South Callaway High School adds first jazz band class

South Callaway High School's first jazz band class practices "Drama for your momma" during their class on Monday, Sept. 8.
South Callaway High School's first jazz band class practices "Drama for your momma" during their class on Monday, Sept. 8.

Shelby Weathers, South Callaway High School sophomore, adjusted her music stand before picking up her trombone in the high school's band room. With Band Director Kim Neighbors' signal, Weathers and her five classmates began to play, "Drama for Your Mamma."

For the first time, South Callaway High School has a jazz band class in its course offerings. Weathers, who has taken band class for five years, said jazz band offers something different.

"Regular band is more uniform. You have to behave more," Weathers said. "Jazz lets you have fun."

Neighbors, who teaches middle and high school band, said she wanted to add jazz band class to give students another creative outlet.

There are currently six students enrolled in the jazz band class: Torie Slaughter on the baritone sax, Drew Dixon on the tenor sax, Jasmine Toney on the alto sax, Kelsey Wolfmeier on the flute, Cheyenne Witt on the clarinet and Weathers on the trombone. Jazz bands, Neighbors said, are usually small.

Witt has played the clarinet for six years. Jazz band, Witt said, attracted her because it is more laid back than regular band.

"I can be more out loud and open then I usually am," Witt said. "It feels more like my personality."

The band will have a winter concert in December and spring concert in May. Neighbors said one of her goals is to take the jazz band class to jazz band competitions next year. This year, she wants to focus on establishing the class and teaching the students about jazz.

"Right now they're just figuring out what jazz is," Neighbors said. "It's going great. They're a fun group of kids. They're pretty open and receptive to doing new things."

Neighbors used to teach a chorus class as well as middle and high school band. When the school district hired a new chorus teacher to replace a teacher who retired, it restructured choir and band teacher responsibilities. The new teacher took on Neighbors' choir class so that one teacher was responsible for all of choir and one for all of band. That gave Neighbors more flexibility in her schedule to add another band class.

Band class and jazz band class count as fine arts credits for the students. This year, the six students enrolled in jazz band are also enrolled in band class, although they are not required to be enrolled in both at the same time. Neighbors has taught the six students enrolled since they were sixth graders.

Each year, she said, more and more students are taking band past their required fine arts credit hour. When Neighbors first started teaching band at South Callaway eight years ago, she said band class had about 17 students enrolled. Now, it has about 42.

She expects the jazz band class to slowly grow over the next several year, as well. Jazz band, Neighbors said, gives students the opportunity to add improvisation to their music, which is something Weathers said she enjoys.

"I like having a license to jump around," Weathers said.

Megan Favignano can be reached at (573) 826-2417 or [email protected].