The
Transformative
Effects
of
Education
How
my
educational
experience
at
the
BGJI
has
affected
me
as
a
musician
and
educator,
and
inspired
me
to
become
more
socially
active
Alex
Johnson
Inspiration
for
Compositions
• Danilo
Perez
Performance
Labs
• Music
and
Social
Activism
Class
• Lessons
and
forums
with
faculty/guest
artists
•
“In
Commons”-‐
written
while
relaxing,
walking
around
and
exploring
Boston
Common
park.
•
American
Robin
bird
call=Tenor
sax
motif
• 900
×
400
“In
Commons”
“In
Commons”
•
First
section
simulates
intersection
of
Boston
Common
and
traffic
and
commotion
just
outside
the
park.
•
Second
section
represents
natural
beauty
of
the
park/
nature
with
the
minimal
human
interference.
•
Free
section
represents
serenity
when
everything
is
quiet
for
a
moment.
“In
Commons”
• Malwina
Masternak-‐Vocals
• Luke
Norris-‐Tenor
Saxophone
• Alex
Johnson-‐Tenor
Saxophone
• Grzegorz
Wlodarczyk-‐Bass
• Jose
Arturo
Soto
Gamboa-‐Piano
• Jodie
Michael-‐Drums
“Prayer
for
Poway”
•
Written
in
response
to
shooting
in
my
hometown
of
Poway,
CA.
•
Inspired
to
write
tune
from
Social
Activism
class.
•
Mixed
feelings
in
the
piece
of
paying
tribute
to
those
affected,
but
also
frustration
over
gun
violence
that
keeps
happening
(last
chord
very
dissonant).
Prayer
for
Poway
• Malwina
Masternak-‐Vocals
• Alex
Johnson-‐Tenor
Saxophone
• Grzegorz
Wlodarczyk-‐Bass
• Jose
Arturo
Soto
Gamboa-‐Piano
• Jodie
Michael-‐Drums
Goal
after
graduating
from
BGJI:
Creating
my
own
non-‐profit
music
organization:
“The
Norwalk
Jazz
All
Stars”
•
Mission:
To
expose
middle
school
band
students
in
Los
Angeles
(Norwalk/La
Mirada)
school
districts
to
jazz
through
free
private
lessons
with
professional
musicians,
playing
in
a
jazz
ensemble,
and
having
performance
opportunities
in
the
community
and
area.
Inspiration
for
the
project
• Danilo
Perez
Foundation
• Marco
Pignataro’s
Pedagogy
class
• Music
and
Social
Activism
Class
• The
Harmony
Project,
Mission:
Growth,
Community,
Connection
• The
Jazz
Angels
Why
this
is
important
• Most
of
the
students
come
from
low
income
backgrounds
and
can’t
afford
private
lessons.
• 5
of
the
6
middle
school
music
programs
in
Norwalk/La
Mirada
don’t
have
jazz
bands
or
jazz
combos
at
all,
no
jazz
education.
• Give
students
more
opportunities
to
perform
(not
just
the
usual
3
or
4
concerts
per
school
year)
Vision
• 1st
year-‐
Create
one
ensemble/big
band
of
30
students
from
around
Norwalk/La
Mirada
• Each
student
gets
a
half
hour
private
lesson
a
week
with
professional
musician
• Program
runs
the
entire
school
year
(September-‐June)
Vision:
Year
1
• Students
get
at
least
once
a
month
opportunities
to
perform
gigs
at
venues
outside
of
school.
• Students
get
the
opportunity
to
go
a
recording
studio
and
record
an
album.
• At
the
end
of
year,
have
a
big
fundraiser
celebration
concert
to
thank
the
donors
and
receive
donations
for
the
next
year.
Invite
professional
bands
to
perform,
students
sit
in
with
the
pros.
Artet
•
Inspired
from
a
Danilo
Performance
Lab
discussing
tetrachords.
•
Chord
progression
of
the
song
is
built
on
roots
of
the
notes
of
the
tetrachord
•
Ab
minor
tetrachord
(Ab
Bb
Cb
Db),
progression=
Bbmi7,
AbMa7,
Dbmi7,
Bmi7
•
D
major
tetrachord
(D
E
F#
G),
progression=
F#mi7,
GMa7,
EMa7,
DMa7(#11)
Artet
• Alex
Johnson-‐Tenor
Saxophone
• Grzegorz
Wlodarczyk-‐Bass
• Agnieszka
Derlak-‐Piano
• Jodie
Michael-‐Drums
Like
Someone
in
Love
(Zero
Gravity)
• “Like
Someone
in
Love”
composed
by
Jimmy
Van
Heusen,
Zero
Gravity
style
• I
wanted
to
explore
the
change
in
my
playing
with
being
“more
comfortable
with
being
uncomfortable”.
Like
Someone
in
Love
(Zero
Gravity)
• Alex
Johnson-‐Tenor
Saxophone
• Grzegorz
Wlodarczyk-‐Bass
• Agnieszka
Derlak-‐Piano
• Jodie
Michael-‐Drums
•
Bibliography
10
Mar.
2019
•
12
Mar.
2019
•
7
Apr.
2019
•
13
Apr.
2019
Thank
You!
•
Danilo
Perez-‐Artistic
Director
BGJI
•
Marco
Pignataro-‐Managing
Director
BGJI
•
Allan
Chase-‐Advisor
•
Roya
Hu-‐Committee
member
•
Faculty/Guest
Artists
•
My
wife
and
family
•
All
the
students
at
the
BGJI