Well before Cal State Long Beach Jazz Ensemble director Christine Guter arrives at rehearsal, each member has already warmed up.
Exceptional leadership and dedication have led the jazz ensemble Pacific Standard Time (PST) to receive worldwide recognition.
“Our rehearsals are extremely focused but still really fun,” ensemble member Ian Brekke said. “I am learning ways to best serve the music. When you approach it with that attitude, the ego is left at the door.”
This year, PST was awarded several recognitions in DownBeat Magazine, the leading jazz publication in the world, according to Guter.
“It’s pretty astounding to be listed above the University of Miami, Western Michigan University or the University of North Texas,” Guter said. “These are world-renowned jazz schools, so it’s really quite an honor to receive that appreciation.”
Each year the publication has student music awards in which student recordings are judged by professionals from around the world. This year, the ensemble was recognized as the top vocal jazz group in the U.S. and won the Collegiate Graduate Vocal Jazz category for the second year in a row.
Individual members of PST have been recognized as well. Ensemble member Olga Kulchytska won the outstanding performance award in the Blues Pop Rock soloist category.
The group rehearses three times a week for several hours a day.
“As a group, we don’t accept something until we’re satisfied,” Brekke said. “It can be really intense, but the best part is that we can really rely on each other. When you have 12 people and they each have a microphone, it’s not like a choir with 300 people. We have to be ready because we are so much more exposed.”
Brekke said the success of the group depends on Guter’s exceptional leadership, and his ensemble members agree.
“[Working with Guter] has truly changed my life, changed everything about how I view music,” Melody Tibbits, a senior music education major, said. “I know more about the logistical and technical aspects, but I know deeper the emotional connection and meaning in the lyrics that I sing.”
Tibbits said that working with Guter and being a member of PST has affected every aspect of her life. She sees Guter as a mentor and friend and has grown and evolved during her experience with PST.
“The knowledge and depth that Christine Guter puts behind everything that she does … has enlightened me to a completely new aspect of music,” Tibbits said. “She is a world class professor, and I know all of my classmates would agree that we feel incredibly blessed to have her.”
Wow