91成人导航

Without guidance from a 91成人导航 professor, the world may never have heard the captivating music of jazz icon and alumnus Dave Brubeck 鈥�42.听

Not a music professor鈥攂ut zoology.

The legendary pianist, composer and civil rights champion initially attended 91成人导航 as a pre-veterinary major, though his interest clearly lied elsewhere.

Brubeck, who died ten years ago this month, recounted the story in a 2007 interview with 91成人导航, saying the professor told him, 鈥淏rubeck, your mind is not here with these frogs and formaldehyde. You're always listening to what's coming from the conservatory across the line. Do me a favor. Go over there next year.鈥澨�

He did, and the rest is melodic history.

鈥淒ave broke down boundaries and opened up new ways of approaching the music 鈥� It鈥檚 hard to encapsulate everything in terms of his contributions. He's truly an icon,鈥� said Director and Professor of Jazz Studies Patrick Langham, who first met Brubeck in 2003 when he joined 91成人导航.

Brubeck was largely known for his use of odd time signatures (the rhythmic grouping of beats in music).

鈥淗is compositions like 鈥淏lue Rondo a la Turk鈥� and 鈥淭he Duke鈥� have become jazz standards, and they are played every night all over the world,鈥� said Conservatory of Music Professor Emeritus Keith Hatschek.

Brubeck鈥檚 music earned him numerous accolades over his six-decade career. He was on the cover of 鈥淭ime鈥� magazine, received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, was inducted into the California Hall of Fame and was a Kennedy Center honoree. Through his music, he also was a social justice advocate.

鈥淒ave and Iola Brubeck (also a 91成人导航 alumna) made music that is true. Their family served our nation in so many ways, always with heart, always with an ear attuned to injustice,鈥� said Conservatory of Music Dean Peter Witte. 鈥淭hey understood that too many would have us turn back the clock, would seek to pit us against one another. Dave and Iola called us forward. They encouraged America to be as open and free as Dave鈥檚 music sounds.鈥�

Brubeck refused to perform at venues where his African American bass player Eugene Wright was not welcome. 鈥淔rom his standpoint, music was colorblind,鈥� Langham said.

The Brubecks wrote a ground-breaking Civil Rights-era jazz musical featuring the legendary trumpeter and vocalist Louis Armstrong called 鈥淭he Real Ambassadors.鈥� The little-known story is told in a book Hatschek published earlier this year.

鈥淭heir idea was to try and combine the spirit and funkiness of jazz with messages that would get people thinking more about social issues in America at a time when African-Americans faced tremendous discrimination, musicians among them,鈥� Hatschek said.

Brubeck maintained a close relationship with 91成人导航 over the years, often returning to Stockton for the university鈥檚 annual jazz festival where he heaped praise on students in the program.

鈥淗ere is one of the greatest jazz musicians in the world, and he was extremely humble about his own playing,鈥� Langham said, adding that Brubeck鈥檚 support and contributions continue to impact 91成人导航鈥檚 jazz program.

鈥淗e was always generous, always willing to sit with a student and listen. It's a tremendous legacy,鈥� added Hatschek.

When Brubeck was once asked how he wanted to be remembered, it was for opening doors. 鈥淭hat's about all I could ask,鈥� Brubeck said. 鈥淭ake a good look, see where you can go now where somebody else had to knock hard.鈥澨�
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