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Sinatra Jr. says we're surrounded by non-musicality

By Karen Cohilas - bio | email

ALBANY, GA (WALB) – The son of a music icon, and a talented singer himself, introduces students in Albany to the world of Jazz. Frank Sinatra, Junior performed at the Albany Municipal Auditorium Tuesday night. Wednesday, he and his band held a clinic to teach students about Jazz, real music as they called it.

It's the kind of music that makes you tap your toes, snap your fingers, feel alive. "I hope this music speaks to you," said Frank Sinatra, Jr.

It's the kind of music that speaks to Westover High Student Shannon Brown. He said, "It's a lot of my style. It's the music I like most. I like the way they play it. It makes me feel good."

A feeling that other music just can't give you these days. Frank Sinatra, Junior says that's because there's so much lacking.  He said, "In this day and age, we are surrounded by non-musicality."

The hum-drum monotony created by computers, not by people. "The reason we're surrounded by non-musicality is because it's the cheapest. Cheapest for recording companies to buy, for recording companies to manufacture, for recording companies to distribute and the radio stations, the media that reaches us primarily, they get what they are given."

But we can get so much more, he says, with real music. Sinatra said, "Maybe they'll discover something in the jazz music that they may never have known existed because they were never exposed to it."

It's an exposure Quenton Mosley is thankful for.  He said, "It was wonderful. I was really excited to come see them and hear them today. Makes me want to play up there with them." And maybe someday he will.

Sinatra says these ASU students are no second rate musicians. He said, "When you have a situation like here at Albany State, when you have a real legitimate jazz program, and these college musicians are pretty good, I got to tell you, it is very refreshing and nice because it is better music and that, as they say, is the bottom line."

Musicians with a talent and desire to deliver real music, and all that jazz.

Students from Radium Springs Middle School, Westover High School, and Albany State attended Wednesday's workshop. It was led by members of Frank Sinatra, Junior's band, several of whom are college professors.

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