Beyond Words, Beyond Notes: Exploring Jazz through Writing and Writing through Jazz
Mentor: Bob Krut
“Beyond Words, Beyond Notes” is an exploration of jazz in the 21st century that brings together my personal perspectives on jazz and those of other musicians in the Santa Barbara and Ventura area. The project comprises a range of genres and media, personal essays, poetry, interviews, photos, and videos, to capture the spirit of jazz and its various modes of expression. Central to the project are personal essays that will follow the trajectory of my own experience as a jazz saxophonist—how I started, what music means to me, the people I have met, and the places I have played. Interviews with musicians of my age and older with whom I have had the chance to play and build connections will serve to bring different perspectives on the meaning of jazz, the importance of community in jazz, individual expression in music, and the current state of jazz. Supplemental to the project are the photos and videos of my live performances and shows that I have attended, hoping to capture as vividly and candidly as possible the settings where jazz happens and the people who continue the jazz tradition.
