Maddison Stainton, a second-year student in Humber Polytechnic's Bachelor of Music program and vocalist of the Salsa Ensemble, said the group has helped her become confident in her performance through dance.
She said that they set a less formal tone and make a connection with the audience through their upbeat energy and dance.
And that happened Thursday as Humber Polytechnic hosted its annual Latin Jazz Night, the year's final concert of its Student Showcase Concerts Series. At the Lakeshore campus, three ensembles were featured: the Brazilian Jazz Ensemble, the Salsa Ensemble and the Latin Jazz Ensemble.
“Every single show, we start by dancing, so that already kicks it off,” she said.
"They're feeding off of our energy that we bring with the dancing, and also with the energy of we don't want this to be perfect, per se. We don't want this to be so strategic, as it wouldn't be unique if it were," Stainton said.
The ensembles shared a wide variety of music originating from Afro-Caribbean jazz. The Brazilian Jazz Ensemble played contemporary and traditional music of the genre. The Salsa Ensemble showcased a variety of dance and upbeat music. The Latin Jazz Ensemble played numerous pieces arranged by its instructor, Hilario Duran.
Alex Narr, the instructor of the Salsa Ensemble, said the band is an excellent opportunity for up-and-coming musicians to get comfortable on stage.
“I have the most amount of first-year students, and so they're very green, just in general, right, just, you know, to the whole music education, and though they're very talented, right, they all come from different sort of, you know, interests, different styles of music,” he said.
Narr said the band has come a long way and is proud of the students’ progress.
“I can bring in a new song now, and (they) can get through it a lot faster than we did at the beginning of the year because they've now kind of grasped some of the foundational concepts,” he said. “You can see that they've put in that hard work and that they've had that extreme growth.”
Steven Cork is a second-year student and guitarist in the Salsa Ensemble. He said being able to dance while performing has enhanced his stage presence.
“It's an even mixture of horror and fun. I'm panicking as much as I'm dancing,” Cork said. “We're in a music school that's primarily jazz-focused. There's not a lot of dancing.”
Gwynne Daynard, a second-year student and vocalist in the Salsa Ensemble and the Brazilian Jazz Ensemble, said the ensemble helped get her out of her comfort zone.
“I think there's a lot of different rhythmic things which are pretty difficult. And also the language. That's new to me. I don’t speak Spanish or Portuguese, so that’s been a big learning curve for me,” she said
She said Humber’s music program offers a diverse selection of ensembles and specializations, allowing them to broaden their skills.
“I think it's really unique that Humber showcases so many (kinds of) world music. So I think it's really cool that we get to see what that's like and experience that in person,” she said. “Not many other schools do this kind of thing. So being able to be a part of that music with such amazing people is just a real experience.”
Anise Russow said she has an appreciation for the culture attached to Brazilian and Latin jazz.
“Latin jazz is so rooted in tradition and cultural context, and it is a huge part of understanding other parts of jazz music,“ she said. “I think the last song we played tonight, Aquarela Do Brasil, really showcases its spirit. It’s a very well-known celebration song that acts as a symbol of Brazilian culture.”
Stainton said the Salsa Ensemble collaborated to create their unique sound while performing Salsa staples.
“I think it is really about coming together and making music as a collective. And not only just creating music, but also exploring what we can make out of the song and how we can make it our own, rather than what any other performance can bring," she said. Stainton said the task was to this unique to their specific ensemble and the people in it to "showcase all of our talents."
She said performing a popular world music genre is exciting.
“It feels crazy. It's very surreal. I feel very proud of us. We get to showcase this and also showcase this different genre that's not just jazz, since it's really special that Humber has more than just a jazz program,” Stainton said.
