COVID-19 can’t stop the music: UofL Jazz Studies Program continues international collaboration remotely

The University of Louisville Jazz Studies Program refused to let a little thing like a global pandemic interfere with its international collaboration.

While COVID-19 shut down travel, it could not shut down UofL working with the Universidad El Bosque of Bogota, Colombia.

Under the direction of UofL Associate Professor of Music Chris Fitzgerald and Javier Perez of the Universidad El Bosque, students at both universities collaborated remotely to produce jazz performances.

The result? Four YouTube performances – two from UofL and two from Universidad El Bosque – that show viewers the skill and expertise of the students from both schools.

The following performances are available online now and linked below: 

• UofL: "Dark and Lonely: A COVID Anthem" 
• El Bosque: "Despés que me olvide de Ti"
• UofL: "Tumbling Down"
• El Bosque: "Abordo de Tu Voz"

The schools have collaborated in person before – both program directors are alumni of the UofL School of Music – but the pandemic required innovative thinking to enable students to work together this year.

“Each student recorded their part in the performances separately,” Fitzgerald said. “Once I received my group of performances, I was able to use computer software to combine them. Javier did the same.”

And while Fitzgerald and Perez are looking forward to resuming their in-person collaboration, the remote experience has provided new learning opportunities for both faculty and students.

“It’s been great to learn how to put together separate remote performances into one cohesive presentation,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s something we now can impart to our students going forward to further their education.”