Woodbridge High is known for its band and orchestra, but less known, although just as vibrant, is its jazz club. A thriving group of passionate students have formed a community where they practice and perform not just for themselves, but also for the public.

The jazz club is first and foremost for students; members play, improvise and plan for their own goals.

“Myself and our student teacher, Mr. Brenner, are helping guide the curriculum and the song choices so that they can break out into their groups and go play their shows,” jazz advisor Avery Smith said. “We’re just really trying to give the students some real world experience.”

And the club’s objective has succeeded. The club just recently performed at a hotel, playing for Vital Links, who are musical professionals. 

Jazz separates itself from the rigor and norms of structured music in orchestra. It gives students the ability to play how they desire.

“I can express my own voice better because when you play in jazz, oftentimes you’re improvising your own little solo,” sophomore Gerret Mationg said.

Unlike orchestra, jazz has a heavy emphasis on solos. Jazz is usually played in an ensemble of five to seven people. 

“Through jazz, it’s been an outlet of friendship, an outlet just to be creative with each other, especially when we’re soloing,” junior Ryan Robertson said. 

The club is broken into multiple such ensembles, each exploring different pieces and styles. Listening to an ensemble play, there’s the usual “jazzy” instruments represented such as the saxophone, trumpet or piano as well as more unconventional ones such as a vibraphone. Jazz helps students connect, teaching and helping each other.

“The history of the jazz language is by rope, so it’s learned by ear and it’s learned by playing with other musicians that did it before you,” Smith said.

The club started when Robertson noticed a lack of awareness of jazz within Woodbridge High and decided to start a club to create more interest and passion, hopefully inspiring students like him.

“Two years ago, a friend of mine had convinced me to just try jazz. And I personally thought back then that jazz was like a new thing. So weird and useless and why would you ever want to solo when you could just have written music?” Robertson said. “But I ended up putting myself out there. I took that first step and here I am now starting an entire club for it.” 

And Robertson hopes to bring this experience to more people.

“I was hoping that via Jazz Club, I could get students that maybe had never even heard of jazz before, and in a non-graded environment, could be introduced and maybe find a new passion for jazz,” Robertson said.

During the second semester, the jazz elective is available for students to take. The club itself has meetings after fifth period every Tuesday and Thursday.

“It doesn’t even matter if you want to play in it, you can just join to listen. You can just go attend meetings to listen, and maybe it’ll inspire you to start playing in one of the combos,” Mationg said.