‘It was a magical day’: Juilliard musicians take the time to teach Carlmont student

One phone call later and the Juilliard musicians, who were in the area for a gig in San Francisco, agreed to come to Carlmont one late October morning to perform for and with the high school students. The Juilliard musicians also fielded questions from the students and worked with them in small groups, offering invaluable guidance on how to improve their craft. 

“It was a really magical day,” Switzer said. “I went home and told my wife it was one of the best days of my career as a teacher.”

Switzer brought together about 100 students from the school’s symphony orchestra and jazz ensemble for the visit, including trumpet players Joey Du Bois, who is a junior, and freshman Lucas Fedronic. The two will be performing in a concert featuring Carlmont jazz ensembles and combos 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6, that will be broadcast live on KCEA 89.1 FM.

Carlmont’s jazz program was founded 60 years ago and has produced many of the Bay Area’s top musicians, Switzer said, adding that Friday’s concert is “a continuation of that Carlmont tradition of excellence in jazz.”

Du Bois and Fedronic both said working with the Juilliard musicians helped them grow, gave them confidence and also insight into what it takes to be a musician at the top of their game. 

“It was easily one of the coolest things I’ve gotten to do in my life,” Du Bois said. “I got to go over technical things with the [Juilliard] trumpet player and playing with them definitely made me more confident. They motivated me to practice more and made me feel like music is more attainable.” 

Fedronic said the workshop specifically helped him improve his improvisational skills. 

“They were really helpful and motivating and gave us really good information specific to us,” he said, adding that the musicians also helped him fine-tune his solo for Friday’s concert. “It was a very awesome experience.” 

Juilliard’s Anthony Hervey, 22, was the trumpet player working with Du Bois and Fedronic. He was joined by fellow Juilliard students Sean Mason, a pianist, and bassist Felix Moseholm. The three were performing with the drummer Evan Sherman in his eponymous quartet at San Francisco’s Black Cat jazz club for a few days when Switzer reached out. 

“It was great to work with the Carlmont students,” Hervey said. “They were very engaged. You could tell when their faces lit up.” 

Hervey said he and jazz musicians while on tour often like to stop by local schools to work with students.

“The biggest thing I try to impart is love and appreciation for music,” he said.

His love for music certainly resonated with the Carlmont students.

“What I took away from [the visit] is you should pursue music and do it because you love it and not because anyone tells you to,” Du Bois said.

Switzer added that the workshop experience was “super rare” and that his students “seized the unique opportunity for everything it was worth.” 

“There aren’t many students that get into Juilliard and it’s all the way across the country. Even if we took a field trip we could only see the top combo play and would they work with us?” he said. “This was like a Juilliard classroom coming into our classroom.”

Switzer said Friday’s concert will feature a diverse set of jazz standards, contemporary and classic songs.

“We focus on ensemble playing and developing improvisation across the ensemble for all players,” he added. 

zachary@smdailyjournal.com

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