>>>
>>> DC'S
>>> DC'S BELOVED JAZZ EDUCAT4@O DAVEY YARBOROUGH HAS TAUGHT HIS
LAST CLASS AT THE CITY'S 4@DUK
ELLINGTON SCHOOL OF THE ARTS.
THE LEGENDARY SAXOPHONE PLAYER
SAID GOODBYE4@ TO HIS STUDENTS
AFTER MORE THAN THREE DECADES
AT THE SCHOOL BUT NOT BEFORE HE
SAT DOWN WITH ME FOR A OFF
SCRIPT INTERVIEW .4@
>> I GUESS I GOT STARTED IN JAZ@
AND ALL MUSIC ABOUT THE SAME
TIME AND THAT WAS AT HOME.
MY PARENTS BOUGHT WHAT WAS
CALLED THEN A COMBINATION, A
STEREO UNIT.
STEREO UNIT. >> HOW OLD WERE 4@YOU THEN?
>> I THINK THAT WAS THIRD
GRADE.
GRADE.
GRADE. AT
GRADE. AT THAT 4@POINT I KNEW I HAD TO
BE A MUSICIAN.4@4@
>> WAS YOUR FIRST INSTRUMENT?
>> A CLARINET.4@4@
4@
>>
>> ABOUT4@ MY FIRST SAXOPHONE I 1968 FOR $425.4@
IT'S A MARK SIX 4@WHICH WILL NO
COST YOU NINE OR $10,000.4@4@4@@
>>
HOW
YOU
YOU FEEL
YOU FEEL ABOUT THE FACT THAT MOST OF THE MUSIC IN GRADE
SCHOOL IS GONE, 4@THEY CUT IT
OUT.
OUT.
OUT. >>
OUT. >> IT HURTS.
I WE KNOW THAT THE BEST
DEVELOPMENT OF A KID IS WHEN
THEY PRACTICE AT 4@HOME TO COME
BACK TO 4@GET THE NEXT LESSON.
AS THAT BROKE DOWN THEN THE
ENSEMBLE STARTED 4@GETTING
SMALLER'S.
SMALLER'S. THE KIDS WHO WANTED TO PLAY THE
INSTRUMENTS WANT TO GET SHORTER.
HOW AND UP TEACHING HERE, I WAS
TEACHING AT FEDERAL STATE
COLLEGE.
COLLEGE.
COLLEGE. THE KIDS FROM DC4@ WERE NOT
PASSIN4@G THE AUDITION4@ AND TH
WHEN IT REALLY HIT ME WITH THE
PROBLEM WAS.
PROBLEM WAS. I SAID HERE'S THE SCHOOL, WE
DON'T HAVE THEM PREPARED TO BE
ABLE TO GET INTO THE SCHOOL AND
THAT'S WHEN I DECIDED TO GO
BACK INTO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
>> DAILY INCORPORATES THE
POSSIBILITY THAT THE ARTIST HAS
IN TODAY'S SOCIETY.
4@HE MODELS IT AND MENTORS IT A
FEED IT TO THE STUDENTS.
HE INSTILLS IN THEM THE
IMPORTANCE OF KNOWING
TECHNIQUE, OF PUSHING YOUR
IDEAS AND YOUR CREATIVITY
FORWARD IN4@ EVERY GENRE OF
MUSIC, SO THAT'S WHAT HE
TEACHES.
TEACHES.
TEACHES. YOU GOT TO BE THE WHOLE BALL4@
WAX, THE TOTAL PACKAGE, IN
ORDER TO MAKE AN IMPACT.
>> I ALWAYS SAID THAT TEACHING,
AS LONG AS TEACHING NEVER GOT 4@
IN THE WAY OF PLAYING BECAUSE I
THINK IT'S DIFFICULT TO TEACH
IF YOU ARE 4@NOT PLAYING.4@
>> RUN DOWN THE LIST OF
MUSICIANS YOU'VE PLAYED WITH.>>
BILLY EPSTEIN, ROLAND HANNA,
THERE'S SO MANY4@.4@ THAT'S A L
LIST.
LIST.
LIST. >>
LIST. >> WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO MISS
ABOUT THIS JOB, ABOUT ELLINGTON
AND THESE 4@YOUNG PEOPLE?
>> WALK INTO THAT FRONT DOOR AT
7 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING AND
SEEING YOUNG PEOPLE WAITING TO
COME IN.
COME IN.
COME IN. ALL OF THEM WALK OUT THE DOOR
AND SAY THANK YOU MR.
YARBOROUGH.4@
YARBOROUGH.4@ AND WHEN THEY COME IN4@ THERE A
SAME IS YARBOROUGH I 4@GOT A 4.
I'M ON THE HO4@NOR ROLL AND WHE
THEY COME IN AND SAY I'VE GOT A
FULL SCHOLARSHIP TO THE
UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER OR
WHEREVER IT IS BECAUSE WE HAVE
KIDS ALL OVER THE WORLD.
I'M GOING TO MISS 4@BEING HERE
A DAILY BASIS AND WATCHING THAT
DEVELOPMENT, BUT I'M NOT DONE
BECAUSE I'M STILL GOING TO BE
TEACHING.
TEACHING.
TEACHING. >> HE LIFTS THEM UP AND HE
TRAVELS WITH THEM.
HE'S AMAZING AND YOU COULD TALK
TO ANY STUDENT, PRESENT OR
FORMER AND THEY WOULD SAY THE
SAME THING.
SAME THING. HE IS A GENUINE EDUCATOR.4@
>> THAT'S AN INCREDIBLE MAN.
HE TOLD ME THAT AS LONG AS THE
STUDENTS UNDERSTAND AND KNOW
THE MUSIC AND KNOW WHAT THEY
ARE PLAYING, HE DOESN'T CARE
WHAT THEY PLAY. 4@
HIS STUDENTS CALL HIM THE MOST
IMPORTANT MUSIC EDUCATOR IN
WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON. DAVEY YARBOROUGH FOUNDED THE
WASHINGTON JAZZ ARTS INSTITUTE