UNR Bluebird Saxophone Quartet Inspires Rural K-12 Students

The Bluebird Saxophone Quartet brought jazz and classical music to K-12 students across Northern Nevada and surrounding communities during a recent outreach tour, University of Nevada, Reno reported.

The student ensemble, which is part of the College of Liberal Arts’ School of Music, traveled to several rural locations to perform for hundreds of students. The tour included stops in Portola, Quincy, Greenville, Chester, Truckee, Tahoe City, and Reno.

Tristan McMichael, a second-year master’s student, spearheaded the initiative. McMichael, who is originally from Quincy, California, sought to bridge the gap between collegiate-level performance and rural areas that often lack such access.

“Being able to bring collegiate-level performances to rural schools that would otherwise not have access to them was an important aspect of this tour for me and a central part of our planning,” McMichael said.

The quartet’s repertoire was designed to engage a wide range of ages and musical interests. Students heard everything from 19th-century French Romantic works to contemporary classical pieces, as well as arrangements of Super Mario Bros. music.

The impact of the performances varied by age group. While high school students used the opportunity to ask the quartet members about their individual journeys in music, kindergartners requested faster versions of “Piranha Plants on Parade.”

The ensemble includes Eliel Perez of Las Vegas, Caleb Huffman of Mesa, Arizona, and Chris Dorr of Simi Valley, California. Through these performances, the group provides its members with professional experience while sharing music with local communities.

The tour was developed through a proposal created by the quartet alongside their coach, Jessica Dodge-Overstreet, an instructor of classical saxophone, and Reed Chamberlin, the director of the Nevada School of Music.

For educators in the rural districts visited, the professional-level ensemble increased student motivation. The tour focused on communities that are rarely able to offer live performances to young people.

Jane Brown, the music director at the Greenville and Chester schools, noted the effect the performance had on her students.

“Our general student body was completely spellbound by the performance, and our music students came away excited and profoundly motivated to continue working and improving in their own musical journeys,” Brown said.

“It was definitely a full-circle moment to perform for students at my alma mater and the other schools throughout Plumas Unified School District,” McMichael said.