Page 56 - April 2016 Life In Naples Magazine

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T he second ever Naples Philharmonic Youth Jazz Orchestra
rehearsal is a rainy but spirited one. The 19 members of
Artis—Naples’ newest ensemble enter sporadically in hoodies
and squeaky shoes, and due to the slow traffic outside, several don’t
arrive until after the 3:30 start time. It took Naples Philharmonic
Jazz Orchestra trumpeter and Youth Jazz Orchestra Director Dan
Miller an hour to get to rehearsal from Golden Gate. But once these
dedicated musicians have taken their seats, it’s go time.

Most public schools don’t teach music theory, the foundational
knowledge of how and why music works. So Miller and the orchestra
spend rehearsal on the nuts and bolts of scales, harmonies and chord
construction. In unison, the orchestra climbs through a series of
intricate jazz scales. Most attempts are executed well, with Miller
first jazzily singing each note to the kids’ amusement. When the horn
section flubs a tough, descending sequence, Miller grimaces good-
naturedly: “Well…we can work on that,” he says.

These early rehearsals may not sound as glamorous as a Charlie
Parker solo, but learning how the be-bop and blues scales interact is
critical to learning how to improvise. And as Miller explains to the
students, improvising and its inherent freedom are what jazz is all
about.

“You don’t have anyone telling you what to do,” Miller tells the
orchestra during his lesson on harmonic motion. “There are no wrong
notes. Remove that fear from your pursuit of improvisation.”

The Youth Jazz Orchestra comprises 17 local high schoolers and

56 Life in Naples | April 2016