Dravyn Spies sang for Hillsdale’s Big Band.
Anna Broussard | Collegian
Hillsdale College’s big band received five outstanding performance awards at the Notre Dame Collegiate Jazz Festival last weekend before heading to Elmhurst University Jazz Festival in Illinois.
Six of the 18 students who performed received awards at Notre Dame: seniors Zachary Adams, Owen Gerth, Dravyn Spies, junior Dominic Taranto, sophomore Micah Vawter and freshman Morgan Milam. While at Elmhurst, five students were awarded outstanding performance: Adams, Matt Byrne, Gerth, Gavin Listro, and Milam. The band performed “Four” by Maynard Ferguson, “Time Check” by Buddy Rich, “Black Orpheus” by Luiz Bonfá, and “Travelin’ Light” by Dennis Wilson, accompanied by Spies on vocals.
The Notre Dame festival, which lasted between Feb. 21 and 22, featured headliners and professionals Lakecia Benjamin on the saxophone, Greg Glassman on the trumpet, Oscar Perez on the piano, and Dorian Phekps on the drums.
The performance at Notre Dame made it clear that Hillsdale has developed a top jazz program in the Midwest, Director of Jazz Ensembles and Big Band Musical Director Chris McCourry said in an email.
“The clinician and judges raved about our energy and swing at both festivals. One said ‘This is the swingiest band I’ve heard thus far at the festival, and we played second to last,’” McCourry said. “Everything they said was super positive in a way I’ve never heard from them before. We are now clearly in league with the top jazz programs of the Midwest.”
Senior Gavin Listro, who has been on the Elmhurst trip four times, said performing at Notre Dame was an exciting addition to the trip.
“I really like Notre Dame’s facility; I think that’s probably the biggest venue I’ve ever played for,” Listro said. “But Elmhurst is my favorite, because it’s in this old church and they hold it there every year, and they’ve been holding it there for the last 60 years.”
McCourry said the band’s performance at Notre Dame was one of the best at the festival, and it is evident of the musicians’ overall growth.
“It’s funny, the students used to be in awe of the big school bands. Now they say ‘they’re really not that good.’” McCourry said. “I say ‘they are as good as they ever were, we’re just much closer to them now.’”
According to freshman Morgan Milam, who is the first freshman to drum for McCourry’s band in years, Notre Dame provided a helpful opportunity to see how other top jazz bands performed.
“It was fun seeing other bands and groups before us,” Milam said. “We were able to see that they were kind of stiff on stage, and it was a reminder to us to just have fun.”
Milam said the group of students that McCourry has formed makes the band so successful and a close knit group.
“It is the people — I know people say this about Hillsdale generally, but I’ve been playing music since I was 6, so I’ve been in so many different groups, and I honestly never really clicked with the musicians,” Milam said. “But being in Hillsdale, I love these guys, it’s a testament to what Chris has built.”
