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St. Olaf celebrates Jazz Appreciation Month with concerts by students and guests

By Amy Gage
April 23, 2002

NORTHFIELD, Minn. - Choral music is to St. Olaf College what football is to Notre Dame, it's often said. But the study and performance of jazz is becoming an increasingly important part of the music curriculum at the college.

St. Olaf Jazz students prepare for their concert. Photo: Paul Johnson '02.

Two free public performances this Friday and Sunday will celebrate the first-ever Jazz Appreciation Month and highlight the growing attention to jazz at St. Olaf.

Jazz I, the premier student group, will perform Friday, April 26, at 8 p.m. in the Pause on the main floor of Buntrock Commons. On Sunday, April 28, at 4:30 p.m. Jazz II and Jazz III, the other student groups, also will perform in the Pause.

"There's a lot of interest among prospective students in our jazz program," says Dave Hagedorn, an assistant professor of music and director of the jazz ensembles at St. Olaf. "Attendance at concerts is growing. We're doing more art music rather than Big Band music. It's for listening, not dancing."

A percussionist himself, Hagedorn plays with the Minnesota Orchestra and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. He also plays in a number of jazz groups in Northfield and the Twin Cities. So it's no surprise that he's an ace at finding regional talent to sit in with his student groups.

Joining Jazz I on Friday will be saxophonist Pete Whitman, drummer Eric Hanson and bassist Kevin Clements. On Sunday, Whitman again will sit in with the student performers on pieces by Jaco Pastorius and Phil Woods.

Thursdays typically are "jazz nights" at the Pause, a performance space modeled after the popular First Avenue nightclub in downtown Minneapolis. "We're not known for jazz yet because our groups aren't touring ensembles," Hagedorn explains. "But I do a lot of clinics, and I bring in friends to work with the band."

Hagedorn has a bachelor of science in music education from the University of Minnesota and a master's in percussion performance from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. He earned his doctor of musical arts in percussion performance from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y.

St. Olaf College, a national leader among liberal arts institutions, fosters the development of mind, body and spirit. It is a residential college in Northfield, Minn., and affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The college provides personalized instruction and diverse learning environments, with more than two-thirds of its students participating in international studies.

Contact David Gonnerman at 507-786-3315 or gonnermd@stolaf.edu.