Medicine Hat JazzFest courting a younger audience

By medicinehatnews on June 27, 2019.

cbrown@medicinehatnews.com
@MHNBrown

“I’m going to JazzFest. Are you?” 

You may have heard that phrase over the past few weeks and will this week as well with Medicine Hat JazzFest on now.

It came from a loose committee of Hatters tasked with reaching out to the city’s younger demographic and getting them to give JazzFest a listen.

Executive producer Lyle Rebbeck reached out to a handful of Hatters earlier this year looking for new perspectives. 

Sarah McKenzie was one of those contacted and the group focused on getting the word out to their peers, mainly via social media and conversations among friends.

“I think when you say ‘JazzFest’ people have an idea of what it is and they don’t fully understand that it’s more easy listening,” said McKenzie. “It’s kind of like a light jazz that’s more attractive to some people because I think they think New York nightclubs when they hear ‘jazz.’”

McKenzie mentioned the hangar show as one of her favourites, noting it’s like a dance party and encourages anyone who wants to dip their toe into jazz to check out tonight’s 7:30 show.

McKenzie, who on an unrelated trip to Edmonton found herself at that city’s jazz festival, has long been a fan of the festival and she and other committee members were happy to help Rebbeck.

“This is such a fabulous event in our community and we don’t want to see it fall aside,” she said. “Life is busy, there’s so many things that are going on in Medicine Hat and Lyle was brilliant in thinking ‘I need to engage with a different crowd. I can’t keep doing the same things.’” 

JazzFest continues until Sunday. Full festival details are available at medicinehatjazzfest.com

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