Tito Carrillo visits Jazz Ensemble at Garden City High School
Guest artist and world-renowned trumpeter, composer, and educator Tito Carrillo visited Garden City High School on Jan. 17 to work with the Jazz Ensemble students. Mr. Carrillo taught the students about improvisation, rhythmic patterns, and the energy and mood created when making music. He explained how to view each improvisational solo as a blank canvas that reveals what the musician is feeling in the moment, and shared advice about blending new sounds and ideas.
Mr. Carrillo taught the students about the clave — a percussion instrument that signifies the tempo and rhythmic pattern of a piece — and explained how it is the backbone in Afro-Cuban music and salsa. He played the clave while the students performed individually to alter the rhythmic energies of their solos and layer these together, creating new patterns.
Students asked questions about Mr. Carrillo's past performances, his favorite parts of teaching, and what inspired him to become involved with music education. Mr. Carrillo shared what he likes about teaching music compared to performing and explained the neurological effects associated with playing and improvising.
“Mr. Carrillo was one of the best jazz pedagogues I've ever seen work with students,” said band teacher, Mr. Dan DellaMonica. “His approach was personalized and addressed each student’s individual needs. Mr. Carrillo spoke about how learning music is a continuous journey of discovery, while emphasizing that the process of improvement never ends. His insightful guidance left a lasting impact on the Garden City High School Jazz Ensemble students, and I believe he helped them grow as both musicians and performers.”
