shout out to the wonderful students from Bowling Green State University who showed up for the kids and gave them a taste of what it's like to play with real jazz musicians for their final performance :-). Thanks Tumaini Sango (Piano), Thomas Johnston (bass), and Riley Kramer (drums)... and to Ariel Kasler (professor) for recommending them!
Comments