ASPIRING musician Aisha Hayashi’s jaw dropped over the weekend as she experienced first-hand the phenomenon that is Generations In Jazz.
While the annual festival attracted a record student contingent of more than 5300 participants from 134 Australian and New Zealand schools, Ms Hayashi was the Northern Territory’s sole representative at the musical extravaganza.
Playing flute, Ms Hayashi flew to Mount Gambier for the first time where met and networked with she other jazz bands over the weekend.
“I did not know the band members and I had barely practised with them,” Ms Hayashi said.
“But I was very excited to be a part of bigger bands and also such a large music program.”
With large jazz bands scarce in the Northern Territory, Ms Hayashi said she was sent performance pieces ahead of the weekend “bit by bit” to practice, before getting one-on-one tutoring to help fine-tune her music before the main event.
“This experience has helped me grow and listening to everyone else’s music was fantastic,” she said.
“I just wanted to learn so much about working together as a team and meet everyone involved in Generations in Jazz.
“This was a totally different experience to what I am used to so hopefully my stage performance skills have improved.”
Now in her sixth year of playing flute, Ms Hayashi said she chose the wind instrument for its sound.
“The flute just sounds so nice, it has a wonderful sound to it and I love playing it,” she said.
“Music is a big passion of mine and I enjoy it so much, but I also enjoy conducting and helping others with their music.
“Coming here to be part of this large festival is a bit of a dream come true for me.”
Ms Hayashi comes from a musical family, with her father playing guitar and her sister a former violinist.
“I did try the violin but I think the flute suits me better,” she said.
“One day I would love to learn how to play every instrument.”
Ms Hayashi also spoke of her love for live performances, a major excitement for her over the weekend.
“I love seeing live performances, it is one thing to see it on screen but it is another to see it in person,” she said.
Ms Hayashi performed alongside a number of large bands over the weekend – and is something she will not forget in a hurry.
