On October 15, the Sct. Maræ Skoles Big Band, a jazz band from the Sct. Maræ Skole in Denmark, performed eight pieces for grades five through 12 at a Morning Exercise. After an introduction from Lower and Middle School music teacher Kingsley Tang, The Big Band’s conductor and director Gert Nørgaard led the band in eight songs ranging from classic American jazz to Danish folk music.  

Tang commented on the unusual nature of this performance. Tang said, “This is my eighth year at Parker, and in eight years I can’t think of another time that student musicians have performed at our school.”

The Sct. Maræ Skole, or St. Mary’s School, is a private school located in Aalborg, Denmark. They have a world-renowned Big Band made up of 25 students ages 12 to 17. The band has traveled around the world playing various genres of music, focusing on what their website refers to as “happy” jazz. The student musicians have played in locations ranging from Denmark to Disneyland. After Parker, they played in various venues in Chicago.

According to Tang, the Sct. Maræ Skoles Big Band came to Parker because of a school connection. Tang said, “There is a Parker parent, Bettina Michaels… She had a friend who has a connection to this school.” Michaels explained that she was born and raised in Denmark, and through a Danish friend in Chicago, she heard about the Sct. Maræ Skoles Big Band. After learning about the band, Michaels reached out to Tang, who contacted Nørgaard.

Over email, Tang and Nørgaard discussed the possibility of a performance at Parker. Tang said, “This is like any other guest we bring in. We wanted … to figure out: is it mutually beneficial? Are they going to get a good experience? Are we going to learn something as a community?” Tang explained that after a series of emails and discussion, the Sct. Maræ Skoles Big Band performing at Parker would be an enriching experience on both sides. Tang said, “Clearly, their level of musicianship would be inspiring to us.”

Some students, such as sophomore Alexander Schapiro, were motivated by the Sct. Maræ Skoles Big Band. Schapiro said, “They were very very good. I was very impressed.” According to Schapiro, the Big Band inspired him to be more dedicated to playing music and being more diligent in his practice. For Tang, the performance was still a success, even if not every student is motivated to take up an instrument.

Tang said, “Even if students don’t join band, I think it’s great for them to see what other students are capable of.” Tang sees music as a connective link between countries and cultures. “Sometimes it’s hard to relate to people in other countries,” Tang said. “There are a lot of fantastic and important differences we celebrate between us and other cultures but it is nice, in addition to that, to feel these connections and feel the groove and the music altogether.”