Clayton's visit gets LHS students jazzed up

Nervous but exhilarated, Lewiston High School jazz band members waited for a critique from renowned bassist John Clayton.

Was their phrasing off? Was the soloist being drowned out?

"That was so good," Clayton said. "I stopped you because it was so awesome."

Clayton, artistic director for the University of Idaho's Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, gave a free workshop for the students Tuesday morning at Lewiston High School.

"It's so much fun," he said. "This wonderful energy that the students get - that's my world."

Clayton lives in Los Angeles but visits the UI campus twice a month or so in the months leading up to the festival, making occasional visits to area schools.

"We talked about it as a group and they were just so excited," LHS Band Director Chelsey Caldwell said of Clayton's visit.

"We heard he was coming and I was a little intimidated but he was really chill and laid back and he taught us a heck of a lot," said tenor saxophonist Rachel Ozeran, a senior.

Percussionist Kole Kopczynski, also a senior, said Clayton is one of his heros.

"It's definitely a privilege," Kopczynski said. "It was almost surreal."

As the band members worked through portions of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and "Blackbird," Clayton moved about the room. He offered suggestions, praise and reflections on the art of jazz.

Practice doesn't make perfect, he said. Practice allows musicians to share music as it's meant to be shared.

"The only thing you have to be concerned with is expressing yourselves with honesty and clarity," he said. "You can't judge expression. You're artists and art is subjective."

More than anything, Clayton offered encouragement.

"Did you know there's no such thing as difficult music?" he asked. "Music isn't easy. Music isn't hard. It just exists. I always tell my students: 'Music just be.' "

"It was definitely a very unique opportunity," said senior bass player Cody Chenault. "He definitely represents a really high - exceptionally high - level of playing."

After class, as the students put away their instruments, Clayton offered praise and a few tips to their teacher.

"I think we were all a little nervous," said Caldwell, who is in her first year as band director for Lewiston High School.

"I learned things too," she said. "I think that we can all learn together."

Caldwell said the school's jazz band is one of five that have been selected to participate in special intensive sessions with music professionals on the first day of the February festival.

"We just invite a handful of schools from the region," Clayton said of the sessions.

Wednesday's workshop with Clayton, Caldwell said, goes a long way toward preparing her students for the level of instruction they'll be getting at the festival.

The Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival runs Feb. 19-22 at the University of Idaho. More information is available on the festival's website at www.uidaho.edu/jazzfest.

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Stone may be contacted at mstone@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2244. Follow her on Twitter @MarysSchoolNews.