On Tuesday, the Roy Hargrove Big Band held a masterclass with the South Bronx Charter School for International Cultures and the Arts - and it was awesome.

Organized by The Jazz Gallery in partnership with the school’s music director, Keith Szczepanski, this marked the third year we’ve been invited to work with these students. It was a joy to see familiar faces from last year - and even more inspiring to hear the strides they’ve made since then. Their tune selection said it all: “Invitation,” “Kamala’s Dance,” “Confidentiality,” “Trust,” and “Dream Traveler.” These are some of the more challenging pieces in Roy’s repertoire, and they rose to the occasion, delivering a beautiful performance.

Afterward, we hosted a short panel discussion and Q&A with several of Roy's original Big Band members, who shared feedback, insights, and advice drawn from their professional experience. We closed the event with a 30-minute powerhouse set by the Roy Hargrove Big Band!

It’s truly wonderful to see these students take this music - and the musicianship required to play it - so seriously. We hope to continue this partnership and support them as they develop into great musicians in their own right.

A heartfelt thank-you to Keith Szczepanski, the driving force behind this project - thank you for teaching and inspiring these students day in and day out. And thank you to Rio Sakairi and The Jazz Gallery for making it possible and bringing everyone together.

Thank you to all the students who came out, with a special shout-out to the performers:

Sergio Fragoso — Bass
Kevin Garcia Meza — Guitar
Oliver Acevedo — Trumpet
Lamont Elam — Vibraphone
Aron Mercado — Baritone Sax
Rony Ramirez — Drums & Percussion
Dixon Guity Bonilla — Drums & Percussion
Aaron Perez Sanchez — Tenor Saxophone

Keep playing, keep practicing - we can’t wait to see you next year!