East Meadow High School jazz ensemble’s New Orleans trip hits a high note

At East Meadow High School, being a part of the jazz ensemble is something that many students will not only remember fondly, but credit as a reason why they love being a musician.

Led by Stephen Engle, the high school’s chairman of music and ensemble director, the group recently took a trip to New Orleans — an experience that could only be summed up as one the group would never forget.

Engle said the ensemble dates back to the 1970s, when it was created by a former music educator in East Meadow, Bill Katz. As a student in East Meadow, Engle was part of the ensemble, and said its one of the reasons he became a music teacher.

“There has been a long tradition of excellence with this group,” Engle told said. “It’s the best of the best.”

Students audition to be a part of the group, and rehearse Thursdays after school, and Friday mornings. “The music is very challenging in nature, and the kids are very, very dedicated to perform that music, and show the music the respect that it deserves,” Engle said.

Engle visited New Orleans two summers ago with his wife, a city that is often regarded as a birthplace for jazz music. The experience was tremendous, he said, and he knew he wanted to bring his students there.

“It’s a magical place — it truly is,” he said. “There’s always risk involved in taking kids overnight, especially to a city. But this is a very, very special group of kids.”

The students spent just a little over three days in New Orleans in late March, where they experienced everything from taking a Mississippi River Cruise, touring the Preservation Hall, a historic jazz venue, and meeting professional musicians.

Seniors Benjamin Krieger and Sanjay Ramsaroop, and juniors Judah Baroukh and Dave Alavanza spoke highly of their experiences in the jazz ensemble, but also about what music has meant to them throughout their educational journeys.

“I’m very appreciative of the life lessons we’ve learned here,” Alavanza said, “and all the discipline that music in general has taught me.” 

The trip inspired the group, and showed them things that are all possible to achieve, thanks to music. Baroukh recalled speaking to a musician on a dinner cruise.

“It was really cool, because the dream life is to be a musician,” he said. “And when I was talking to the trombone player, I found out that he’s only four years older than me, and he’s from California — so all the way across the country. He made his way to New Orleans, and it’s just really special to see that there’s some hope. It’s not impossible.”

Krieger recalled one of the coolest things they saw wasn’t even planned. While heading back to their hotel after an outing, they came across a “second line,” a cultural parade that consists of people following a brass band. They are traditionally a part of New Orleans weddings, and sometimes ever funerals.

“Sometimes it’s for deaths, and sometimes in this case, it was a wedding,” he said. “There was a band, and all these wedding guests right behind them marching in the street and I thought that was incredible.”

“Once we caught up to (the parade), I remember I pulled out my phone to take a video and Mr. Engle was right in front of me taking his own video,” Ramsaroop added, “so I took a video of Mr. Engle taking his own video, and it was the happiest I’ve ever seen him.”

Engle added that second lines had been discussed with the ensemble in class, but of course running into one is something that happens by chance.

“You can’t buy a ticket, you can’t find a schedule,” he explained. “You just happen upon them, or you don’t. So it was very special that we actually stumbled upon a second line parade.”

As jazz musicians, being able to see all that they learn about in East Meadow’s program was special, Baroukh said.

“Just to be around people who embrace it and love it like we do — it was amazing to see that,” he said.

Being able to make a career from music is a dream for many, and the spirit of New Orleans inspired a sense of hope in the jazz ensemble.

“Being a musician, I think to a lot of us, would be the dream job,” Krieger said. “It was really special seeing these people genuinely pursue and have such a love (for music). Seeing anyone be passionate about something, especially if you’re passionate about that same thing, which is music — there’s something special about that.”