Lynn students attend music camp

SALEM ? Duke Ellington knew what he was talking about, and the instructor made sure his students understood.?It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing,” he said, quoting the title of one of the great 20th-century composer’s best-known tunes. And just then, a big band jazz ensemble at Salem State University’s Northeast Jazz and Recording Camp swung into their rehearsal in the fifth year of the camp.?What makes this camp unique, though, is that we teach these kids how to record,” said Nick Giarratani, a co-coordinator of the camp, noting that the recording component adds another dimension to the experience.This year, Lynn high school students were sponsored by scholarships so they could attend: Brian Patton Jr., Argenis Vasquez, Adam Silvia and Heather Cummings. Two of the Lynners had their tuition paid in full, thanks to the Salem Jazz & Soul Festival, which has been helping kids from Lynn and Salem attend the camp for a several years. Giarratani said that without help from sponsors, many of the kids wouldn’t be able to participate.?It’s been really successful and inspirational every year for the kids as well as the faculty. They inspire us as musicians when you see the level of talent that these kids have. It really makes you strive to stay on top of your game, and it’s really just a very fun time for everyone involved,” Giarratani said. “The idea is to inspire kids to think outside the box and to be creative.”The overnight camp this week is run by eight faculty members, four overnight counselors and has enrolled 32 students, which is a little bit of a dip from last year’s record-setting 39. Giarratani didn’t express any fear that the program was losing any steam, however. In fact, the camp is so popular that some students have come all the way from Virginia just to take part.The camp starts early in the morning first with a few big band ensembles with two instructors with each group: one for rhythm and one for melody. The students then break up into groups and they study in workshops and smaller ensembles, in which they are encouraged to write their own music. According to Giarratani, one such group in the past came up with a funky jazz version of “Fur Elise,” Beethoven’s decidedly classical piano piece.The camp does its recruiting through brochures and also partially through SSU’s High School Invitational Ensemble, in which the school invites four area high schools annually to come work on their musical chops for a day and put on a concert that night.The faculty running the camp does everything they can to help advise kids on what musical scholarships are out there to help get them on their way to college. And Giarratani said that it’s not unusual for some kids to attend SSU after participating in the program.Eric Adrien may be reached at [email protected].