Perfect Harmony: Steve Turre Performs with Students

A lot can happen in a week's time. 

For the brass and percussion students at the sixth annual Gramercy Brass Band Camp, that amount of time was all they needed to prepare for the Brass Spectacular Finale in front of more than 300 Saturday at Caldwell College's George R. Newman Center. 

After just five short days, the students were ready for the concert, and more importantly, to perform alongside renowned musician Steve Turre. 

Turre, a jazz trombonist, is best known for his role in the "Saturday Night Live" orchestra. Max Morden, director of the camp's Premier Brass Orchestra and vice president of the Gramercy Brass Orchestra Board of Trustees, asked Turre to perform with the students.

As a proponent of continuing musical education, Turre was glad to participate in this year's camp.

"I think to keep the music alive you have to pass it on," Turre said. "The best way is to perform. The students see that it's a lot of fun and it's participatory. They can have fun with it and still learn."

"Yeah, you have to practice, but there's more to it than that," he said. 

Turre spent Thursday and Friday with the students, joining them for a rehearsal and teaching a class. Turre performed for the students, playing numbers on his trombone as well as his specialty instrument: the conch shell

"This year was exciting," student Stephen Sanchez, 16, said. "Steve Turre put on a good show for us."

Sanchez, a trumpeter in the Premier Brass Orchestra, has attended the camp for the past six years. 

The finale showcased the skills of the brass and percussion students. In addition to the Premier Brass Orchestra, the Junior Brass Band, Percussion Ensemble and Senior Brass Band all performed individual sets.

Joining the students were the professional musicians of the Gramercy Brass Orchestra, which performed its own set during the finale. 

Turre performed solos during four songs. The Premier Brass Orchestra also performed "The Oven," an original Turre composition. 

"The concert was extraordinary," parent Kerry Bate said. "It's unbelievable how good they are after just a week together."

A New York resident, Bate traveled to Caldwell to see her 12-year-old stepson perform. 

John Henry Lambert, the founder of the Gramercy Brass Orchestra, worked with Morden to establish the camp. Aiming to create a continuing music education program, Morden and Lambert formed the Gramercy Brass Band Camp as a creative outlet for dedicated brass and percussion students.   

As a faculty member at Caldwell College, Morden approached the school to include the camp in its summer calendar.

Now in its sixth year, the Gramercy Brass Band Camp is building a strong reputation. The program is open to students from grades 4 to 12.  

This year, students traveled to Caldwell from throughout the tri-state area to attend the camp, with some participants even coming from the Midwest.

"The camp has definitely grown," said Sam Rosenblum, 16, who plays the trumpet and has attended the camp all six years. "I've been in the Premier Orchestra for two years. It's very challenging music." 

Plans for next year's camp are already underway. The seventh annual Gramercy Brass Band Camp will be held next July 25 to 30.

"Our fifth year was outstanding and I couldn't believe that the sixth year could beat last year, but it has," Lambert said. "This camp is getting a great reputation."