I was in my school jazz band, but the music department at my school was quite focussed on classical music. It wasn’t until my first year of university when I played trumpet in the Bristol University Jazz Orchestra (BUJO) and began to attend and play at events that I was introduced to both enjoying and playing a range of different jazz music. This was also the first exposure I had to improvised soloing and is what inspired me to learn about advanced jazz music theory.

BUJO is the larger of Bristol University’s two big bands which are run by students, for students, within Big Band Society. Unlike Hornstars, the only instruments that are auditioned for BUJO are the singers and the rhythm section (drums, bass, guitar and piano), whilst all saxes, trombones and trumpets are welcome. We are a very social and inclusive band, yet the standard of music and quality of the band remains high (usually grade 6+ standard) and fun both for the players and for the audience.

We rehearse every Friday for roughly two and a half hours, and the majority of gigs that we play tend to be formals hosted by other university societies that are looking for live, fun, party or jazz music to dance to. A favourite of ours to play at is the 'Constitution Ball'. We also do smaller public gigs, including The Old Duke, the Bristol Jazz Festival, the Battle of the Big Bands, and our annual Victoria Rooms and Anson Rooms concerts. We go on tour once a year after the end of our summer exams. Tour is definitely a highlight of the year, as we get to explore and enjoy a new place and also play gigs every night for the locals, usually outdoors. It is a great time that brings both bands together in Big Band Soc, allowing us to appreciate each other whilst we play our sets.

I think, specifically for BUJO, the dynamic of the band creates a really comfortable environment in which students are given the opportunity to have fun playing with friends whilst also having the option to delve deeper into the realms of the ‘jazz world’.

When new students join BUJO we encourage them to come to a popular jam night hosted by JazzFunkSoul (JFS) Society on Tuesday nights at Mr Wolf’s and have a go playing/singing and soloing. This is a great way to be introduced to and practise soloing. People are often beginners when they start joining in at JFS, yet there are also ‘regulars' that have developed their skills over time.

Socially, we spend a lot of time discussing our love for jazz and sharing the things we have learnt, so there is a strong sense of members helping each other collectively to improve their skills. It is amazing to direct a band where so many people discover their new passion for jazz, and where talented musicians can nurture and continue to develop their existing love.

In BUJO we like to play music that both the audience and players find fun, whilst making sure that we are introducing players to both traditional and modern styles of big band music so that they get a taste of all the different styles. We do quite a lot of big band renditions of more funky or popular tunes when we play for other university societies, but we do love to add in some Gordon Goodwin so that the musicians enjoy and can feel challenged by what they are playing. ‘The Chicken’ and ‘September’ are two well-known pieces that BUJO have loved to play over the years.

Bristol University is one of the top universities in the UK for studying music. It is big enough to be independent of London, meaning it has its own thriving music scene. The population is young and vibrant, matching this scene, and many of the city's unique venues host amazing and varied musical events.

I believe the arts are essential for our wellbeing as humans. I don't know anyone of any age that doesn’t enjoy some form of art, irrespective of whether they are the creator or perceiver. There are zero rules to what anyone can create, yet there are also theories to these different forms of creativity which one can commit themselves to and develop, to then incorporate in their own creations. Artwork can allow an artist to articulate something they may not otherwise know how to express. As the purpose of art is to connect the artist to those who experience their creations, it is something that can bring everyone together. 

Personally, the JazzFunkSoul night has been a huge highlight of my introduction to jazz at university, hence Mr Wolf’s is a venue I will forever treasure in my heart as somewhere my passion for jazz originated. I also really enjoy visiting The Social and The Canteen (both along Stokes Croft), and The Old Duke, all of which offer a wide range of live music nights.

My first contact with music was from my father who was in a successful punk rock band called The Stiffs during the late 1970s. He used to play me a wide range of music: Beatles, Zeppelin, Elvis, to name a few. When I was 9 years old, my trumpet teacher Michael Dyer recommended I started playing in the Lancashire Schools Jazz Orchestra, and so my first insight into jazz was in fact big band music. Since then, playing and listening to big band music has been one of my greatest passions.

Up until 2006, Big Band Society was part of Bristol University Music Society (BUMS), but during the 2005/2006 academic year the members of the band saw many benefits in making their own society for the band. In the summer of 2006, Joshua Rosen wrote the constitution and by September he was the first ever President of Big Band Society as we know it today. There were so many excellent auditions that the Committee saw fit to introduce a non-auditioned band: Bristol University Jazz Orchestra (BUJO). With this came the birth of the name 'Hornstars' for the auditioned band.

The two bands then went from strength to strength, both in Bristol and nationwide. The Hornstars went on to have some high-brow gigs, with highlights including Jools Holland’s Yardbird in Birmingham and Cadbury World. They also made an appearance on Britain’s Got Talent! The first ever Hornstars drummer, Daisy Palmer, has gone on to be the drummer for the world-renowned pop star Paloma Faith. 

At times this year we have been incredibly busy, playing up to three gigs a week plus a rehearsal on the Friday. Schedules like this, for me, are the best way to see drastic improvements in the band. In a gig environment, I find that the band automatically reach their highest level of concentration. In this way, we have been able to really tighten up the set, and I am so proud of how the band sounded at the Vic Rooms concert. A highlight for me this year has to be our gig supporting Hot 8 Brass Band at a packed-out O2 Academy. The crowd reacted so well to our jazzy party set, and it was fantastic to have the opportunity to meet Hot 8 backstage – an excellent band with a truly heart-warming story.

This has to be one of the most important parts about being the conductor – it’s how the audience are able to differentiate between the bands year on year. During the course of the year, I have slowly introduced more repertoire so that for the Vic Rooms Concert the band played an entirely unrecognisable set to last year. At the start of the year, ‘Diggin’ on James Brown’ and ‘Coconut Champagne’ soon became party set favourites, and they have served us well during the ever-so-lively formal gigs. A personal highlight of mine in the last Vic Rooms concert was playing Don Ellis’ 'In a Turkish Bath', a stomp-like 7/4 groove with a piercing Middle Eastern melody. In this chart, we featured Rohan Inston on the sitar, and his tasteful Indian style was a joy for both the band and audience to hear.

Good question. I have been incredibly privileged to conduct a band full of extremely high-calibre musicians. Every single member of the band goes about their way with the perfect amount of professionalism, and this makes the ‘school teacher’ side of conducting a whole lot easier. I think the best way of maintaining the focus of the musicians is to maintain a challenging level of repertoire, so that they never feel as though they breeze through a rehearsal or a gig. To get the most fun out of the band, I think it’s best to lead by example. I always try to be as enthusiastic as possible, and hope the rest of the band follow. A special mention has to go to the trumpet section – the spontaneous salsa dancing at the Vic Rooms has to be one of my favourite moments of the year.

Bristol, in terms of jazz venues, is like a gift that keeps on giving. The first proper jazz venue I discovered in Bristol was of course The Old Duke – sometimes even too busy to breathe, the never-ending character draws in not only the biggest crowds in town, but also some of the biggest names in the Bristol jazz scene. Next was The Canteen. I’ve never had a bad night there. From top-tier jazz quintets that will blow anyone’s mind to floor-filling country music, there’s something for everyone there. You really can’t go wrong if you follow Gloucester Road down from The Canteen, my favourite being The Social purely because of the lively and diverse hip hop jam every Monday night (‘Bounce Jam’).

The arts bring joy and happiness to a digitalised and somewhat formulaic existence of life. The arts are a way to escape, and they let us as humans enjoy the more basic things in life. They allow for a freedom of expression, through spontaneity, and a chance to live in the moment. The arts provide a creative platform upon which the medium of improvisation can thrive, therefore not being contained by preconceived thoughts and actions.

Music has always been a very large part of my life, playing a very significant part in my social life. At university in particular, jazz enables me to explore what I love doing with my closest friends. 

I enjoy the mental challenge that jazz requires and the satisfaction of playing amongst such talented musicians. Whilst I am by no means the most technical jazz player, being surrounded by other musicians is incredibly inspiring and a great opportunity to improve my playing! I am very lucky to be involved so heavily in music at Bristol.

Freddie Hubbard is my favourite player, and my favourite recording is ‘Ruby My Dear’ by Roy Hargrove. 

The key difference between the bands is the required ability of the musicians. Both bands have a fully auditioned rhythm section (drums, keys, guitar, bass) as well as all singers. Apart from this, BUJO accepts all abilities and levels of commitment from the horn players. As a result, the band is much bigger, often having a sax section the size of an army! Hornstars is fully auditioned, with only one player per part. This means that Hornstars are often given more challenging repertoire. But we pride ourselves on achieving two very high-level bands, with BUJO winning Battle of the Big Bands two years in a row! 

Being President of Big Band is incredibly enjoyable and definitely my biggest achievement at university. Having been in the society since day one, the society is home to all my closest friends so it makes the more stressful times completely worth it. I most enjoy facilitating opportunities for the players to be really stretched, organising soloing workshops and female-encouraged jams. The highlight of the year has definitely been the Anson Rooms. This took a lot of planning, so for the night to be so successful and such a laugh was very rewarding. 

The main challenges of the role come from the scale of the society and the amount of stuff we do. This year we have been very successful and in high demand for gigs – whilst this is amazing, it is very time consuming alongside final year. Also, auditions are always a very gruelling experience, on average auditioning about 90 people every year. The standard is always very high so making decisions is challenging.