Musicwoman Magazine Spring 2020

Jazmin Ghent

HOW TO MAKE A MUSICWOMAN by Deborah

I LOVE music. I always wanted to play the piano and since I’m from a family of nine, we simply could not afford a piano or lessons. My father was a jazz lover, so he would relax after work by playing albums. I would find a corner outside of our living room and listen to all of the jazz greats - The Pres., Sonny Stitt, Hank Mobley, John Coltrane, Jimmy Smith, and Jimmy McGriff to name a few.

Practice and Preparation

When I met my husband, I discovered we had the love of jazz in common. We both said our favorite female name was Jazmin and agreed that would be the name of a girl if we ever had one. We were blessed with twin daughters, Jenai and Jazmin. I promised Carl, if we purchased a piano, it would be more than just a showpiece. We found a great sale and purchased an entry level black lacquer, baby grand piano to match an Asian black lacquer screen in our living room.

According to my research, the best time to begin piano lessons is when a child learns to read. So, my girls started in first grade. I taught school, during the day, and I knew that routine is vital for children. Homework, dinner, and music practice were part of the routine in our house. Our children were restricted to watching TV on the weekend. I loved to listen to the piano while preparing dinner. The girls practiced 30 to 45 minutes per day and an hour or more on the weekend. Their lessons with the music teachers were once per week and I used weekly treats and lots of praise for motivation.

Our children were inspired by our enthusiasm. We loved jazz and had hundreds of CDs from Kirk Whalum, Gerald Albright, Jonathan Butler, and Jeff Lorber. Going to and from school, jazz would be on the radio - WJAB - or on the CD player. When I realized the growth in their skills, I purchased books from music stores to introduce them to playing other genres of music. I purchased gospel books and a large hymnal, then I asked a minister of music at a local church

Ghent

to help the girls transition from playing classical music to gospel music.

They began taking lessons twice weekly with two teachers, one teacher for classical and the other for gospel. They were only seven years old and it made such a difference. Jazmin took the liberty to improvise on some of the hymns. At eight, they played for the Sunday School. They played two hymns each Sunday and received a modest check from the church. Practicing and preparation were vital because they needed to be prepared for their lessons and for their job as the Sunday School pianists. They participated in at least two recitals every year.

Motivation and Competitiveness

When the girls were 10, they were well-versed in the piano. It was time to start thinking about college and music scholarships. They needed to master an instrument and participate in middle and high school band activities. Their grandfather loved the saxophone and played in his youth. Their brother, Carl, played saxophone in the marching band. We purchased two used alto saxophones. Jazmin was determined to play better than her brother and was motivated to be the best amongst her peers. She practiced the scales for Solo Ensemble and Allstate. Every evening before bed, I listened to her play what she practiced and gave her a grade for her performance.

Then, she would play a song from the Jamey Aebersold Jazz Saxophone Book. Jazmin’s skills began to exceed her sister and her brother.

During the summer, she took lessons at a local music store with a skilled saxophonist and she soared. She played scales for her saxophone teacher and people would walk in the music shop and ask who was playing. She did not sound like an 11 year old. There were several alto saxophone players in the band and I convinced my husband that an upgrade to a new tenor was Con’t on page 66

HOW TO MAKE A MUSICWOMAN by Deborah Ghent (con’t)

Con’t from page 21 necessary. Jazmin’s skills progressed, rapidly. She practiced the piano but it was evident that the saxophone was her preference.

She played in church, first improvising with the choir and, then, soloing on “Amazing Grace” every Sunday. I purchased every Jamey Aebersold Jazz Book I could find and she practiced daily. By 14, she was first chair in her high school band, the Allstate Jazz Band, and the Allstate Classical Band. She went to the University of Alabama Piano Camp at 12, Jamey Aebersold’s Jazz Camp at 13, Florida A & M University Band Camp at 14 and 15, and Florida State University Music Camp at 16 and 17. She competed in local competitions and national competitions like the NAACP ACT SO in New York and Orlando, and she won numerous awards. In addition, she was Drum Major for a 200 member high school band for three consecutive years. After high school graduation, Jazmin decided to have a recital entitled “Gratitude” as a special thanks to the teachers, the church, and everyone who was instrumental in her past, present, and future endeavors as a musician.

chose Florida State University and graduated with honors in 2013, with a Bachelors in Music Education/Jazz Studies. Immediately after graduating, she was invited to perform on Bobby Jones Gospel Hour in Nashville, Tennessee. He told her about a friend that was in the Music Department at Tennessee State University. After performing for the Music Department, Jazmin was awarded a full scholarship to attend Tennessee State University where she graduated with a Masters Degree in 2014 with honors.

The Finale - Performance

Her very memorable and emotional performance that night made all of the time, trips, and expense of a piano, lessons, recitals, books, saxophones, and activities worthwhile.

Deborah Ghent

My children called me Music Mom because I made sure everyone practiced daily and had all their equipment. Their father and I attended every lesson, recital, band camp, and competition. Because of Jazmin’s age, gender, and size, I was particularly conscious of the fact that most of the camps were dominated by males considerably older than Jazmin. Her ability to play her instrument well took precedence over her appearance. She was highly respected because of her skill on the saxophone.

Jazmin was offered a full tuition scholarship to Berklee School of Music, Florida A & M University, and Florida State University. She

Performance plays a major role in making a Musicwoman because the nature of creativity in the arts involves sharing your gift with others. Our final gift to this Musicwoman when she graduated from Tennessee State University was a trip on the prestigious 2014 Smooth Jazz Cruise. My husband and I attended the cruise several times and were aware of the “Show Your Talent Contest”, a popular American Idol Competition among the cruise guests. Boney James, Marcus Miller, and Brian Culbertson were the judges, along with the audience. Jazmin performed her rendition of Summertime. As the winner, she opened for the Sirius XM WATERCOLORS Hall of Fame Program honoring Wayman Tisdale and Marcus Miller. Her very memorable and emotional performance that night made all of the time, trips, and expense of a piano, lessons, recitals, books, saxophones, and activities worthwhile. When I watched her perform the song effortlessly with distinct tone quality and soulful vibes, then receive a standing ovation, I knew she had evolved into a polished professional and was on her way to bigger and greater things. In the words of Boney James, “It’s young people like Jazmin that will keep jazz alive!”

Obviously, her true passion is MUSIC!