Rising Stars: YACS High School Jazz Combo Shines Bright at 2024 Young Audiences Arts for Learning National Benefit Gala
The Power of Passion and Dedication
The Young Audiences Charter Schools (YACS) High School Student Jazz Combo is a testament to the power of passion and dedication. Under the guidance of their long-time teacher, Matt Bruzzi, these young musicians have honed their skills and developed a deep love for jazz.
May Fleming and Julaysia Douglas on vocals, Milan Sterling on keyboards, Amarie Kittles on Sax and Dorian Rickson on Trumpet.
The combo's hard work and talent have earned them recognition on both local and national stages. They are invited to perform professionally at clubs and events around the New Orleans area including the Jazz and Heritage Festival and recently at the State Capitol In Baton Rouge. This year, the combo was invited to perform at the Young Audiences Arts for Learning National Benefit Gala in New York City on October 22 during Lights on Afterschool Week.
Beyond their musical accomplishments, these students are well-rounded individuals who excel academically and are active members of their community. They exemplify the positive impact of afterschool programs, demonstrating the transformative power of arts education.
Passion for Music
Matt Bruzzi credits his students’ success to their unwavering passion for music. “They practice during my planning period. They practice all the time.” Their dedication extends beyond the classroom, with daily 8:00 AM sessions and after-school rehearsals through YALA. Bruzzi recalls the incredible enthusiasm following demanding Mardi Gras parades and Jazz performances, “You’d think they’d be exhausted and ready to go home, but no!” They’d spontaneously form a circle and keep playing, their love for music fueling their energy. “To this day, I still have to kick students out of the band room because they love making music!”
A pianist since age nine, Milan Sterling enjoys the practice at school before a performance because “ we learn a lot of music. It’s a good time to gain your knowledge and music skills.”
May Fleming on vocals, Amarie Kittles on sax, Dorian Rickson on trumpet and Terrence Solomon on trombone.
A month after the event, senior student combo members who performed at the conference openly gushed about their experience traveling to New York City, most for the first time. The students explained how they prepared for the performance, overcoming nervousness, preparing for improvisation moments, and for the vocalists taking care of their vocal chords.
The combo's electrifying performance at the New York Gala was a testament to their unwavering dedication and passion for jazz.
Bring Your Instruments!
The first night of the gala visit the Jazz combo went to Dizzy’s Club in the Louis Armstrong House Museum. Bryan Rickson who has played drums since age 7, thought Mr Bruzzi was crazy when he told them “to bring our instruments–just in case. We ended up performing though none of us had our instruments except for Dorian!”
For Mr. Bruzzi, “seeing both Terrence Solomon and Dorian Rickson not only get invited on stage by professional trumpet player Jon Faddis, but to perform with Faddis at an extremely high level was amazing!! In addition, watching Jon Faddis spend over an hour after the performance just investing in my students by teaching and mentoring them was incredible!”
“To this day, I still have to kick students out of the band room because they love making music!”
These students, united by their afterschool program, have cultivated essential life skills such as teamwork, leadership, and discipline. They learned the art of harmony, both on stage and off. Their experiences underscore the powerful impact of afterschool programs nationwide, particularly in Louisiana, where 21st CCLC Annual Performance data reveals significant improvements in attendance, GPA, engagement, and academic performance, along with a decrease in in-school suspensions."
“Through preparation I now have a backup plan–play a bunch of wrong notes and go off that– let the wrong notes lead to the right ones.”
Though the trip mainly focused on their invitational performance at the Young Audiences National Conference, it was clear that the journey taught them about more than just music.
Bassist and guitarist Taetym Brown has only been playing the electric bass for slightly more than a year, but already she has made great progress in the combo. Even so, this student was impressed by both her growth as a musician and her own social growth during the trip. “Traveling with the band encouraged me to speak more and get to know the other musicians, especially the other girls.”
After 25 years of teaching music, Mr. Bruzzi’s focus is complex. He makes sure that the students see and hear other Jazz ensembles.
Amarie Kittles on sax.
Providing students the opportunity to collaborate with each other as much as possible creates ownership, which Mr. Bruzzi believes to be extremely important in creating an environment where students can be creative and confident in what they are creating.
Amarie Kittles who plays saxophone is openly confident. He says, “On stage I would sometimes end up messing up. Through preparation I now have a backup plan–play a bunch of wrong notes and go off that– let the wrong notes lead to the right ones.”
Favorite Moments in NYC
The students also loved the Mercer Labs and The Statue of Liberty and they laughed about their journey, “from holding hands to cross the street like Kindergartners to listening to street and subway musicians and seeing the One World Trade Center for the first time.
Beyond their musical accomplishments, these students are well-rounded individuals who excel academically and are active members of their community. They exemplify the positive impact of afterschool programs, demonstrating the transformative power of arts education.
Matt Bruzzi believes the best thing about afterschool programs that are art focused is “how they provide the space and opportunity for student artists to pursue what they are passionate about.”
Amarie Kittles, Dorian Rickson, Terrence Solomon as before and Bryan Rickson on drums.
After their trip, the students in the YACS Student Jazz Combo have a bit of advice for New Orleaneans traveling to the Big Apple:
If you have the time, money and opportunity to go there, you should. It’s an out of this world experience.
Don’t buy purses, iPhones or watches from folks on the street.
Make good use of your time and stay safe!
Good advice from these now worldly traveling musicians. YALA looks forward to what’s next for them.
More About the Jazz Combo:
The jazz combo is part of the Young Audiences of Louisiana (YALA) afterschool/extended learning time (ELT) program which combines academics, arts, and culture, with classes such as music, dance, theater, culinary, robotics, and tutoring.
It is funded by the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) initiative, a federal funding source, awarded by state education agencies. The YALA 21st CCLC Extended Learning program serves over 1,300 youth and their families each year at schools in the greater New Orleans area.