What you will experience:
Premiering as a three-month residency at Queens College, these workshops are equal-parts concert, rehearsal, and learning experience, inviting the audience to listen to, engage, collaborate, and perform with my big band, John Yao & His 17-piece Instrument.
Each workshop explores a different chapter in The Evolution of Big Band Style, from swing-era dance music and modern jazz orchestras to contemporary, avant-garde, and atonal sounds. Open to students and the broader community, the experience evolves over time, with audience participation woven into every workshop. All are welcome and no musical experience is necessary.
Let’s Make Some Noise is a participatory workshop and concert experience centered around big band music where the audience aren’t just observers— they are active contributors to the music and the performance.
Workshop Dates, Time, Location
WORKSHOP #1
Music of the Swing Era & Bebop
Date: March 10, 2026
Time: 2-5pm
Location: Room. 264
WORKSHOP #2
Post-Bop, Modern Jazz Orchestra
Date: March 24, 2026
Time: 2-5pm
Location: Room. 264
WORKSHOP #3
Contemporary, Avant-garde, Atonal
Date: April 28, 2026
Time: 2-5pm
Location: Lefrak Concert Hall
ALL WORKSHOPS HOSTED AT:
Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College
65-50 Kissena Blvd
Flushing, NY
Three ways to participate:
1. AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION: Audience members will become active participants in the performance—singing, clapping, playing percussion, and interacting directly with the big band through compositions specifically written to involve them in the performance of each song, essentially becoming another instrument and member of the band.
2. PERFORMER PARTICIPATION: QC student performers will have the opportunity to sit in with my professional big band, providing students with valuable hands-on experience performing alongside professional musicians.
3. COMPOSER INVOLVEMENT: QC student composers will collaborate with me on writing big band charts that I will curate and assemble prior to each workshop. In meetings prior to each workshop, we will analyze the core musical traits of each big band style featured in the series and compose music in the style of that workshop. We will also incorporate the audience as performers in our works, further connecting composition, performance, and community engagement.
STUDENTS CAN PARTICIPATE IN ANY OR ALL OF THE THREE WAYS LISTED ABOVE
Meet the Band
John Yao – Artistic Director, Composer, Conductor, Trombone
Saxes: Billy Drewes - Alto, Soprano Saxes; Hashem Assadulahi - Alto Sax; Rich Perry - Tenor Sax; Tim Armacost - Tenor Sax; Carl Maraghi - Baritone Sax
Trumpets & Flugels: Nick Marchione, John Lake, David Neves, David Smith
Trombones: Matt McDonald, Nick Vayenas, Sam Blakeslee, Max Seigel
Rhythm Section: Hyuna Park, Piano; Robert Sabin, Bass; Andy Watson Drums
