Moorhead — Last Friday Nov. 1, Concordia’s vocal jazz group held their biannual solo night in the Maize where students and community members could come hear the individual talents of vocal jazz members.
Concordia’s vocal jazz group supports three different student-led ensembles with as many as 20 members each.
“Each ensemble is an acapella-rehearsing group that performs a four to eight part jazz pieces with drums, bass and piano at our gigs and recitals,” said Rachel Cavaness member and director of media for Concordia vocal jazz.
Usually, Vocal jazz performs together as a full ensemble without much opportunity for the singers to shine on their own. However, the solo night provides an opportunity to create a more casual and intimate setting for the performer and audience alike.
“When we do bi-annual solo nights, the audience gets a chance to hear these voices solo with combo musicians. It provides a new feel to our program and is a hit every time,” said Cavaness.
Nearly 20 different people performed at the event creating an abundance of music for all to enjoy. The individual nature also brings out the personal styles of each musician leading to a diverse sound and feel every time.
Having an opportunity to perform on their own is also an exciting experience for the singers, who maybe get to try something new.
“The individuality of a singer is a huge part of why we do this event. We want every person in our program to have the chance to experience singing solo jazz in front of an audience,” said Cavaness.
The Concordia vocal jazz program has grown a lot in the past few years allowing for more of these events to happen and give more students an opportunity to express their musical talents and passions.
“Our goal is always to grow as a program. We used to only have two ensembles and around 20 auditions each year, but we have had so much interest since 2022 that we now have three FULL ensembles and over 50 auditions yearly! Our program has grown immensely over the years and it’s only going up from here,” said Cavaness.
Looking forward, vocal jazz has several upcoming large group events for students who either missed the solo night or had a great time and are looking for more opportunities to watch and listen to Concordia vocal jazz.
“On Thursday, Nov. 14, we have a gig at the Delta Hotel with Concordia Jazz Band that is always a huge hit! Our fall concert is Monday, Nov. 25. We’d love to see you there to experience our group voices as a whole,” said Cavaness.
