King’s College London Jazz Society
From 2020-22, I was President of KCL Jazz Society. I oversaw the COVID-19 pandemic and the easing of restriction. During this period, the society grew to one of the largest music societies at the university, hosting over fifty events and organising several virtual performances.
Here is a selection of the projects that I undertook as President.
Make Your Own Damn Jazz, March 2022
‘Make Your Own Damn Jazz’ was a concert organised in March 2022. I was thrilled to invite the ‘Love Music Trust Big Band’, led by Jamie Sharp, to King’s College London for a day. The Love Music Trust (LMT) Big Band is based in Cheshire, North-West England. The pupils from LMT were invited to participate in an afternoon workshop, a question-and-answer session with KCL’s admissions tutor, Dr Flora Willson, and take part in a sold-out joint concert in the late afternoon. During the concert, the band swapped soloists, and concluded the concert with a massed ensemble.
Photo Credit: Harry Elletson Photography
Roaring 20s, Feb 2022
In February 2022, I organised KCL Big Band’s ‘Roaring 20s’ event. This was one of first large-scale events since the COVID-19 pandemic. The performance sold out, with many audience members opting to dress up in outfits from the 1920s.
Our speak-easy was the Great Hall, at the heart of Strand Campus.
Photo Credit: Harry Elletson Photography.
Strike Up The Band, August 2020
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to find new ways to create music. Virtual performances became very popular, as musicians from bands across the world recorded their individual parts, and watched as they were stitched together in an editing suite.
Strike Up the Band (Count Basie, arr. Sammy Nestico) was one of KCL Jazz Society’s earliest virtual recording released in August 2020, and brought together eighty students from all five major continents.
We encouraged students who had never participated in a musical performance before to take part. I composed a percussion groove that could be performed on any household object. We had students recording the groove on deodorant cans, footballs, and books among others.
The student newspaper published an article on the project that can be found here: http://roarnews.co.uk/2020/kcl-jazz-society-strike-up-the-band/.
King’s College London featured the performance on their website: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/kings-jazz-society-creates-mass-big-band-virtual-performance
Let’s Get the Band Back Together, September 2021
This was our final virtual performance of the COVID-19 pandemic. For the performance, I commissioned a fellow student, Harry Pope, to arrange a medley of four popular charts for eight music societies at KCL. We wanted the piece to be a celebration of the return of live music-making, and it was titled ‘Let’s Get the Band Back Together’.
The virtual performance also raised money for the London Music Fund. We wanted to encourage wide access to music-making and this large-scale performance intended to create an inclusive music-making.
A Big Band Christmas, December 2020
I organised and edited a performance of ‘A Big Band Christmas II’ in December 2020. The performance was featured on the King’s College London official social media channels on Christmas Day 2020.
More information can be found here: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/kings-big-band-perform-virtual-festive-performance
Open Letter to Rishi Sunak, October 2020
During the COVID-19 pandemic, musicians were really struggling with a lack of work and a lack of support from the UK government. Simultaneously, music students were struggling, unable to rehearse in large groups. I had returned to London after being promised classes, but all my classes were online. I decided that we, as students, could offer our own solidarity with professional musicians - it was the profession that me and my peers wanted to join.
After watching a protest by musicians on Parliament Square, where 200 musicians performed Holst’s Mars, I decided to write an open letter in support of musicians, signed by students. It was shared by KCL Jazz Society, and was supported by KCL Modern Music Society. Within 24 hours, we had signatures from students from all the major conservatoires and universities across the UK.
I reached out to Musicians Movement, led by Phil Meadows and Christopher Barnett. They supported the Jazz Society and I as we presented this letter to MPs. We reached out and received the support of Larissa Kennedy, the then-President of the National Union of Students.
Over 2000 students signed the letter from over 45 different educational institutions.
Strand Sessions, September 2020 - August 2022
As President of KCL Jazz Society, I put greater emphasis upon our small band groups that allowed students of any standards to participate in music-making in the Jazz Society.
I have performed and overseen performances with these groups in venues across London and with high profile figures including former Prime Minister, Sir John Major.
Photo Credits: Laura Raus
Other Big Band Concerts
I have performed in several other big band concerts at King’s College London. A noticeable performance was ‘Groovin’ Hard’ in November 2021. This was the first large scale music performance at King’s College London following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Photo Credit: Harry Elletson Photography
