A member of the Jazz Band and the theater program, senior Jack Connolly works as a leader in Jazz band and the primary Sound Technician for the theater program.
“I’m kind of a mini band leader, the student leader of Jazz Band,” Connolly said, “and I’m in charge of audio and sound board and microphones.”
In his role as a “mini band leader,” Connolly conducts the band’s warm up song at the beginning of class and and fills in for Hoover when he’s not there. He was described by junior Bill Hague as the “captain of the Jazz Band team.”
Connolly has participated in Jazz Band since his sophomore year and theater since his freshman year, both in which he has worked his way up to having a leadership role.
“Every year there’s a senior, usually the one who’s been in the band the longest who is able to lead the group when (band director) Mr. (Doug) Hoover can’t be there,” Connolly said. “Whenever he needs something he can ask me and I’ll take care of it.”
For example, during the Jazz Band concert on April 10th, Connolly had to lead the Jazz Band when Hoover arrived at the concert late.
“He asked me to start the show and we played our warm up tune and got everyone situated and then he still wasn’t there,” Connolly said. “I had to start the next tune also and that was a little confusing.”
Connolly plays guitar in Jazz Band, and during the same concert, he was forced to multitask when no one was available to run the sound board but him.
“I had to play and run sound at the same time which was interesting,” Connolly said.
There was a PA system in a rolling cart placed next to Connolly so he could turn microphones on and off when necessary.
“I would stop playing and turn on the microphone, and then I would start playing again and when (a soloist) was done I’d turn off the microphone and turn back on a different one for a different solo,” Connolly said. “I got lost a lot.”
Along with being a leader in Jazz Band, according to fellow Jazz Band members, there’s more than that to Connolly.
“He has a good jazz guitar sound,” sophomore Nick Larimore said, “and he brings a sense of humor.”
Hague said that Connolly’s presence will be missed next year.
“We’ll have to get someone else to fill in for Hoover,” Hague said. “There’ll be a lot more of (sophomore) Nick (Larimore’s) sound in the guitar section too.”
Connolly doesn’t plan on pursuing a career in music or sound, but would like to continue them as hobbies in college. Connolly will be attending Missouri University of Sound and Technology to study engineering.
“If there’s a college big band I’d love to be a part of that,” Connolly said. “Same with theater, if I can get in and be a sound assistant and move my way up that’d be a lot of fun too.”
