Interview With Jazz Vocalist Sara Gazarek
We recently had the opportunity to speak with Jazz vocalist Sara Gazarek. In the interview below, we asked her about how she became interested in jazz and how her experiences have helped shaped who she is as an artist.
Sara will be making her debut at the Orange County Performing Arts Center September 24th-25th, as OCPAC opens their 2010-2011 Jazz Series. She will be performing alongside another jazz vocalist, Sachal Vasandani, and the dynamic between the two will be something to look forward to
You can find Sara’s background and information about the upcoming performances here.
Interview
1. You had not been exposed to jazz too much until you were high school, and then you were awarded the first-ever “Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation Outstanding Jazz Vocalist” Award. Was this something that was expected at the time, or did it more or less come out of the blue?
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2. At the time you won the award, did you already know you were going to be studying jazz at USC, or did the award have a large influence on your decision?
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3. To what degree was jazz an influence on your life in high school?
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4. What other genres of music influenced you at that time, or still influence you today?
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5. When you arrange music, do it allow to take form organically, or do you make an effort to consciously infuse a particular style or have it appeal to a particular audience?
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6. What do you do to expose younger generations to jazz?
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7. What advice do you have for younger generations that seem to have a more narrow and stereotypical view of jazz?
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8. What is it about jazz that captivates you and keeps your attention, especially in comparison to other styles of music?
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9. Do you have any new music in the works?
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10.Do you do a lot of writing in terms of new matieral, or do you find yourself doing more arrangements?
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11. Are you still in the process of recording with that group in Germany?
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We would like to thank Sara for taking the time to talk to us, and we would also like to thank Heather Cho at OCPAC for arranging the interview.
