This fall, the Haldane Jazz Band program has undergone a makeover. Community member, Haldane parent, and avid jazz enthusiast, Eric Starr is the new director of the Haldane Jazz Band. He has always been an involved member of the Cold Spring music scene, so when brought the opportunity to join the Haldane music community, he jumped on it.
As a professional musician and local piano and drum instructor, Starr has a rich history in music and education. “I grew up a third-generation musician in Western New York,” Starr exclaims. “My father is a professional trumpeter who toured the world with big bands such as the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra.
He has been the personal instructor of several members of the current jazz band. Starr’s family has a deep-rooted history in the jazz scene, allowing him to teach our students in new, unseen ways. Under his leadership, the jazz band is expected to flourish and grow. “I’d like to try different styles of jazz. The word ‘jazz,’ in many ways, is just a name that doesn’t tell us much. There are many sub-genres worth exploring and learning about. For example, we are doing a 1930s swing-era clarinet and percussion feature this semester. But we will also try Brazilian bossa nova and various “jazz fusion” charts too. I hope to also perform some vocal jazz too.”
The Haldane Jazz Band is one of Haldane’s musical clubs, similar to Blue Notes. It is a way for passionate music students to expand their horizons. Since it is a club rather than a formal class, students can express themselves freely while relieving some stress.
For the past eight years, the ensemble was led by the current band director at Haldane, Ms. Stein. However, she saw the benefit in bringing in another voice to Haldane Music after being offered the position of Assistant Conductor at Westchester Symphonic Winds, where she used to play trumpet. She picked Mr. Starr because of his familiarity with many of the students and community, and his background in the rhythm section which will help him strengthen the core of the ensemble.
Starr is eager to breathe new life into the program and is determined to create a show-stopping performance at each concert. Although the ensemble doesn’t fit into a traditional jazz big band, he spends rehearsals bearing down on musicality to achieve the same authentic sound. “I hope the students learn to love jazz music itself. Many in the media (and musicians themselves) have called jazz a dying art form. I don’t think it is, but it has become a misunderstood, niche genre. So my biggest goal is to expose students to the beauty and thrill of this music. Jazz is both reflective and exciting, and I hope students experience the richness of this music. Moreover, when students grow up, I hope they share jazz with the next generation too!”
Starr is also excited about the chance to curate new compositions for the band. “I will choose music based on the talent we are showcasing. I have a particular eye on the seniors since it’s their last year to participate and I’d like to find music to feature their skills. That said, we also have some amazing young players coming up and I want to find music that will engage them and expand their skill set too. When choosing music, I also think about the audience, which is something that is not taken into account enough. Music isn’t about music. It’s about our shared humanity. The goal of music, in my view, is to make a connection with the listener. So when I choose repertoire, I also think about what music might excite the audience.”
When asked about his music tastes, Starr reveals “I am influenced by a wide variety of music. My interests lie primarily in classical, jazz, and rock. In classical, I’d say Bach, Mozart, Liszt, Chopin, Debussy, Ravel, Gershwin, and Leonard Bernstein are among my biggest influences. In jazz, it runs the gamut from trad players such as Louis Armstrong and Bix Beiderbecke, to Miles Davis, Bill Evans, and current musicians like Pat Metheny and Branford Marsalis. My rock influences vary from The Police to Peter Gabriel to the progressive stylings of bands like Yes, King Crimson, and most recently, Porcupine Tree.”
Starr’s leadership of the new Haldane Jazz band will have its debut in this year’s winter concert on December 12th at 7 pm in the Haldane Auditorium, alongside the Haldane Wind Ensemble and High School Chorus. The Jazz Band will perform three songs: “Groovin’ Hard”, “Body and Soul,” and “Sing, Sing, Sing.”