Before taking History of Jazz, I personally was not a fan of jazz concerts or jazz music overall. I thought it was probably the most annoying genre of music that could exist because I could not stand the sound of trumpets and clarinets blaring in my ears, it would give me massive headaches and I would just want it to stop. However, after taking this course my view of Jazz took a 180. After learning about the history of jazz, how it began, the different types of rhythms I developed quite an interest in this kind of music-one that hadn't previous existed. Because of this course, I attended my first jazz concert at the University Auditorium on the University of Florida campus. The concert was held by our schools jazz band and consisted of a variety of songs, each evoking various emotions and moods from the audience. The performance included a variety of numbers each with solos from different sections of instruments. The music wasn't the only thing that contributed to the show, the ambience and environment of the concert heavily weighed in. The appearance of the auditorium itself created a more authentic vibe during the concert. .
As soon as I entered the auditorium I had to rush in to get seats because the concert was getting ready to start. They took away all the programs so I was absolutely clueless as to what to expect, and that truly made me nervous, as I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I settled down in my seat as I saw the performers of the first piece adjust themselves. The concert started off with, South Rampert Street, which really got the audience on their feet. It was a great piece to open with as it hyped everyone up as they were tapping their feet and nodding their heads. This song included a trumpet solo, by Chris Cartman, and a saxophone solo, by Ben Greer. The solos were truly inspiring to witness because each of the performers were so passionate about the music and instrument they were playing you could see it in their body language.