MBA students learn a lot about music throughout their time in the jazz bands on The Hill. They are responsible for listening to each other in practice and performance. Each musician is accountable for his notes, rhythms, volumes, tone and blend. This education, however, while important, is not music; it is not even what makes music. Notes on the page do nothing by themselves and when played can be uninspired and pedantic. Students at MBA, of course, put life and energy into their music but oftentimes do not have first-hand experience in the background and culture of what they are playing. The majority of famous jazz tunes were written in the 1920s, 30s and 40s. We listen to this music, we study this music, we analyze this music, we discuss this music, and we perform this music, yes. But do we truly experience it? Not it its authentic form, no. What seven MBA students had the opportunity to do on February 22nd-24th was to experience everything that makes a musical style develop and come to life in the place that it happened. Memphis and the Mississippi Delta hold a special place in the development of the style known as the blues. Through the Pat Patrick Memorial Fund, the jazz bands are able to take an annual trip to study music in Memphis and Mississippi.
Our group traveled through Memphis and Mississippi, listening to and studying the music that contributed to the rise of jazz and the blues. Prior to the trip we learned a traditional delta blues song, The Crossroads by Robert Johnson, as well as an electric blues, Let The Good Times Roll by B.B. King. We had the incredible opportunity to perform these live at B.B. King’s on Beale Street! We visited the world famous “Red’s Juke Joint” in Clarksdale Mississippi to see a famous hill-country musician, Terry “Harmonica” Bean, perform authentic delta blues. The students are now well versed not only in the differences of the two styles of blues (electric and delta) but also, more importantly, in what contributed to their growth and popularity. We visited museums and ate local cuisine and even stayed in “shacks” at the famous Shack-Up Inn. Students also visited Sun Studios and learned about how recording impacted artists’ careers and audiences’ access to the blues and future musical styles.
As we drove through this flat farmland students began to realize why geography played such a large role this music’s development. We all discussed how poverty, isolation, agrarian lifestyles, slavery, race relations and segregation played roles in the music that has become one of the South’s hallmarks. Students experienced the unique culture of the region and emerged with an understanding of why the music was so isolated at a time when urban areas and other styles of music were developing so quickly. Through our travels, we met shop owners, museum curators, artists, performers, and locals who have lived in these areas for their entire lives. They gave us first-hand knowledge of the history and development of the blues and how their unique cultural climate generated one of America’s original musical styles.
The students, through this experience, are bringing back such a wealth of knowledge, aesthetic sentiment and cultural awareness that they will not only carry with them for their entire lives but will also share and spread throughout the music program and MBA community. They will enrich the bands and spark genuine interest in the study and practice of music. We are so thankful for the family, friends, and legacy of Pat Patrick who allowed this opportunity to be possible.