West Meets West
By Evan Calbi
From left to right, students Clinton Blakeley, Paul Cornish, Grace Corsi, Sam Reid, Henry Solomon, Ethan Chilton, Ian Hubbell, Logan Kane, and faculty member Aaron Serfaty prepare to depart for Amsterdam. (All photos courtesy of Stuart Kessler, unless otherwise noted)
The entire student group awaits a tram to the Conservatorium van Amsterdam.
Faculty member Aaron Serfaty led daily lessons and coachings with the students.
The visit culminated with a performance of student quartets and quintets at the Amsterdam Blue Note, a dedicated venue at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. (Performance photos by Abhishek Mangla)
Here, Henry Solomon (saxophone), Logan Kane (double bass), Ian Hubbell (drums), and Dutch student Teis Semey (guitar) perform as Alto Police.
Grace Corsi (vocals), Sam Reid (piano), William Barrett (double bass), Suraj Partha (drums), and Dutch student Mo van der Does performed as Short Story.
Grace Corsi (vocals), Sam Reid (piano), William Barrett (double bass), Suraj Partha (drums), and Dutch student Mo van der Does performed as Short Story.
Grace Corsi (vocals), Sam Reid (piano), William Barrett (double bass), Suraj Partha (drums), and Dutch student Mo van der Does performed as Short Story.
And Ethan Chilton (trumpet), Clinton Blakeley (saxophone), Ranit Barlas (bass), Paul Cornish (piano), and Dutch student Tim Hennekes (drums) were the Space Cadets.
And Ethan Chilton (trumpet), Clinton Blakeley (saxophone), Ranit Barlas (bass), Paul Cornish (piano), and Dutch student Tim Hennekes (drums) were the Space Cadets.
After a fruitful trip, the group enjoyed some much-deserved rest and relaxation.
The language barrier wasn’t such a barrier at all. Jazz standards are performed the world over.
As part of USC Thornton’s International Exchange initiative, 10 students from the Jazz Studies program traveled to Amsterdam this March along with professor Aaron Serfaty to meet, study, and perform with students from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam.
The students included musicians from across the program: trumpeter Ethan Chilton, saxophonists Clint Blakely and Henry Solomon, pianists Paul Cornish and Sam Reid, bassists Ranit Barlas and Logan Kane, drummers Ian Hubbell and Suraj Partha, and singer Grace Corsi.
As part of the exchange with the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, billed as “West Meets West” in posters around the campus, students from both schools were assigned to one of three combos.
“We put together three groups, and everyone brought original music,” said Serfaty. “The students worked together arranging the music while my colleague in Amsterdam, Lucas Van Merwijk, and I coached them.”
The group of USC Thornton students enjoying dinner in Amsterdam; From left to right, Ian Hubbell, Ethan Chilton, Paul Cornish, Suraj Partha, Ranit Barlas, Clint Blakely, Logan Kane, Grace Corsi, and Sam Reid. (Photo courtesy of Stuart Kessler)
While attending daily lessons, masterclasses and rehearsals at the conservatory, USC Thornton students found plenty of time to tour the city. They visited museums, attended JazzFest, and even took a special side trip to see the rehearsal of the Metropole Orchestra, conducted by one of their professors at home, USC Thornton faculty member Vince Mendoza.
The week culminated in a concert at the Amsterdam Blue Note, a performance space in the Conservatorium van Amsterdam for students.
“I believe the trip was a transformative experience for both our students and the musicians from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam,” said Serfaty. “Everyone benefited from the exchange, and it just goes to prove that music truly is a universal language.”
