The 2023–24 David P. ’60 and Susan W. Wohluester Jazz Ensemble Composition Contest welcomed award-winning jazz saxophonist Alexa Tarantino for her second guest performance April 27. It is not often that a guest performer returns for a second time. Tarantino’s return is a reflection of her extremely impressive career as a musician.
Tarantino performed at the college for the first time since Feb. 29, 2020. The most recent composition night was supported by none other than Ithaca College’s Jazz Ensemble. The group is led by Mike Titlebaum, associate professor of music performance and director of jazz studies.
The annual competition was created in 2010 to give composers the platform to write for a large band, and to give students exposure to assessing performances. The application process for the competition begins in February and takes about a month. From the applicants, six composers were selected to perform alongside Tarantino. Of the selected composers, one is crowned the winner of the contest and is awarded a $1,500 prize.
This year’s six composers were from an array of colleges, either currently pursuing a degree or having graduated and are now full-time musicians: Zhengtao Pan, Jack Snelling, Ethan Helm, Jared Decker, Jonathan Bumpus and prize winner Eric Weaver.
Ford Hall became an atmosphere of endless applause from the audience and genuine smiles from the performers. With each solo or duet, Titlebaum lit up with pride as he watched his students perform.
The piece “Violet Skies” featured a significant collaboration. The song was written by Tarantino and arranged by Titlebaum. After an introductory solo from Tarantino, the piece featured solos from nearly every member of the jazz band. Sophomore Chris Rakeman was on bass, senior James Williams and first-year student Alessio Vega were on trumpet and senior Dan Greenleaf was on guitar.
This showcase was the last student performance for seniors Greenleaf and Williams, who both received a farewell speech from Titlebaum.
“I teach that singers should play, players should sing,” Titlebaum said. “Our model for that is Louis Armstrong. He was neither just a trumpet player, nor a singer. He was the greatest jazz musician who played the trumpet and sang. So this graduating senior, [Williams], I don’t think I’ve had a student more dedicated to this idea.”
As a senior, Greenleaf said he views performances at this point in his career as more celebratory than as something to be nervous about.
“[Tarantino] is phenomenal,” Greenleaf said. “She’s an example of honing your craft. I don’t know if you could catch the vibe in the audience, but she’s just really lovely to be around, on top being a musician, which is such a cool combination. It’s so rare to find somebody that has mastered social ability.”
The night featured a whirlwind of different instruments — trumpet, guitar, saxophone, bass, clarinet — and collaborations, both on the stage and in the behind-the-scenes musical composition.
Alongside her career as a musician, Tarantino is an accomplished educator. She has taught 500 workshops and worked with 1,000 students. On April 27, Tarantino delivered a masterclass before the performance, delving into her expertise and educating the attendees.
Audience member Peter Swift is a friend of Titlebaum’s and has attended past performances at the college. Swift said the performance was the best he had seen, and was very impressed by Tarantino’s masterclass.
“Her teaching was wonderfully modulated,” Swift said. “Never critical, always positive.”
Another standout performance was “Windy Days” by Zhengtao Pan. Pan was one of the composers in attendance. At the concert, Titlebaum gave “Windy Days” a reflective introductory speech, commenting on the imagery and tone of the piece.
“This piece has a really beautiful landscape, and beautiful tonal language that is very appealing to me,” Titlebaum said.
The competition was a night of many purposes. The selected composers came together to celebrate their recognition and members of the Ithaca College Jazz Ensemble were able to collaborate with musicians from across the country. The competition was also a showcase of seasoned talent, with Tarantino as a returning guest.
Weaver, a winner of the competition, said he enjoys hearing artists outside of his school perform his music. Weaver is currently a graduate student at the University of North Texas and a graduate from the Oberlin Conservatory.
“It’s so wonderful to have those experiences and to have everyone have a good time on the stage,” Weaver said. “Winning is just one part of it.”
