A teenage music student gets the opportunity to play with Nanaimo’s resident blues musician at an annual fundraising concert.
Brett Bourcier, 17, is one of dozens of students performing in JazzFest, the annual fundraiser for Nanaimo music programs, featuring David Gogo as guest artist.
JazzFest supports music programs at Wellington, John Barsby and Woodlands secondary schools. Students from each school perform in jazz festivals across the country, winning awards and scholarships, travel to distant places to perform and go on to learn at prestigious North American schools, like Berklee College of Music in Boston.
The brightest and most dedicated students from each of those schools performs in the honour band, while all students have the chance to attend a clinic with the year’s guest artist.
“The music’s a step up,” said Bourcier.
Last year featured Jodi Proznick on bass, while this year, Gogo takes the students through the guitar’s spectrum. Bourcier said he’s looking forward to Gogo’s showmanship, which in the past involved playing his guitar with an open and full bottle of beer.
“It’s going to be interesting to see him perform without busting a beer open on his guitar,” Bourcier said. “It’ll be interesting to see what he does.”
Although Bourcier is most passionate about the blues, playing all styles – like jazz – only helps, adding to the musician’s knowledge and repertoire.
At age 10, Bourcier wanted to play the piano, but a guitar was a much easier instrument to buy.
“I went at my own pace and started to realize this is really cool,” he said.
He now plays not only guitar but also bass, keyboard, harmonica and drums, and plays in Woodlands jazz band and combo in addition to his after school rock and blues bands.
Nearly four years ago, Bourcier was introduced to the blues through workshops with Gerry Barnum. From there, Bourcier went to the weekly Thursday jam sessions at the Blues Underground.
“That’s when I feel I really learned to play the guitar,” Bourcier said. “I went there religiously.”
Older players took the teenager under their wings, particularly Rick Becker, who later became Bourcier’s music teacher at Woodlands Secondary School.
His view of the blues changed drastically, and now it’s the style he prefers to play.
“I thought it was prehistoric records with one guy talking about his dog,” Bourcier said.
He said he can get more emotion, thoughts and ideas across in one note in blues than he can in rock or heavy metal.
“I’m never going to be a shredder,” he said.
Thanks to the credit Bourcier earned for playing in bands at community events, he graduates a semester early – JazzFest will be his last performance with Woodlands.
He heads up the hill to Vancouver Island University’s renowned jazz program to continue studying music. The future holds some sort of career in music.
“If I end up working at a music store, that’s fine with me,” he said. “There’s a lot more to the music industry.”
JazzFest is set for Friday (Feb. 3), 7 p.m., at the Port Theatre. Tickets $12. Please call 250-754-8550 or visit www.porttheatre.com.
arts@nanaimobulletin.com