Playing it by ear: Morristown 5th-graders improvise with jazzy PitchBlak

Fifth -grade band members -- flutist Lauren Ballak, and Kevin Mastracchio and Daniel Farmer on sax, along with Pitchblak trombone player, playing by ear at improv workshop. Photo by Maryanne Saxon
Fifth -grade band members -- flutist Lauren Ballak, and Kevin Mastracchio and Daniel Farmer on sax, along with Pitchblak trombone player, playing by ear at improv workshop. Photo by Maryanne Saxon
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On a beautiful August day, Brad Marullo, a band teacher from the Morris School District, was walking through Prospect Park in Brooklyn, NY, when suddenly, everything went pitch black …as in Brooklyn’s PitchBlak Brass Band

As soon as the music hit his ears, Marullo took a detour and was overcome by excitement. Hooked by the group’s funky alternative sound, Marullo made it his mission to get PitchBlak to perform for his band students.

Thankfully, it was an easy sell. Thomas Jefferson School Principal Cristina Frazzano loves the arts and was instrumental in bringing the 10-piece ensemble to TJ’s center stage on Jan. 16,  2015, for an improvisational jazz workshop for 5th-graders in the school band.

 

 

 

Members of PitchBlak perform for TJ elementary school. Photo by Maryanne Saxon
Members of PitchBlak perform for TJ elementary school. Photo by Maryanne Saxon


Led by sousaphone player Chanel Crichlow,  PitchBlak is a group of friends who happen to be musicians, composers and artists. All classically trained, they have been taking artistic risks together since 2010.  (Never has a tuba been so cool.)

Their musical magic included plenty of audience interaction, including an educational round of musical Jeopardy®, complete with the signature Jeopardy® theme song and related (fun) stress.

The band also hosted an extremely competitive “dance-off”…

 


The audience left with more than just music in their ears. Throughout the performance, the musicians distributed plenty of “swag,”  in the form of stickers and tote bags.

Crichlow conducted an afternoon workshop that encouraged students to rely on their ears to interpret and express their art. His overall theme was creative freedom. No formula was needed, no rules, no reading notes off a page.

 

Fifth -grade band members -- flutist Lauren Ballak, and Kevin Mastracchio and Daniel Farmer on sax, along with Pitchblak trombone player, playing by ear at improv workshop. Photo by Maryanne Saxon
Fifth -grade band members — flutist Lauren Ballak, and Kevin Mastracchio and Daniel Farmer on sax, along with Pitchblak trombone player, playing by ear at improv workshop. Photo by Maryanne Saxon

 PitchBlak members urged budding young musicians to practice regularly, even if it means missing the Super Bowl– which is the case for the Brooklyn band. Rather than tossing back beer and buffalo wings during the big game, the musical troupe will be tossing out funky licks in rehearsal.

And don’t shy away from taking risks, the mentors advised.  PitchBlak paid homage to Johann Sebastian Bach in one breath… and Taylor Swift in the next, proving that all genres of music can offer inspiration.

Teacher Brad Marullo has made a habit of collecting guest instructors over the years.

Before coming to Morristown, he taught at PS23 in Jersey City, where his principal, Daniel Cupo, not only welcomed performers, but personally escorted them onto center stage to swap out Marullo’s Friday classes with jam sessions for the school.

Funding for PitchBlak’s performance came from a generous grant by a Thomas Jefferson parent.  The money also helped Marullo update the TJ auditorium’s sound system, and purchase new instruments for students.

An exciting year should only get better for Marullo, a band teacher at the TJ and Sussex Avenue schools. On Feb. 25, 2015, he will compete in Morristown’s Got Talent with his band, SteppingSTONE.  Stay tuned for more coverage right here on MorristownGreen.com.

 

Proud band teacher Brad Marullo enjoys the jazz workshop. Photo by Maryanne Saxon
Proud band teacher Brad Marullo enjoys the jazz workshop. Photo by Maryanne Saxon

 

 

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