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With Scarborough Jazz Festival fast approaching, one of the regular fringe events will be the appearance of The Eastern Area Schools Youth Jazz Orchestra in the Spa Suncourt (5.30pm on Saturday 26th September). Formed in 1977 as The E.A.S.Y band and made up of young musicians from Scarborough Area Music Centre, the band’s performance is always one of the highlights of the festival and entry is totally free!
Dave Wright caught up with Music Centre Manager Ralph Alder, who is musical director of this exciting big band. Ralph kindly took time out from his busy schedule to talk about E.A.S.Y Jazz, Scarborough Music Centre and his work as a manager, musician and conductor.
E.A.SY. Jazz has been performing at the Jazz Festival for a few years now, working with some of the festival’s artists on the morning session in the sun court. Are there any who stick in your mind as being good mentors with the young musicians?
All of the mentors we have had over the years have been fantastic. Each have given advice and inspired our young musicians to further their musical abilities. It is impossible to name a favourite!
The E.A.S.Y. Jazz performance at the festival falls at the beginning of the new term for the Music Centre. How difficult is it arranging and rehearsing the band so it is ready for performance at the festival?
This is an extremely challenging concert. The band only gets one rehearsal the week before at Music Centre, as we are closed over the summer break. Also with the inevitable loss each year of pupils going to universities and new members arriving, it is a daunting task. The band always pulls through though, and always give an outstanding performance!
EASY Jazz has had many incarnations over the years. It must be hard saying goodbye to musicians as they leave the band, once every two years or so. Have many musicians gone onto professional music careers?
Each year we say goodbye to our older members and yes, many of them do go on to pursue careers in music. We have had past members becoming professional musicians and music educators. In fact a number of ex-members are now working and teaching at our Music Centre themselves.
You have been part of the music centre for many years now, firstly as conductor for Junior Concert Band and now as Head of The Centre for just over a year. Have you enjoyed your first year as head of the Music Centre?
Yes; I have been here a long time, as I started working at music centre in September 1989 after completing my teaching qualifications. In that time I have been the Musical Director of the Junior Concert Band, EASY Concert Band, Jazz Train and EASY Jazz. I took over from Nigel Blenkiron as Centre Manager last September and have thoroughly enjoyed my first year. There have been moments of panic but I have a wonderfully professional and experienced team of staff as well as a fantastic Parents’ Committee who keep me in check!
The music centre ensembles perform locally at Westborough Church and The Spa and at various locations in the area throughout the year. You’ve been part of many concerts over the years, are there any events that you particularly look forward to, or trips abroad you have undertaken?
The Music Centre has been on various foreign tours over the years. I can recall Switzerland, Belgium, France, and Spain among them. The most recent was in 2008 when EASY Jazz visited Newby & Scalby’s twin town of Pornic in France and performed with young musicians there. I also remember the bus breaking down in Switzerland half way up a steep mountain on the way to a concert! Easy Jazz at the San Sebastian Jazz festival is a particular highlight and so was our performance in Geneva. All our music centre events are special occasions for me and I enjoy listening to all our young musicians perform, whether it be abroad or locally.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Seeing young musicians gain confidence and progressing through the Centre, developing their musical skills along the way. Also it is nice to see youngsters from different areas and different schools making friends with each other. These are friendships usually made for life!
What is the most challenging part of your job, the government’s cuts must have had an affect on the music service during the past few years?
Yes. When I first started both the instrumental lessons and music centre were free. Charging has been in place now since the early 1990’s but when you consider that music centre costs around £5 per week for a 3 hour session, I do feel it is still fantastic value (you couldn’t hire a babysitter for that!). Government cuts have had an effect on our budgets of course, and we are experiencing additional costs now as our concerts need to generate enough income to also pay the staff for their hours (this used to come out of the NYCC budget). That means that the money we “make” at concerts that would normally be ploughed back into resources for the kids is considerably less. The NYCC Music Service is a part of the North Yorkshire Music Hub which is funded by the Arts Council of Great Britain.
What is your earliest musical memory and the first instrument you played?
I started on Clarinet at the age of 8, and then also took up Saxophone around 9 years of age. I later took up piano at secondary school as well as Flute once I went to Leeds Music College. My earliest memory would be winning a talent competition in 1977 (aged 11) at our Queen’s Silver Jubilee Street Party. I even remember that I played ‘Stranger on the Shore’.
You’re a highly accomplished musician, particularly on the saxophone family. Are there any other instruments you would still like to learn?
Yes though I don’t think I have enough time to devote to any new instruments (it’s hard enough maintaining a decent enough standard on the ones I do play!) As a teenager I always fancied both the Trombone and Bass Guitar but never took it any further. It is a strange coincidence now that my 11 year old son, Lewis, plays both these instruments! He started Trombone at the age of 6 and has recently passed his Grade 5 with Distinction and has also started his Bass lessons this summer (this came about from playing Bass Ukulele at his junior school last year). He has been a member of Music Centre for several years now and has just started in year 7 at St Augustine’s School where I hope he will continue to gain musical experience.
What age can young musicians start at the music centre and what level do they need to be? Can you tell us a bit about the different ensembles that operate at the music centre please and how somebody would go about applying to join?
We currently have 12 ensembles in total at Music Centre. The newest being our Choir called “EASY Voices” which starts with its very first rehearsal on Tuesday 22nd September at our home, Scarborough 6th Form College from 7.00-8.30pm. If anyone has an interest in singing some fun songs please come along. We welcome both child and adult members to this so it should be a real eclectic mix. Music Centre operates on Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings. The three Tuesday ensembles are EASY Voices (Choir), Jazz Train (Junior Big Band) and Ebony (Clarinet Choir). All the others meet on Saturday mornings during term time and consist of elementary bands to senior bands as well as elementary orchestras to senior orchestras. We also have both junior and senior guitar groups. We can cater for virtually all instruments and at all levels. Our most elementary group is called “B.I.G” (Beginner Instrumental Group) and can cater for kids who have only had a few lessons and know only a few notes. Getting them into ensembles at an early stage can have a really positive effect on their musical development.
Which musicians/artists were the biggest influence on yourself as a young musician. Which saxophonists do you particularly admire?
My late father is mostly to blame here. He loved all music, particularly Jazz, Blues and Soul. I grew up around his record collection consisting of sax players such as Earl Bostick, Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Jr Walker, Grover Washington, etc. I also listened to a lot of other great musicians that my parents liked such as Van Morrison, OC Smith, Otis Reading, Isaac Hayes as well as the famous big bands such as Count Basie and Duke Ellington to name but a few!
What music do you listen to at home, can you name the last record/cd or album you bought or downloaded?
My taste in music is extremely eclectic. If you were to scan my iPod there is everything there from Motorhead to Mozart. I am a particularly big fan of the English singer/songwriter Nick Drake, as well as Stevie Wonder. I also enjoy the big band music of the Gordon Goodwin Big Phat Band and we have some of their arrangements in the EASY Jazz library. The last albums that I bought were a couple of Ray LaMontagne albums to complete my collection of his work
You are a busy man, gigging regularly and are a familiar face on the local scene with bands such as Little Big Horn, for example. How do you relax with any free time you have away from music?
I do actually spend a lot of my free time performing as a musician as I am in several bands and find most weekends are taken up with that. When I am not playing I do enjoy simply relaxing with the family at home and fighting my son Lewis for time on the PlayStation! As my wife also teaches music and performs (Julie is currently principal Clarinet in the Scarborough Symphony Orchestra) we quite often enjoy a free day by simply going for a walk, playing on the beach or meeting up with friends.
See the EASY Band at Scarborough Jazz Festival on Saturday 26th September, 5.30pm in the Spa suncourt. Free entry. Fro more info click here.
For further information on Scarborough Music Centre, please visit www.scarboroughareamusiccentre.co.uk
If parents are unsure about which ensemble their child should join, arrangements can be made for children to visit with parents for a look round and even bring their instrument to try the ensembles out. Experienced staff will be able to advise on the most suitable group for any child. If anyone is interested in coming along please contact Ralph Alder on 01609 533249 or email Ralph.Alder@northyorks.gov.uk
