27 Sep 2016
Five weeks in New York immersed with his musical heroes motivated young jazz composer Jake Baxendale to write new music he is now touring with his Australia/New Zealand collaboration Antipodes.
Jake received $7,900 from the Edwin Carr Scholarship so he could travel to New York to work with experts on writing and arranging for large jazz ensembles.
“The scholarship presented me with my first real opportunity to sit down one-to-one with the people whose compositions I listened to and emulated when I first started seriously writing music. It was very inspiring.”
Jake says the “icing on the cake” was being able to go out and see those same musicians play in the evenings.
“I was blown away not just by the quality of musicianship, but by the attitudes of the musicians. Everybody was extremely warm and welcoming, and just wanted to play all the time. This, as much as the lessons, has given me a real clarity of purpose for my future projects."
While Jake has to focus on the task of getting all his new ideas onto the page and then onto the stage, he says he’s hugely grateful for the opportunity.
“The Edwin Carr Scholarship provides an incredible experience for developing composers,” he said.
The Antipodes is now on a 16-stop tour of Australia and New Zealand. Jake is also working on a major commission for his 8-piece ensemble The Jac.
The Edwin Carr Scholarship is administered by Creative New Zealand. It was established in 2004 with interest from the estate of the late Edwin Carr to enable young composers to further their studies overseas.
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