NEC Hosts An Evening With Delfeayo Marsalis
Legendary trombonist, Delfeayo Marsalis, makes a return visit to New England College for an evening of jazz on Monday, April 13. The program begins at 7:00 p.m. in the Simon Center at 98 Bridge Street in Henniker and is free and open to the public. The event is sponsored by the New England College New Orleans Program, the General Education Program, and the KGA Collegium. Donations will benefit the Uptown Music Theatre of New Orleans.
Students from the College’s New Orleans Program will talk about their January 2009 visit to New Orleans to volunteer at a food bank, a homeless shelter, a community center, the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park, and the Louisiana Children’s Museum. Following the presentation, members of the Henniker Community School 4th grade class will sing, “What a Wonderful World.” The remainder of the evening features the music of Grammy award winning jazz trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis with local musicians Paul Bourgelais (Bow High School faculty), Mike Albericci (Hopkinton High School faculty), Craig Jaster, and Tim Gilmore.
Delfeayo Marsalis began playing the trombone at 13 and produced his first recording at 17. Since then, he has produced more than 75 major label recordings, several of which have received or have been nominated for Grammy awards. As a performer, Marsalis has toured extensively both in the U.S. and abroad and has released three solo recordings. He has written musical scores for television and the stage and has devoted much of his time to providing musical education programs for young people.
The Uptown Music Theatre was founded in 1997 to offer musical theatre training to young adults in New Orleans. Each year, members of the ensemble perform original musicals that focus on community unity.
Since the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, students from New England College have made four trips to the New Orleans area to participate in restoration, rebuilding and community service. Students from the NEC New Orleans Program spent a semester there and members of the College’s Environmental Action Committee devoted their last two spring breaks to working in the Gulf Coast region. In addition to studying the history, culture, and music of the area, they have been volunteering for a number of community based projects. In return, students and faculty at the College have organized programs bringing both students and musicians from Louisiana to New Hampshire. A group of more than 50 students from Louisiana attended College Convention 2008. Organized primarily by students from the CivicCorps group at New England College, College Convention 2008 brought six presidential candidates and a variety of surrogates, speakers, and supporters, to Manchester in December 2008 for four days of workshops and presentations. Delfeayo Marsalis, performed with his jazz quintet during the Convention and returned to Henniker the following September for a workshop and benefit performance featuring local musicians from the Dave Tonkin Group, and the Kearsarge Regional High School Jazz Ensemble.
For more information on the New England College New Orleans Program, contact Cathy Kalob at ckalob@nec.edu.
