Have you ever been mesmerized by the soothing, evocative voice of Frank Sinatra singing “Fly Me To the Moon”? Or the dexterous, funky yet unhurried playing of pianists like Scott Joplin (The Entertainer)? Or have you been fascinated by the way a saxophonist or guitarist churns out melodious tunes and intricate lines from his instrument?
Even if you aren’t familiar with jazz music, don’t be deterred! In Raffles Jazz, we believe, first and foremost, in passion and the thirst to learn and explore new things in music. Although many may perceive jazz to be an obscure art form only for those well-versed in music theory and possessing outstanding technical expertise in their instrument, it is in fact quite accessible – and enjoyable – as long as you put your heart in it. Rather than ability, we treasure diversity and enthusiasm, for this is what Jazz has thrived on, especially since what sets jazz music apart from pop, rock or classical music is its heavy emphasis on improvisation and individuality of band members. At its heart, jamming and playing together is like conversing with each other about things that cannot be expressed with mere language alone.
Given the common misconceptions of jazz as ‘atas’ or mere lounge/bar music, besides creating good music, we also aim to make jazz more accessible to the rest of the school population and the public. We’ve worked towards this by holding casual free-of-charge evening performances in the intimate setting of the Black Box, as well as a performance in Artistry Cafe. Of course, we also held our annual concert in May, Take My Word For It, which was filled with awesome jazz music as well as a fun-filled and hilarious acting segment!
We’ve also taken part in last year’s Singapore Jazz Festival, where we performed, participated in workshops conducted by international professionals and also got to watch many professional performances free of charge. You can look forward to gig opportunities like these and more as an aspiring Jazzer – CIP concerts for fundraising, external gigs at cafes and Community Centres, you name it!
If you wish to know more about jazz before the auditions, and even if you don’t intend to join us, do attend our upcoming introductory workshop! We will be performing the pieces that will be set for the audition (Yes, you can prepare and practice these pieces beforehand!) as well as giving a short introduction on jazz and its history. Sectionals for every instrument will be held as well. We accept any instrument as long as you can make music with it, so don’t fret if you play a relatively unconventional instrument – we’ve taken violinists and flutists before.
Our official CCA time is every Wednesday, 2:30-4:30pm – but do expect to find Jazzers on other days to practice their own instruments and jam for fun! We even welcome you to crash our practices as well if you want to have a taste of what our CCA is like. Jazzers are one big family – we listen to music together, play together and ultimately, have fun.
Raffles Jazz is truly a CCA fuelled by our passion for jazz and music. If you are looking for an environment where you can explore and share your passion for music and look forward to working with various musicians with different quirks and abilities , then Raffles Jazz … is for you.
