Page 10 - 5-1-15 Friday's Edition

Local
Blake Orchestra Conductor Is 1 Of 12 Worldwide To Attend Institute In Romania
BY PAT MITCHELL
Have a conversation with Jason Jerald and you quickly discover his two passions: He loves music and he loves to teach.
Jason Jerald is the Di- rector of Orchestral Studies at Blake High School for the Arts, where he also teaches Music Theory.
”What I love most about teaching – especially music – is that you have all of these different personalities coming together to do one thing – make good music.
My job is to help them find and develop their indi- vidual strengths to accom- plish that,” he said. Jerald sees the arts as a way to de- velop well-rounded, capable young people. He tells his students, “When you leave Blake, you’re prepared for life.”
The numerous trophies and plagues that adorn the walls and shelves of his classroom are a testament to the success of his students and the school’s commit- ment to excellence.
Under Jerald’s direc- tion, Blake’s orchestras have consistently earned superior ratings for outstanding per- formances in local and na- tional assessments.
For as long as he can re- member, music has always been Jerald’s passion. As a youth growing up in Atlanta, his earliest inspiration was
Jason Jerald rehearses with the orchestra at Blake High School.
Eugene Priest, his music teacher from middle school through high school. From Priest he learned discipline and a deep appreciation for music. Jerald played in the Atlanta Youth Orchestra and his future goal was to go to college somewhere, grad- uate, return home and “...be a part of the Atlanta Sym- phony and just chill,” he said.
Jerald received his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education, Cum Laude, from Florida State Univer- sity. While a student at FSU, he served as a violist in the University Symphony, Chamber Orchestra, Opera Orchestra and the Tallahas- see Symphony Orchestra. It was also during this time Jerald now 35, realized his calling to teach after work- ing a summer job with the Tallahassee Youth Orches- tra.
He received his Master’s
Degree in Orchestral Con- ducting from the University of South Florida. His ac- complishments and honors have been many, including serving as the President- elect of the Florida Orches- tra Association. Performing in many ensembles throughout the Tampa Bay area, Jerald also conducts the Philharmonic Orchestra for the Tampa Metropolitan Youth Orchestras and di- rects the Bible-Based Fel- lowship Church Orchestra-Carrollwood. He is married to Maya and they have a son, Em- manuel.
Jerald, a recent recipi- ent of a grant from the Arts Council of Hillsborough County - he scored the high- est marks of the selected re- cipients - prepares to embark on what is probably the most prestigious oppor- tunity he has ever been given. He has been in-
Jerald works with many ensembles throughout the Tampa Bay area.
vited to attend the Ad- vanced Conducting Academy at the Interna- tional Institute for Con- ductors in Bacau, Romania from June 6 to 20. Only 12 candidates worldwide are invited each year.
“I’m always learning, which is why I am excited to be participating in the pro- gram this summer,” he said. “After 11 years of teaching, I have come to realize that or- chestral literature requires a unique relationship between the music, the conductor and the musician.”
Jerald looks forward to the intensive two-week training, which includes class work as well as actual
conducting time. “The insti- tute’s evaluation methods would transition me from my comfort zone... to an en- vironment of accountability and immediate response,” he said. “It would be a tremendous opportunity to conduct a professional or- chestra while being cri- tiqued by world-renowned conductors.”
For Jerald, the end- game is always about his two passions. “It [the Con- ducting Academy] will make me a better conductor and a more effective teacher.” (Photos courtesy of John Kushner)
(Pat Mitchell is a mem- ber of the Arts Council of Hillsborough County)
PAGE 10-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2015