Big things for the Jazz Department at Ball State University

Jazz Musician

MUNCIE, Ind. --- Out of all the band and orchestra departments, and all their subsections, at Ball State University, the Jazz department is seeing some big things in the month of October. During the month of October, the Jazz department is hosting two events: their Art of Jazz event, and the new Jazz Rhythm Section day.

The Art of Jazz series is a yearly event that started around 1985, according to Mark Buselli, Director of Jazz Studies at Ball State. “It’s an opportunity for guest artist’s to come to Ball State and interact with students through master classes and perform with them at night,” said Buselli.

He also mentioned that Frank Puzzullo was the one that came up with the idea for the Art of Jazz series for Ball State. The Art of Jazz also happens about three different times, bringing three different guest artists to Ball State.

Buselli used to select the guest artist himself, but since they’ve had a full jazz faculty it’s been more of a committee selection, where they discuss what kind of instrument has been there and what instrument and artist they want to bring in. The artist they’re bringing in for the upcoming Art of Jazz is Dan Tepfer, a pianist-composer who’s made a name for himself in the jazz industry.

The Jazz Rhythm Section day is the newest event that the Jazz department is putting on. For the event, they’re thinking of bringing in piano players, bass players, guitar players and drummers to interact with the faculty and students.

“They get to meet our faculty, hang out with them, and they get to see the university. They get to play, and I’m really optimistic that this will turn out really well,” said Buselli.

The similarity this year between the two events is that Dan Tepfer will be present at both, and they might stick with the idea of the Art of Jazz guest artist also being a guest artist for the Jazz Rhythm Section days.

The Art of Jazz Series featuring Dan Tepfer will be at Sursa Performance Hall, on October 18th at 7:30 p.m. and the Jazz Rhythm Section day will be at Hahn Recital Hall on October 21st at 11 a.m.