“It’s a great program. I’m blessed to be
a part of it,” 14-year-old freshman phenom
Alma Macbride tells me of her association
with the jazz band at West Hartford, Connecticut’s
legendary Hall High School.
Directed for the last 12 years by John Mastroianni,
Hall’s renowned jazz program has
mentored acclaimed artists such as pianist
Brad Mehldau and saxophonist Joel Frahm.
Now, Macbride, who won Jazz at Lincoln
Center’s 2009 Mary Lou Williams Competition
— where she performed alongside
Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln
Center Orchestra — becomes our April
2010 MAJORminor profilee.
First memory of hearing jazz piano
and being impressed/curious: I remember
hearing my brother Jimmy, who’s a jazz
drummer studying at Juilliard, play piano.
He listens to jazz quite often. I wasn’t particularly
into jazz at first, but I recall enjoying
[jazz pianist and singer] Bob Dorough. I
also like saxophonist Claire Daly.
Age you began playing piano: I started
basic piano at age four, and jazz studies
when I was eight with Earl MacDonald,
with whom I’m still working.
First instrument owned and what age:
There’s always been a piano in my house,
but the first instrument I actually owned
was a flute, which I got when I was seven. I
still play and take lessons on it.
Current keyboard equipment: My family
owns a Kawai baby grand piano. I also own
a Casio PX-330 keyboard.
Musical heroes and influences: My
piano heroes are Wynton Kelly, Kenny Barron,
Cyrus Chestnut, Gene Harris, and Jamie
Cullum. Other musical heroes include the
Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Frank Sinatra, and
too many others to list here!
Why piano and not some other instrument?
Although I do play other instruments,
piano has been my primary focus. I feel the
piano is very versatile stylistically. I love how
a piano can create music that sounds so
much fuller than the 88 keys that it has.
Favorite music to play: I love to play jazz.
The theory behind it, and incorporated
licks, makes it unique.
Worst gig or gear nightmare: At a
school concert, we performed a tune in
which I had a piano intro. I started to play
and the amp wasn’t working, so the sound
was only coming out of the front speakers
of the keyboard, making it nearly inaudible.
The director tried desperately to fix the
problem while I kept playing and tried to
raise the volume. The conductor suddenly
fixed it — and it was much too loud! In the
future, I’ll know to check the amp before
playing. Another bad gig experience was a
fundraiser I put together where there were
all of four people in the audience, two being
my parents. It was kind of embarrassing!
How important is traditional music
training? I think it’s important to achieve
an understanding of music theory and basic
skills before starting to pursue more difficult
repertoire. Learning intervals and chords
helps in all fields, from jazz to classical.
Read sheet music or play by ear? I do
both. I usually learn licks and transcribe
music by ear, but I also learn tunes
using lead sheets. Both approaches are
equally effective.
Life goals: I would love to be a lifetime
professional musician. Another dream job I
have is to be a film critic.