Rivers Big Band Collaborates with MIT
Rivers’ Honors Big Band had an exciting Halloween evening, creating music—not mayhem—at a joint workshop with members of MIT’s Big Band in Cambridge. Rivers alumnus and current MIT undergraduate Richard Oates ’14, a member of the MIT ensemble led by director Fred Harris, helped organize the event.
“The Honors Big Band had an amazing night of music with the MIT Big Band last night,” commented Rivers’ Jazz Program Director Philippe Crettien. “It was an eye-opening experience for our students to play alongside this renowned band.”
The Rivers musicians included Jack Baker ’18, Jonah Berg ’20, Lindy Billhardt ’19, Alex Clay ’18, Cameron Dailey ’21, David Gomez ’20, Theo Haviland ’19, Phie Jacobs ’18, Dylan Keusch ’19, Nina Knight ’18, Henry Lewis ’20, Joel Manasseh ’20, Michael Manasseh ’19, Rayha McPherson ’20, Joseph Nedder ’18, Will Randall ’21, and Calvin Smith ’21.
The Rivers Band first performed “Soothsayer,” the commissioned piece by Greg Hopkins that the band will perform at the Rivers Jazz Festival next weekend. Richard Oates joined in to play under his former director. Then MIT Director Harris created nine small groups out of the two big bands to collaborate on an improvisation exercise. The workshop ended in a spirited “Battle of the Bands” with the “Haitian Fight Song” by Charles Mingus, led by Mr. Crettien.
The Rivers Band first performed “Soothsayer,” the commissioned piece by Greg Hopkins that the band will perform at the Rivers Jazz Festival next weekend. Richard Oates joined in to play under his former director. Then MIT Director Harris created nine small groups out of the two big bands to collaborate on an improvisation exercise. The workshop ended in a spirited “Battle of the Bands” with the “Haitian Fight Song” by Charles Mingus, led by Mr. Crettien.
The workshop served as a dress rehearsal of sorts for the Rivers Jazz Festival on November 11 when the Honors Big Band will perform “Soothsayer” with Greg Hopkins and his own sextet. Hopkins— trumpeter extraordinaire, internationally renowned jazz educator, and Berklee College of Music professor—is the commissioned composer for the annual day-long festival in Rivera Hall. All of the Rivers Upper and Middle School jazz ensembles, as well as the RSC jazz ensembles will perform. Hopkins will give a master class for jazz students, and the Honors Big Band will perform his commissioned piece at the conclusion of the festival at 7:00 p.m. The concerts are free and open to all.
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