NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — There's something about jazz music. It's so good at setting a scene.
When 15-year-old pianist Helena Bailey first started playing jazz, it was a challenge.
"I was like, 'oh my goodness, this is very different!'" she said. "It was very new. I was like, 'I have no chance. This is so hard. I cannot do this.'"
Up to that point, a lot of her musical education had been sheet music and band directors. Jazz was this whole other thing.
"This is their first time really doing a deep dive into improvisation in the great American art form, y'know," said Chris Colalillo. "Jazz!"
Colalillo is a driving force behind Nashville's APC Studios Jazz Camp. In it, jazz musicians including professors and Grammy winners are teaching middle and high schoolers. The kids this year are all from five different counties.
"It's definitely a new feeling when you play with people you haven't played with before," said Jake Chase of Hendersonville High School.
"When it comes to music, we can all just lock in with each other," added Bailey. "It's great."
Then, there's this.
"This camp is directly focused on improv," Bailey continued.
"It's not a right-away thing," said Colalillo. "You gotta start from step one. What do you know about your instrument and taking it from there and adding certain things, adding certain licks, certain sequences."
"We are free to express ourselves," said Chase.
"Wow, this isn't as scary," Colalillo continued. "This wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be."
A group of students who haven't played together very long and are learning the concepts of improvisation set out to prove what they've learned. They're opened for another show at Montgomery Bell Academy.
In front of the crowd, Bailey took on an improv piano solo
"It's such a fun way to express yourself," she said. "It's really special. It's an amazing experience because everyone just kinda clicks. Everybody's making music."
For more APC Studios camps, visit here.
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