York College band breaks boundaries with a live virtual performance
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York College’s Jazz band is holding their first concert since December 2019 with technology that helps them play together in real time, online. Photo courtesy of Tom Zlabinger
By Rachel Vick
The York College Jazz Band is holding their first concert in a year and half this Wednesday at 7 p.m. using technology that helps them play together virtually and in real time.
“2021: A Telematic Odyssey” will feature a live Jazz band performance with the music of icons like Duke Ellington by 15 students from the Department of Performing & Fine Arts at York College after a semester of virtual rehearsals and technological advancement.
“It's been a lot of research and development, a lot of trial and error,” said Dr. Tom Zlabinger, professor and band director. “We’re going to try and make it feel like a concert at the end of the semester is supposed to feel.”
“If you told me a year ago we would be holding a concert like this I wouldn’t have believed you.” he added.
A new program allows the band to perform with an advanced internet connection that limits the delay, combating the woes experienced by anyone who has sung Happy Birthday over Zoom.
Though the only way to have zero lag is to stand right next to each other, Zlabinger said the technology creates the next best thing so that the band is “able to swing and get funky.”
“We’re at the dawn of an exciting era,” Zlabinger, who has taught at York for 18 years, said. “Music is beautiful in all shapes, but we want to make music with others in real time.”
Zlabinger said that finally being able to hold the concert is “a real win.”
His students, like many others across the city, had to overcome the challenges of virtual learning and access to technology. Some students share computers, others have limited connectivity and one had their internet router destroyed by forces outside their control.
“There's been learning and teaching on both ends,” he said. “I can't say enough about how they met the challenges and stuck with this new modality. They’re thrilled to see each other, make music and connect, and it pushes me to be even better”
Music from Chet Baker, Eddie Harris, Herbie Mann, Peggy Lee, Sonny Rollins, and T-Bone Walker will also be included in the performance, which will be streamed live for the interactive zoom performance.
“In my mind one of the most sought after things as a musician is to hear the applause.. so this idea of a two-way platform is also important,” Zlabinger said.
Anyone interested in attending can email tzlabinger@york.cuny.edu for a Zoom link.
