During audition season, whispers about who’s making Texas All-State Band and who’s not float through the band hall. This year, there’s no need to whisper when Michael Fradkin, Nikhel Kamalia, Weston Clark and Matteo Longarini walk in the room.
40 students are chosen from an in-person audition every year to make up the All-State Jazz Band. Carroll students making up 10% of this select few is a historic win for the district.
Every jazz band needs a guitar. Senior Nikhel Kamalia has become the first Dragon guitarist in school history to make State. Kamalia, a cross country athlete, says that he treated auditions with the same attitude as he would a meet.
“I don’t really know how I feel about [being the first],” Kamalia said. “ My whole mentality when going into All-State was that I had already made it, I just needed to execute and follow through with the plan. I practiced multiple months ahead, every day, and stayed disciplined for work.”
Since the discovery of jazz in New Orleans, the piano has cemented itself as a necessary instrument in the making of jazz. For five years, Carroll has sent piano players to State, with senior Matteo Longarini continuing this streak.
“Piano has been, more than anything, a place for me to express my creative impulses and ideas through a medium that speaks to large audiences,” Longarini said. “Calling yourself ‘successful’ implies that you’ve reached some ultimate level of fulfillment, which in my view is impossible because there’s always room to grow and improve one’s skill set. But everyone involved in my music career at any point, ever, has contributed to my success.”
Jazz is an important pillar in each of these young men’s lives. They have been surrounded by this style of music throughout their upbringing.
“Some personal influences of mine to play drums were my dad, who plays guitar, and my sister who was in percussion,” sophomore drummer Weston Clark said. “My first introduction to jazz was seeing the Jazz Orchestra at the Winter Concert, and ever since I learned about All-Region it has been one of my goals.”
John Coltrane and Charlie Parker, some of the most famous jazz musicians of all time, chose the saxophone, arguably the most recognizable jazz instrument. as their instrument. This year is junior Tenor Saxophonist Michael Fradkin’s second time making State. Last year, he was first Tenor Saxophone in the second jazz band, and this year he’s first in the state.
“My first experience with jazz was listening to it with my dad when I was younger,” Fradkin said. “I would say that my private teacher, Mark Dooly, and my director, Mr. David Lown, have helped me the most through my journey in jazz the most. I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.”
The jazz program has seen many successes over the years, it has produced countless region and State players. Throughout his career, Mr. Lown has honed his students to be the best they can and his program continues to produce players that create and play music that is considered advanced for their age.
“Mr. Lown and Dooly have helped me become a better musician in many ways,” Fradkin said. “They’re both encouraging, they both know a ton of jazz history, and are both monster saxophone players. I’m very lucky to have Dooly as my lessons teacher and Lown as my jazz director.”
