Editor’s Note: Gaia Saraf is involved in the jazz program through Jazz Ensemble 1. 

When world-renowned jazz musician John Fedchock visited New Trier High School on Oct. 20, excitement and nerves filled the jazz room. Students hastily set up their instruments and suspended their chatter as they prepared to perform for one of New York’s most respected bandleaders—a golden opportunity for any young musician.

Fedchock, a trombonist, composer, and bandleader, first got his start touring with the Woody Herman Big Band—a prestigious position which he was selected for while still a student at the Eastman School of Music. Now, Fedchock leads his own big band, a term used to describe a large jazz band with 10 or more people, known as the John Fedchock New York Big Band and continues to release big band and small group records. From arranging for ensembles across the country to earning several Grammy nominations, Fedchock has truly established himself as one of NYC’s premiere jazz artists.

Earlier in the month, Fedchock reached out to New Trier himself via email while touring universities in the Midwest. Amidst his packed schedule of colleges, including Northwestern University, Elmhurst University, University of Illinois Chicago, and more, New Trier stood out as the only high school he chose to visit. 

“When John Fedchock’s email comes up on my screen saying, ‘Hey, I’m gonna be in town. I’d love to swing by,’ I say yes,” Director of Jazz Ensembles Nic Meyer says.

Fedchock’s decision to visit New Trier wasn’t random, though. Having performed at the New Trier Jazz Festival in 2002 with his big band and in 2023 as part of the Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra, Fedchock was quite familiar with New Trier’s jazz program and its strong reputation.

“New Trier was one of the first high schools in the country to really have a serious, dedicated jazz program,” Meyer says. “Prominent jazz musicians like Fedchock might have known about New Trier just because of that, and because people were writing articles in jazz magazines and publications about New Trier’s jazz program.”

During his visit, New Trier’s Co-Lab Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble 1 performed music intended for the Fall Jazz Ensemble Concert for Fedchock to critique. He began each class by warming up with the trombone section before joining the rest of the ensemble to workshop their pieces. Besides providing specific notes on phrasing and style, Fedchock gave broader advice in a Q-and-A format towards the end of each class. 

Senior Ary Varshney, a trumpet player enrolled in Jazz Ensemble 1, was particularly excited for Fedchock’s visit, as he was already familiar with Fedchock’s work and eager to be coached by another brass player. But even so, Varshney had his fair share of nerves. 

“While playing lead trumpet, if you biff, everybody knows you biff…So I was nervous about not providing the best example of myself but excited to have someone who could critique me in a way that I’ve maybe not been critiqued before,” Varshney says.

During rehearsal, Varshney had the opportunity to solo in front of Fedchock, which proved to be both fear-provoking and validating.

“I always get a bit of anxiety hearing my solos be critiqued by a pro,” Varshney says. “But hearing him affirm that he liked my solo and that I had a good sense of time and chords was really concrete for me.”

Like Varshney, Junior pianist Ian Sturgis also got to solo for Fedchock in Co-Lab Jazz Ensemble’s rehearsal. While Sturgis didn’t feel quite as nervous, he was excited at the prospect of receiving constructive feedback. 

“I took a solo in front of John Fedchock, and that was pretty cool,” Sturgis says. “I knew he was gonna be listening, and he was gonna be able to give me the real advice on how to sound great.”

During his time in Co-Lab, Fedchock focused on fundamentals, emphasizing the importance of chord tones, specifically the third and seventh, in defining harmony.

“Three and seven are the most important chord tones,” Sturgis says. “By keeping track of just two notes, you can tell what function the chord has in the harmonic movement of a tune.”

Meanwhile, in Jazz 1, Fedchock noted the importance of phrasing and feel. One note, Fedchock reiterated, can be played with different articulations to change its overall quality.

“His focus on how we play the music instead of just playing the notes on the pages really stuck with me,” Varshney says.

But one of the most valuable lessons Fedchock shared had nothing to do with technique; it was about establishing yourself as a jazz musician. 

When a student asked how he made a name for himself, Fedchock explained that success comes from making deliberate career choices. When Fedchock enrolled at the Eastman School of Music, he did so with the intention of increasing his chances of touring with the Woody Herman Big Band; it was a goal of his and word was that Woody Herman often pulled students from Eastman for his band. Additionally, early in his career with the Woody Herman Big Band, Fedchock volunteered to write arrangements to showcase his skills as a composer. It was initiatives like these that earned Fedchock his recognition and acclaim.

“He wasn’t waiting for opportunities to come to him, he went to the opportunity,” Meyer says. “That level of intentionality is what made him who he is.”

Regardless of whether the students knew about these past accomplishments, virtually everyone in the room had inherent respect for Fedchock because of his high caliber within the jazz community. 

“Even among a high school jazz crowd, you get a lot of people who are really serious about the music,” Sturgis says. “And when there’s someone as professional and excellent at his craft as John Fedchock, everyone kind of respects that.”

That respect was mutual. As opposed to treating the students like high schoolers, Fedchock directed them like young professionals, and they rose to meet that expectation. 

“I think an air of focus descended upon the band,” Varshney says. “A lot of people sensed that he expected professionalism from us, and so, in turn, reciprocated that.”

Meyer believes that shift in focus was the most meaningful part of the visit.

“I just hope our students remember what it felt like to have the expectation raised a little bit,” Meyer says. “Sometimes we think we’re already giving our best, but there’s always a little more room for refinement and experiences like this show us that.”

For Meyer, Fedchock’s impact extends well beyond the day of his visit. Being a musician teaches one about focus and resilience, traits that are useful beyond the world of music. Meyer hopes that Fedchock and his emphasis on professionalism reinforces those values and leaves students with skills that can be applied to many aspects of their lives.

“We know that people who learn to play a musical instrument at a high level are often able to transfer those skills to all sorts of places,” Meyer says. “So Fedchock coming is just a tiny spoke in this huge wheel of what I hope students are getting out of this experience.”