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Volume 38 Issue 9
February 13, 2001

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Music students become ‘all-stars’
MCC musicians selected for national ensemble of hand-picked jazz artists

BY JOLAYNE HANRAHAN
MESA LEGEND
Submitted February 13, 2001

Three MCC students flew to New York in January to take part in the Community College All-Star Jazz Band ensemble.

These three students won their positions in the ensemble from a pool of thousands of national candidates.

Jason Villacourt, who plays the bass trombone, James Casey, who plays the baritone saxophone and Tyler Isaacson, who plays tenor saxophone, were among 8,000 applicants who sent in demonstration tapes to the International Association of Jazz Educators (IAOJE) in October.

Kim Patterson/MESA LEGEND

James Casey, playing the baritone saxophone, was one of three MCC students chosen to join the All Star Jazz Band, a national ensemble of elite musicians.

The IAOJE is a prestigious organization made up of music instructors from all over the world.

Three of the available positions in the All-Star Jazz Band were filled by Villacourt, Casey and Isaacson.

"It was unbelievable," said Villacourt. "Jazz was everywhere and the top players in the world were there. I got top meet them and they gave me tips to help me play better."

In January, after it was announced that they won, Villacourt, Casey and Isaacson flew to New York to participate in a week-long conference. Fred Forney and Grant Wolf, MCC jazz band instructors, also attended.

"It’s mind-boggling what the participants get out of this program," said Wolf. "They have the opportunity to take advantage of workshops and watch professional musicians perform."

For the first half of the week, the students practiced and rehearsed with other band members that were compiled from all over the country.

At the end of the conference, the band then culminated in a performance in front of members of the IAOJE, as well as spectators from all over the world.

"(Villacourt), (Casey), and (Tyler) have all been playing their respected instruments for a very long time and it is such an achievement for them to be recognized as great performers in their field," Forney said.

Villacourt, Casey and Isaacson are all freshmen and MCC Jazz students. All three students hope to eventually obtain degrees in the music field.

"If it wasn’t for Fred Forney, who pushed me to try out, I never would have been able to experience this," said Villacourt. "I really appreciate what he did for me."

"Many of the students that are invited to participate in the Community College All-Star Jazz Band go on to be professional musicians," said Wolf.

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