Jazz Scholars

You might not know it, but Appalachian State University is one of the few institutes of higher learning that actually offers a degree in jazz studies.

It’s not surprising then that the school attracts some of the best young musicians in the Southeast.

The ASU Jazz Band will kick off the Blowing Rock Jazz Society’s 2012 season with a special show in conjunction with the Blue Ridge Wine and Food Festival. The show takes place at the Meadowbrook Inn from 7 to 9 p.m. on Sunday, April 15.

The show will feature the ASU School of Music students performing in a small combo and in a big band setting.

Tickets are $20 for the general public, $5 for all students and free for all Blowing Rock Jazz Society members in good standing.

“Jazz, the first truly American art form, is a very important part of our cultural heritage and has the potential of playing a significant role in the music education process,” said a spokesperson for the jazz studies program at ASU, adding that the Hayes School of Music has established a jazz certification program.

The ASU Jazz Studies program has courses on composition, performance, improvisation and jazz history.

For Sunday’s show, the band will be performing a number of classic jazz tunes, as well as some student-written compositions.

For more information, or to make reservations, call the Meadowbrook Inn at (828) 295-4300. The Meadowbrook Inn is located at 711 Main St. in Blowing Rock.

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Blowing Rock Jazz Society

For more than a decade, the Blowing Rock Jazz Society has been bringing the best in Southeastern jazz to the High Country for its “Second Sunday” concert series. The shows have ranged from Dixieland to tunes from the American Songbook to Latin jazz to modern swing music.

This year, the BRJS will host monthly shows from April through October.

Individual yearly memberships are $75 per person and are available by calling Ed Merritt at (828) 295-9768. Corporate memberships are available by calling Fred Germann at (423) 291-9831.

Corporate sponsors of the Blowing Rock Jazz Society include The Mountain Times, Blackberry Creek Mattress, Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce, Blowing Rock Realty, McDonald’s of Boone, and the Meadowbrook Inn.