The Academy season may be halfway over, but there is still plenty of great music to enjoy at Birch Creek Music Performance Center in Egg Harbor. Wednesday marked the beginning of the first of two Big Band Jazz sessions at Birch Creek, featuring the standards of Basie, Miller, and Ellington, among others. What makes the Big Band Jazz sessions unique goes beyond the notes on the page. Whether it is the student ambassador ensembles touring the county's countryside during the week or the faculty bands under the roof of the concert band, Executive Director Mona Christensen says the improvisation that occurs during the individual pieces gives it a different vibe. She adds that it is especially impressive when you factor in that many students have never met each other before performing, and the faculty do not see each other during the 50 weeks they are away from Egg Harbor.

The first session of Big Band Jazz runs through July 27th, and it will include a memorial concert for the late drummer and Birch Creek faculty member Bob Chmel on July 26th. The second session runs from July 31st to August 10th. You can listen to our full interview with Christensen by clicking this link.