Artists-in-Residence Work With Students In The Community

By Luke Deming

In 2005, SVSU’s music department made a unique adjustment to its list of faculty by adding three artist-in-residence positions.  

Jeff Hall, a jazz artist-in-residence, had worked as an adjunct at SVSU from 1974 to 2005, but he decided it was a good time to try something new.

“I had been working here at least 25 years as an adjunct and Dr. Peretz, head of the department, asked me if I’d be interested in doing this artist-in-residence [position].” Hall said. “I asked him what it was and he told me what it was and I said ‘Oh yeah I’ll do it.’”

Hall plays the saxophone, is a stand out jazz artist and has his own Web site, www.jeffhalljazz.com, where he offers a variety of music services. The change in position has changed job requirements for Hall, and has had many benefits. 

“It was an opportunity for me to get out in the community more. I was pretty much just sort of here at SVSU and I didn’t do a whole lot outside of SVSU,” he said. “Part of being an artist-in-residence is going to various high schools. So you go down to these high schools and work with the high school kids. This gives them an opportunity to hear and see and talk to a jazz artist, and also to familiarize them with the art and what we do here at SVSU.”

Hall has seen a growth spurt in students playing jazz at SVSU. This might be due to Hall taking students to perform, talk about different instruments and discuss jazz music with high school bands. 

“We don’t call it recruiting although it is recruiting. It’s just exposing the college and the music department to high schools in the area.”

Along with going to high schools, artists-in-residence also teach two classes per semester, put two concerts on a year where they perform and give applied lessons to music students.  

Currently Hall and Julie Meyer are the only artists-in-residence because a former artist-in-residence is on leave. The position has demanded more time from Hall.

“I have to admit there’s a lot more work involved than I thought. I have to do all the preparation for the concerts and I have to work with the students a lot more.”

Even though Hall is putting in more hours, he enjoys the position.  

“The thing I really like about being a jazz artist-in-residence is the opportunity to put on these concerts,” said Hall. “What we do is we hire some top drawer professional musicians from the Michigan area and do this last concert on [Nov. 15], that was a themed concert. What we did there was we played some jazz that was made famous by vibraphone players.” 

The concert on Nov. 15 was titled “Jazz: The Michigan Connection” and it featured some of the best musicians in Michigan. 

“Jim Cooper is one of the greatest vibraphone players you’re ever going to hear. And the piano player, Dave Hay, was astounding.”

Hall mentioned that bringing professional musicians to SVSU has two benefits. 

First, quality entertainment is available to the community. Second, the concerts have a unique impact on SVSU music students. Students at other universities often don’t get opportunities to interact with professional musicians.

“Our kids get a chance to go to them and talk to them,” Hall said. “In fact, what Mr. Cooper did was he took one of our students away on the night of the concert. Took him away separately for about half an hour to 45 minutes and worked with him privately. That’s an opportunity that you very rarely get.

 

“[The concerts] expose our music students to these other professionals.  They are exposed to what they do, they’re exposed to how they perform, they’re exposed to how they think.”

Hall’s next concert is on Thursday,  Dec. 4 in Rhea Miller Recital Hall and features a student jazz ensemble. Hall is the director. Hall’s next concert is in March.

“I am almost done, thank heavens, for this concert. Although I’ve got a few other things I’ve got to brush up. It’s going to be cool jazz. It’s music that was popular from the 50s to the 60s,” Hall said. “So what I am doing is I’m looking up this old music, listening to it and then rearranging it for this ensemble that I have.  So it’s time consuming, but that’s actually fun for me. I enjoy doing that so I don’t really mind putting the effort into that.”