Jason Marsalis, a member of the “Royal Family” of Jazz, recently hosted a masterclass with Berry College students.
Over the last 50 years, the Marsalis family have shaped the world of jazz in both performance and education. Jason Marsalis is the youngest son of Ellis Marsalis, who was a legendary musician, and the Marsalis family are natives of New Orleans, Louisiana.
Jason Marsalis visited Berry this semester to discuss the history of the jazz vibraphone and the Great American Songbook, which is a classic collection of American jazz. Several students even had the opportunity to play with Marsalis and his band. Throughout the masterclass, the students learned about the artistic language of jazz from a native speaker.
John David, director of jazz and percussion studies at Berry College, considered Marsalis’s presentation one of the best he has seen in his career.
“[The] masterclass was certainly one of the highlights of our semester,” David said. “He gave thoughtful words of wisdom and encouragement to our students. Jason is a world class performer as well as an outstanding teacher and person—it was an inspiring session for anyone lucky enough to be there.”
While in Rome, Marsalis and his band also gave a concert at the Desoto Theatre, presented by The Northwest Georgia Jazz and Cultural Arts Society.
For more information about Berry’s music program, please visit https://www.berry.edu/academics/majors/music/.
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Written by Public Relations Student Manager Elizabeth Chandler
