50 years of SRU Jazz marked by music and tradition

he SRU Jazz Ensemble turned 50 this fall, and generations of performers and faculty came together to celebrate the legacy of the band at the 50th anniversary concert on Oct. 18.

Of the more than 300 attendees, at least 200 were alumni of the SRU Music Department. The concert served to honor those alum, but more importantly, it was a tribute to Stephen Hawk, former director of SRU Jazz, and Terry Steele, the ensemble’s founder.

“The alumni were grateful for the event,” said Jason Kush, ’04, current director of SRU Jazz and professor of music. “We’ve all found our college years to be so formative, and we made memories that last a lifetime. To be able to go back to the place where these memories were made with a purpose was special.”

At the concert, alumni Rodger Hicks, ’82, ’87M, and Patrick Kennedy, ’04, testified to the support, character and friendship of both Steele and Hawk. Hicks traveled from his home in Germany to attend and speak on his time at the University.

Steele’s leadership has shown through those whom he has passed the torch to, including Kush, a former student under Steele.

“Terry Steele is a life-changing figure for me,” Kush said. “He not only taught music, he’s one of those people who taught music through being a good person.”

Steele was hired at SRU with a mission of cultivating the University’s budding big band jazz ensemble. In the fall of 1975, SRU Jazz was born.

Steele’s inaugural iteration of the band started the progress that led it to its first European tour in 1991—a 10-day, seven-concert run in the Soviet Union, with many of the students having never flown on an airplane before.

Steele founded the jazz combos, a small group endeavor often featuring a six-piece ensemble.

“Big band music is for dancing,” Steele said. “A large ensemble experience is crucial, but combos place an emphasis on improvisation.”

By the early 2000s, SRU jazz combos were on a rotating gig schedule at North Country Brewing Co., performing in exchange for a free meal.

In 2007, Steele retired to pursue performance opportunities, but his ties to SRU remained intact.

“I’m really proud of how Slippery Rock has supported the Jazz Ensemble,” Steele said. “Hawk and Kush have kept the momentum going, and it’s better now than it was when we started. He’s got a band now that is just fabulous. The progress doesn’t stand still; it just keeps getting better.”

Steele’s perspective at the 50-year mark is one of pride and hope for the band’s current players.

“The students now are at that place where they’re young and learning like I was, and they’ll fall in love with it,” Steele said. “That’s why they become teachers and professional players.”

Steele emphasized this lifelong connection with music.

“Music is something you can’t outgrow,” he said. “I’m 78 years old and I still play my sax for an hour every day. It’s a love—music is in my blood. It makes me feel grounded.”

Kush acknowledged the significance of the concert for current students with the alumni in attendance.

“The students could see Jazz Ensemble is more than a class—it’s the relationships and memories you make,” Kush said. “Music has a unique power that bonds us together, and that was on display.”

Steele echoed this sentiment: “Music is the love of my life, so it’s easy to talk about it.”

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