Widianto plans 100 hours of jazz for students

JP/Wendra Ajistyatama

JAKARTA: Jazz player Yovie Widianto has an interesting plan for 2010. He and his band, Yovie Widianto Fusion (YWF) will visit schools and campuses to play jazz with students.

“YWF will dedicate 100 hours to playing jazz with students [in various schools and campuses] in 2010,” he said recently.

He is well aware that most young people today tend to listen to popular commercial music.

“I want YWF to spur young people’s interest in jazz music, and change the perception that jazz is a difficult, ‘scary’ genre that only a small number of musicians can play,” he said.

Yovie believes there are still many young talented musicians in schools and campuses across Indonesia.

“Basically, we are inviting anyone to inform us by email or text [SMS] about someone, a friend or colleague with musical talent.

We will then find a way to perform in that school and ask one of the musicians at the school or campus to play with us,” he said.

YWF also has plans to perform for the Indonesian jazz community outside Jakarta.

— JP