Musicians from across the area showcase their talents at opening night.
SCRANTON, Pa. — From traditional jazz to blues, to world music, to big band, the streets of downtown scranton will be filled with the sounds of the annual Scranton Jazz Festival for three days.
You couldn’t go far on Friday without hearing the sounds of a different kind of jazz.
Just one venue, the Art Haus, was transformed into a concert venue. For the students of the PA Jazz Institute hosted at Misericordia University.
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Steve Kurilla taught the junior high ensemble, which got together last week to practice jazz improvisation.
He had his students study jazz history, which meant listening to classic jazz musicians like John Coltrane and Miles Davis.
He wants the kids to appreciate jazz in a way that they may not have been able to in school.
“Music is extremely important; kids can express themselves in new ways, be comfortable, and make new friends, and it’s just a great experience for all of them,” said Kurilla.
Organizers say the music gives people the chance to connect while young musicians can begin to flourish.
“They get a chance to be influenced by those professionals, and as you can hear, they’re trying to become young professionals themselves; they have a passion for it, and that’s why they come and study with us,” said Marko Marcinko, Scranton Jazz Festival artistic director.
With three days of music in downtown scranton, the festival is doing more than just bringing music to people; it’s giving people the chance to learn the music that they love.
{{frank torquato, electric city steel drum project director}}
“We go from people who have never played an instrument before to people who play several instruments professionally.”
Just across the street at the marketplace at Steamtown, the Electric City Steel Drum Project returned to the festival.
Director Frank Torquato is a retired music teacher and band director.
He started the group 8 years ago with one goal in mind: to make music more accessible to the people of scranton, and he says instruments like the steel drum are a perfect place to start.
The group’s style is world music, which encompasses music like bossa nova, rumba, and cha-cha.
As the crowd enjoys the beauty of the music, he hopes the sound may inspire someone to find a new interest in music.
“Everybody can play music, at different levels, but everybody can play,” said Frank Torquato, Electric City Steel Drum Project Director.