By Addison Gernenz | Intern
Jazz is a century-old language, but on a campus where most students are not old enough to rent a car, a group of students learn the fluency of the genre together. Baylor students have formed a Jazz quintet, “Taylor Tots,” named after their beloved teacher, senior lecturer in the music department Dr. Edward Taylor.
According to Hasbrouck Heights, N.J., sophomore Evan De Cicco, the quintet’s drummer, the group formed about a year ago from an ensemble class taught by Dr. Taylor. A semester later, Boerne sophomore keyboardist Max Moreland joined, and Taylor Tots was complete.
“Being able to perform with this group at such an early stage of my life is a dream come true,” De Cicco said. “I’m so glad to be able to play and grow alongside these musicians, especially. They’ve truly become some of my closest friends.”
The members of Taylor Tots each bring something unique and important to the quintet.
Houston sophomore and trumpet player Virginia Fairfield said that “it’s not like an orchestra.”
“There isn’t a string section, a brass section or a percussion section,” Fairfield said.
Fairfield said this adds more pressure on the way she performs.
“I’m the only full melody instrument, and also as a trumpet that really sticks out more,” Fairfield said. “I would say it’s a lot more isolating, and a lot more taxing on the face because it is just me playing. I still really enjoy it a lot because it does give me a lot of chance for my own solo abilities and being able to put melodies on and do my own thing.”
When performing, New Albany, Ohio sophomore Zach Sagone, the Taylor Tots’ bassist, said that communication is key for the group.
“Most of our performance is improvisation,” Sagone said. “We play off one another really well, but that comes with knowing how to communicate.”
This communication is visible in the way the group shares looks, smiles or laughs among themselves. Through this, the group can catch on to the little details in each other’s playing.
“We have learned how to respond to what each other are playing,” De Cicco said. “We’ve grown so much through our time together, and we’ve come to understand one another’s playing styles.”
This understanding enables the group to play in a more interactive, supportive way with the other players in the band.
This communication is developed through the group’s experience playing with one another, whether in performance or rehearsal. The Taylor Tots rehearse two hours a week, on top of solo practice, class time and rehearsals for various other ensembles and orchestras that various group members are part of.
While all members of Taylor Tots find themselves improving most of their performance, the weight of this falls on De Cicco. As the drummer, most, if not all, of De Cicco’s playing is improvisation.
“I don’t know anything about each piece, other than its style,” De Cicco said. “I have no idea what I’m going to play in advance.”
As a result, De Cicco needs to be hyperattentive to the other members of the quintet to play his best and support them as much as possible. While this is true of every instrument, especially those in the rhythm section, it is especially true for drummers because of the lack of notes or chord changes.
According to Fairfield, the five are more than just a quintet — they’re friends.
“The love that we have for each other is something really, really special,” Fairfield said. “Being able to perform with them professionally, it’s just an amazing thing I am able to do. It’s like being able to hang out with your friends on a huge scale and just make beautiful art.”
The group draws on the influence of various jazz musicians who have inspired them.
Elma, Wash., senior Sara Burkhart, the group’s vocalist, holds a high opinion of Samara Joy and said that much of her sound is heavily influenced by the artist. Fairfield mentioned Miles Davis, and De Cicco said Dr. Taylor has had the most influence on him as a drummer.
“I feel so blessed that I have the opportunity to play professionally with others, in college, in Waco,” Fairfield said. “I think it’s really awesome that people enjoy hearing what we have to say musically. It feels like an amazing privilege to have. It inspires me to keep working and improving constantly, because this is something I would love to do professionally, with the rest of my life.”
Taylor Tots are playing their next gig from 7:30-10 p.m. on April 4 at Marie’s Wine Bar. Other updates from the quintet can be found on their Instagram, @tots.the.taylor.
