Celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month with a Special Concert!
The Unitarian Universalist Church in Reston is pleased to welcome The Original Jazz Trio to UUCR on Saturday, April 13, from 7:30 to 9:15 pm. The trio will be performing a concert to celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month. All proceeds will benefit Black Lives Unitarian Universalists.
Click here to learn more about the event. You can catch up with the trio on Instagram here. We hope to see you at the concert!
How The Original Jazz Trio came into existence:
Being members of the South Lakes Jazz Band, the three sophomores decided to jam together after school on a Monday. They laid down the basics of a song and practiced it Tuesday after school. The boys asked the band teacher if he would allow them to play their original music at the SLHS Jazz Band’s only concert of the year that coming Friday evening. Reluctantly, the band director agreed, and when the director introduced them, he tripped over his words and said something to the effect of, “This is an original jazz trio song.” The crowd gave a standing ovation for the song, thus establishing the trio as a legitimate entity. Within days, the trio adopted the name The Original Jazz Trio. Since that fateful evening, the trio has performed at numerous events, including private parties, political functions, corporate receptions, restaurants, music festivals, and more. The three members are seniors at South Lakes and heading off in different directions for college next year, but they will be sure to play gigs together whenever their vacation schedules align.
ABOUT THE MUSICIANS
Nikhil Kuntipuram is a highly accomplished percussionist and drumset player, playing in a variety of different music ensembles since the fourth grade. Primarily a classical percussionist, he performs regularly with the Herndon Regional Wind Ensemble, the American Youth Philharmonic Orchestra (AYPO), the AYPO Percussion Ensemble, and various other curricular and extra-curricular ensembles. For the past few years, he has consistently earned top chair placements in Virginia's district (XII), regional (NOVA), and state-level wind ensembles and orchestras. In addition, he has received repeated honors with distinctions from the Trinity College London Music Exams for drumset. Nikhil began to explore jazz after joining the SLHS Jazz Ensemble and continued to grow individually as a jazz drumset player, later becoming a founder of the Original Jazz Trio. He strives to use music as a medium for community improvement, most recently helping facilitate a benefit concert for mental health awareness amongst Indian communities, raising over $39,000. Nikhil also acts as a percussion clinician for local music programs, working with elementary and middle school-aged kids. Nikhil hopes to double major in Music and International Relations to explore how music can be utilized as a tool for cultural diplomacy.
Michael Meyers began playing guitar in his freshman year of high school and has since played in many ensembles. Other than the jazz trio, he currently plays in the South Lakes Jazz Band and drums in the South Lakes Indoor Drumline and South Lakes Wind Ensemble. In the fall, he played in the drumline of the South Lakes High School Marching Band. He often composes on his own and is working on finishing an album. Michael's goal is to double major in music and psychology.
Colin Surabian began playing the double bass in fourth grade and, over the years, has been in several orchestras, including Reston Community Orchestra (RCO), McLean Symphony Orchestra, the American Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, All-District (XII) Orchestra, All-Region (North) Orchestra, and Virginia All-State Orchestra as well as school orchestras. In addition to the Original Jazz Trio and his orchestral work, Colin also formed a rock band, in which he plays bass guitar, with several friends from South Lakes High School. Colin has also composed a piece for string orchestra – “The Tragedy of Macbeth” – which was performed by both RCO and the South Lakes Chamber Orchestra. Colin’s goal is to enroll in a dual-degree program in college where he can continue with music (classical, jazz, and music composition) and pursue an academic degree, most likely in engineering.