Jazz is a hard musical genre to master and for the past several months students in the music program at SF State have dedicated themselves to practicing the complexity and compassion that jazz demands.

Students enrolled in the Music 338 Jazz Ensemble course have been practicing every
Wednesday since February from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., with Kathleen Hollingsworth, 35, a graduate student of choral conducting at SF State. Those who made it through the audition to be in the class have been learning five songs by Lamberts, Hendricks, and Ross, a famous jazz vocal trio that Hollingsworth described as “hip, cool, and part harmony.”

Fifteen voices, a piano, bass, and a drum kit fill the rehearsal room as SF State’s vocal jazz choir group rehearse for their end of the year performances.

The first of choir’s two performances this year will be at Amnesia, a small club in the Mission District in San Francisco on May 11 at 9 p.m. They will be accepting donations in an effort to raise money for the fall 2006 choir, but if people are unable to donate they will not be turned away at the door. Hollingsworth hopes that the money will be able to pay for things such as special guests to the class and bring in a outside director to help with performances.

The choir’s rehearsal on May 3 started off on the wrong foot as the group warmed up and a few students rushed in late.

“A lot of people in the group are part of other events such as ‘West Side Story’ and people come in late because they’re active in other things,” explained Monica Fimbrez, 22, a senior and music major.

Hollingsworth is a tough love instructor who pushes her students to really get into the music. During the song “Caravan”, a song that has a touch of whimsy with a wide range of jazz vocal, she encouraged them to feel the music and move their body while singing.

During the rehearsal Dianthe “Dee” Spencer, Professor of Music, came in to listen and give her opinion. After listening to a run through of a different song she said they needed to “exaggerate the attacks more” and that it “wasn’t crisp enough.” Jazz requires strict timing because the music changes and shifts at a steady pace. The choir belted out the song again and Spencer gave reassuring thumbs up and nod of approval.

“The best part of this experience was getting to know everyone who was into the same music and music in general,” said Brenda Ayllon, 26, a sophomore music major. Ayllon moved from San Diego and attended City College before transferring to San Francisco State University.

Ayllon was called on to do a solo during the song “Sermonette,” a soulful song with a catchy rhythm. She became nervous even though her voice sounded clear and strong. Hollingsworth kept pushing her to focus and said that what she was doing was okay because “anything in your heart is okay.”

“It’s been interesting working with different levels (of singers),” said Fimbrez. “There are some people here who can’t read music and people who can, but it’s a good balance and good for those reasons because it creates a learning experience.”

The vocal jazz choir will perform on campus at Knuth Hall on May 9 at 7:30 p.m. and Hollingsworth said it will be a good rehearsal for the May 11 performance at Amnesia.
Some students are nervous, other said they felt comfortable in front of an audience, but once they get up there and perform what they’ve been practicing it will come together.

“You've got to have some life experience to really sing or play jazz,” Hollingsworth said in an e-mail. “You must have had your heart broken at least once, really bad. You must have dreamed some dreams that either you left by the wayside or given up on and maybe seen some dreams come to fruition and moved past them.”