This Hofstra Life: Alejandro Aviles
Photo courtesy of Alejandro Aviles
As the new leader of the the Hofstra Jazz Orchestra, Alejandro Aviles has created a new orchestra group called the Global Jazz Ensemble. Unlike the American jazz music featured in the Jazz Orchestra, the Global Jazz Ensemble will perform the music of Latin American countries such as Cuba, Venezuela, Peru, Argentina and Brazil. This year, Aviles is focusing on the music of Brazil.
“I’m hoping the Global Jazz Ensemble will give me the opportunity to expand the palate here at Hofstra as far as the music that’s happening. It’s so important to learn other styles of music, other things that exist beyond the small world that you’re studying,” Aviles said. “Learning about another culture, learning their music, is a great way to understand a particular culture. I think the more you can be exposed to, the more versatility you’ll have as a musician, will lead to more possibility of being successful.”
With fifteen years of teaching saxophone under his belt, Aviles is no stranger to music. His family comes from a long line of musicians, dating back to 1882 with his great-grandfather who founded the Orquestra Hermanos Aviles in Holguin, Cuba, which still exists today. If that wasn’t enough, his predecessor is jazz expert Dave Lalama, who Aviles said is like a second father to him.
“Taking over for him, I want to continue that tradition [of traditional jazz] and not steer away from that. At the same time, I want to do my own thing with [the] Global Jazz [Ensemble] and bring new colors to the music that we’re going to be doing here at Hofstra,” Aviles said. “Staying true to tradition but at the same time, bringing in newer stuff and pushing the envelope as to what has been done here at Hofstra for many years.”
During his college years, Aviles heard a phenomenal saxophone player, which lit a fire inside him. While he was already involved with his university’s wrestling team and other extracurriculars, he also devoted himself to practicing jazz after hearing the saxophone player.
“I’m hoping to inspire the students here to just get them to feel that passion,” Aviles said. “I want them to get the love and respect for the music. I don’t want them to feel like it’s a chore. Hopefully, they’ll want to do it. That happened to me, and I’m hoping to convey that to them through whatever we’re doing.”
Due to his Cuban roots and his studies abroad in Brazil for a year, Aviles said Latin American music fascinated him and has motivated him to try this genre of music first for the Global Jazz Ensemble.
“Each [genre of music] is challenging in itself,” Aviles said. “You want to grow as a musician, and the way to grow is to continue to learn. By learning the types of different music from different countries, it challenges you, which I think is the most important lesson to anyone.”
Hoping to expose his pupils to all types of music, Aviles said he encourages students to join regardless of major, instrument or background. He hopes to collaborate with other clubs and departments to promote both parties. The orchestra’s first jazz club performance will be at the Jazz Loft in Stony Brook, New York, in April. Their main concert, featuring Brazilian music and the percussion and vocal jazz ensembles, will be on May 1, at 7 p.m. in Monroe Lecture Hall.
“Music is an art that you don’t do because you want to be successful or famous but because you love the music,” Aviles said. “You want to be part of it. You want to express yourself. I’m hoping that’ll stick for years and years.”
