Youth Jazz Orchestra 2016 AAA Festival. Video by Joan Grauman

Each year, months in advance, I start researching the host city where our festival is being held, hoping to hit the magic phone number that leads me to the person who will listen and respond to a very unusual request.

From Charleston to Baltimore, to New York City to Tarrytown, to Alexandria, I followed countless leads (warm and cold) that I thought were “the one.” Promises are made. Promises are broken. You play WHAT??? Accordion?? Accordion JAZZ? They stifle a snicker and never call back.

Then along comes Buffalo. As usual, I started my search in November. Phone call after phone call got me nowhere. Even the warm leads went cold! I was ready to consult a Ouija board hoping the spirits would provide an answer.

One day at work, waiting for my next client, I suddenly looked at the phone. It took one call. Well, actually 2, but I didn’t realize that they both led me to the same man. Call it synchronicity, pure luck, or the prayer I said to St. Anthony, but that one phone call got me to the person I needed.

Now tell me, folks, what are the chances that the SAME MAN, Mr. Phil Aguglia, would be band director of one of the most progressive high school music programs around AND Chairman of the Board of Music Is Art, an equally progressive non profit organization “dedicated to exploring and reshaping music’s cultural, social and educational impact” on the Buffalo community?n

Aguglia was a semifinalist for the 2015 Grammy Music Educator Award presented by The Recording Academy and the Grammy Foundation. His mission as a high school educator and band director is to excite, engage and challenge his students by teaching music via a 6 level program that encourages the student to essentially design his/her own curriculum.

He teaches musical concepts over and above the usual. He then provides students with opportunities to put their learning to practice in solo, duet, and ensemble opportunities along with band. The activities include all kinds of music and introduce the students to every facet of a possible career in the music industry. And I mean every single one.

As Chairman of the Board of Music is Art, an organization founded by one of the members of the Goo Goo Dolls, (Buffalo native Robby Takac), Phil leads a working board of folks that provide numerous programs that include festivals, battle of the bands, educational opportunities, scholarship funds, concert series and more. He blends kids with opportunities for them to take music to new heights and really find themselves. Oh, and he also has his own baton making business…..and plays the trumpet.

Was I surprised when this progressive, kid oriented educator/genius told me he had 3 accordions at Kenmore East High and he already had a Zydeco accordionist come to demonstrate the instrument? Surprised?? I was BLOWN AWAY! No having to defend the benefits of our instrument to this man!!!

Phil sifted through his roster of students at both locations and provided a full compliment to the accordion section of this year’s Youth Involvement Program. He then asked if we could provide a young accordionist to come demonstrate our instrument at his summer music camp at Kenmore East High. I immediately engaged Will Comer for the job. Will is a student of Sandy Zera of Fairfield CT., a member of the Connecticut Accordion Association’s Orchestra…. and winner of the Junior Division of the Elsie Bennett Composition Competition.

What do his students have to say about their beloved teacher, Phil Aguglia?

Gillian Scozzaro is a 16 year old student at Kenmore East. She will be playing alto sax for our program. She describes Mr. A. as a guy who does a lot both in and out of school. “He’s always got a cup of coffee in his hand.” He gets kids involved in humanitarian projects as well as music.

Her older brother, Elliot, a 2010 graduate of Kenmore East who is now completing a Master’s program in music, credits Mr. A. with providing him with a foundation for a career in music. “He’s the hardest working person I’ve ever met; puts kids in front of everything, even himself.”

Matt Geary, age 14, will be playing stand up bass in our program this year. He states “I’ve become a much better musician because of Mr. A. he makes it fun. He’s a teacher I’ll always remember.”

The rest of the participants recruited by Mr. Aguglia include 16 year old Emily Walter on tenor sax, Robert Wolfe, 15, on bari sax, Jacob Vitko, 16, on trombone, Brittany Hoffman, 16, on trumpet, and Trevor Balbierz on drum set. Both Trevor and Matt played drums and bass respectively for this year’s Youth Festival Orchestra. All of these kids were eager to join us, clearly influenced by the energy that pours out of their teacher.

They joined an accordion section that included Rachel Quirbach, Will Comer, Liam Mc Cool, Nathan Chapeton, Tony Klettner, Joseph Klettner, Christoph Tremble, Cody Mc Sherry and Emmanuel Gasser.

The ensemble was conducted by former Youth Involvement Program Participant Mitchell Guido, a 2015 graduate of Queen’s College and the Aaron Copland School of Music, where he studied both Classical and Jazz composition and performance. Mitch arranged the 2 pieces that the ensemble performed. They were “Nica’s Dream” and “Rainbow Connection.”