Conductor Maria Schneider to work her magic with CU Jazz Ensemble

By Bret Saunders&nbsp

Maria Schneider spends a lot of time traveling the world as a guest conductor of professional and collegiate jazz ensembles. It's her commanding yet animated stage presence that holds much of her appeal: Schneider often gets caught up in the music she is pulling out of the band members and becomes a performer herself, even if she isn't playing an instrument. She has a couple of composition Grammys and a deeply respected slew of independently released CDs. Her writing produces music that is exhilarating and almost cinematic.

And it's Schneider's stature as a visiting bandleader who inspires her students to express themselves through creative music that will bring her to CU's Macky Auditorium on Friday, when she leads the CU Jazz Ensemble I through a series of her pieces.

"When you work with a group you assess what the strong points are," she says about the groups she works with and the degrees of collaborative success. "But in the end, so much depends on their willingness to throw themselves into the music. You can play it perfectly but have it not be a moving experience. Or, it can be not perfect and it can be a powerful experience."

Schneider strives to communicate feelings and to tell stories through her music. Her most recent CD, "Sky Blue," from 2007, is an achievement of sonic imagery. Former mentors/colleaguesGil Evansand Bob Brookmeyer spring to mind in terms of horn arrangements, for example, but Schneider's compositions are freer and more open. It's some of the most optimistic large-group music that's been created in recent decades.

"Sometimes I think people in the jazz world — it's a highly specialized music and it takes years to develop your craft and message — it's easy to become closed in, and you start valuing the complexity more than the message," she says. "My music is not pyrotechnical. It's intricate but not so complex that people don't understand it. I take care that my music is communicating something. The most insulting thing that people can say to me is 'that was interesting.' We learn the technique (of making music) so we can become better communicators."

And lately Schneider has been sharing her skills of musical communication with various student groups, including her work scheduled with the CU students this week, culminating in Friday's performance. She's pleased that there are new generations coming up with an appreciation for big band type settings, with an interest in jazz and its history.

"Here and there you have parents who are obsessed jazz listeners, and there's the matter of exposure through a number of music programs," she says. But Schneider adds that an important part of a student's musical journey is discovery through their own curiosity.

"You're really responsible for your own education. Don't wait for your teachers or professors to spoon-feed you."

Maria Schneider with CU Jazz Ensemble I, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Macky Auditorium, University Avenue and 17th Street, Boulder. Free. Call 303-492-8008 for information.

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