Josiah Reibstein is a double degree student at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and Oberlin College, pursuing majors in jazz studies (tuba) and creative writing. He is currently a member of the Oberlin Jazz Ensemble (big band) and two small groups that he leads: a conservatory-affiliated jazz combo, and his prog-rock/gypsy/fusion band, Jacob’s Ladder.

My experience with the Lexington High School music program (specifically jazz) was certainly one of the greatest motivations that led me to pursue playing as a hopeful career path. Before I began participating in the LHS jazz ensembles, music was only a small aspect of my life - a hobby rather than a passion. Listening to CDs was a passive activity rather than an engaging one, and the prospect of writing my own music was alien to me. It was only after I was exposed to various styles of jazz by my participation in the LHS groups that I really understood that this was what I liked, and that maybe music as a career was what I wanted to do. Before I joined the LHS Jazz Ensemble, I didn’t even know who John Coltrane was, but by the end of my senior year he was only one of the many artists with which I was pretty much obsessed.

It is difficult for me to recall any negative aspects of the LHS music department and not wonder if they additionally contributed to my interest in jazz. However, glancing back I can’t overlook the extreme competitiveness of the department and the students in it. The competition could either stem from musical ability (who could play the fastest) or who was in the highest (“honors”) ensembles. The former was ultimately a positive aspect of the department; in my case, it motivated me to practice harder to reach the levels of my peers. Unfortunately, I also found that it resulted in tensions between players (sometimes verging on outright nastiness) and a desire to impress and even “show-up” others rather than improve as an artist.

I found, though, that the emphasis by students on “honors” groups was the most detrimental to the music department. During my time at LHS I was struck by the high number of players in the jazz department who didn’t even listen to jazz. When saxophonist Jaleel Shaw visited, he asked the members of my improv class how many jazz albums they had listened to. Many people responded with “one” or even “none.” However, this wasn’t even restricted to the jazz classes – many musicians in the Jazz Ensemble didn’t listen to jazz, and some of them even refused point-blank to explore it.

Many students in the program, it seemed, were motivated by the hierarchy of the groups rather than an actual desire to check out the music. I knew one student who switched from saxophone to trombone his freshman year simply because he knew the constant need for trombonists would grant him an automatic spot in the Ensemble. I’m not saying that everyone in the department had to be virtuosic and passionate about jazz, but this lack of interest in the music often made the group weaker.

My experiences at Oberlin Conservatory, so far, have been excellent, without as much of the competitiveness I remember at LHS. Being a member of a jazz ensemble where everyone is a music major means that the group is never held back by individuals, while at the same time every player can be emphasized in a unique way. Although there is certainly something intimidating about being surrounded by many exceptional instrumentalists each striving to create their own sound, it’s also comforting to be in the company of people who share a love for the same art. Players treat each other with a refreshing level of professional respect. I constantly find myself inspired by other students. Most everyone that I’ve met has been extremely open musically, and since I’ve started Oberlin, the environment has inspired me to expand my interests and compositions beyond jazz into classical, rock, hip-hop, and combinations of each.

My advice to musicians at LHS is, whether or not you are going to go to a conservatory after you graduate, take your instruments seriously. Lexington is very lucky to have a department that offers three orchestras, three wind ensembles, two big bands, six jazz small groups, and eleven vocal ensembles. Even if it isn’t what you plan to do with your life, creating music can be one of the most rewarding, emotional, and (dare I say) divine experiences a human being can have. Don’t waste the opportunities that LHS has offered to you – explore, listen, and most of all, practice. Being a student of music does not always have to mean being a music student.

One downside to music school: taking Music Theory classes kinda sucks.

12 February 2008