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Even 2,100 miles away from Moscow, Isidore Rudnick sees immense value in bringing students to the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival. Rudnick and nearly three dozen students from Cincinnati Public Schools are on campus this week for an immersive experience that can inspire their futures in music.
“It’s such an important educational opportunity for students,” said Rudnick, the fine arts curriculum manager at Cincinnati Public Schools. “Students get to see what it is like to pursue a professional career in music. You travel, you stay overnight in lodging, prepare for a concert and perform for an audience. We’re just so thrilled with how the festival is run and some of the students come away saying, ‘This is what I want to do for a career.’”
Rudnick’s students join over 3,800 other students, mainly from Idaho, the Northwest and British Columbia, at this week’s jazz festival. Student participation has nearly doubled over last year. The 57th annual event includes hundreds of student performances, workshops and concerts at ICCU Arena by some of the top names in jazz.
The range of ages, experience and styles of jazz makes for an eye-opening four days.
“It’s probably the only jazz festival in the country that has elementary students along with junior and senior high and college students all performing,” Rudnick said. “You also have three categories: solo, combo and large ensembles. You put that all together in a music school named for a legend of jazz — it’s fantastic.”
Saturday’s concerts fall on the 116th birthday of the late Lionel Hampton. Former University of Idaho Professor Doc Skinner teamed up with the jazz legend more than 40 years ago to elevate Moscow’s jazz festival to new heights. Jazz icons like Ella Fitzgerald and Dizzie Gillespie graced the concert stage in years past and this year’s evening concerts feature talents like Kenny Garrett, Veronica Swift, Jovino Santos Neto and Samir LanGus.
While the concerts, the workshops and their own performances remain the focus, Rudnick said many of his students will be traveling to the western U.S. for the first time, which is a highlight in itself.
“It’s all going to be new for them and they’re excited,” Rudnick said. “We’ve talked a lot about Lionel Hampton and his history as a band leader and a vibraphonist. They’re thrilled with the idea of attending a festival named after him.”
Over the past 57 years, thousands of students discovered the U of I through the jazz festival, whether they ended up studying music or another of the more than 300 degree options. It remains an important recruiting event for the university.
Like the U of I, the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival illuminates and elevates students, whether they’re from across town or across the country.
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