Rose basketball highlights
TUE. |4-22-25| FEATURES
Each year, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) hosts a regional high school jazz festival, bringing together schools from across eastern North Carolina to showcase their musical talent. Students perform before a panel of judges, receiving valuable feedback and the opportunity to earn awards for their outstanding performances. This year, one of the lucky winners is sophomore Bradley Farrall, a member of the Rose jazz band.
Farrall is deeply involved in music at Rose, playing in the concert band, jazz band and marching band. Balancing all these activities with school can be challenging, and there are times when it feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day. However, Farrall’s passion for music makes it easier to manage.
“I love playing jazz music, It’s so fun and different compared to symphonic music,” Farrall said. “It’s more than having to copy what you hear, it's a lot more about putting emotion into it, playing it like it's supposed to be played and the meaning behind it.”
Photo by Jack Albrittion
Farrall has been playing music since the sixth grade, alternating between instruments like the baritone saxophone, bassoon and the tenor saxophone, each with a different sound.
“It really comes down to the style of their play,” Farrell said. “[Baritone] is a more aggressive instrument that is louder and more out there while bassoon is much more classical and refined.”
In early March, Farrall and the Rose jazz band performed at the Carolina Jazz Festival at UNC and received positive feedback from the judges. He was recognized for his performance of the baritone saxophone and received the Individual Outstanding Performer award.
“I actually had no idea I was going to get the individual award,” Farrall said. “I got a compliment from a woman who played the baritone saxophone in the Mingus Big Band, who we were playing a song by… and then I won the award and it was really an awesome surprise.”
In order to attend the festival, bands must first audition by submitting a recording of their performance, and then they are selected to compete against other schools from their region. At the competition, they are able to learn from experienced musicians and receive feedback to improve their performance.
“There’s nothing that beats sitting in front of judges and playing something you’ve practiced and put time and energy into,” Farrall said. “It feels really accomplishing to play in front of people because it’s different from just doing something and not having a finish line.”
However, the feelings of excitement and achievement also come with a little bit of nervousness and fear, but Farrall is able to push past these circumstances and perform the music he loves.
“It’s definitely a nerve-wracking thing, but the main thing I do to prepare is just think about after because you want to put your best self forward and the only way you can [do that] is if you push the nerves away,” Farrall said. “It’s like a roller coaster, you get the tiny bit of nervousness before it goes and then once you go you’re like ‘this is fun, I remember why I do this’ and it all kind of goes away.”
After high school, Farrall plans to continue his passion for music throughout college and beyond, even if it’s not a part of his career.
“If you stick with [music], at a point you can put aside all of the learning and focusing and it kind of just clicks and it becomes fun,” Farrall said.
