The National Youth Jazz Ensemble went off to Kentucky last month to take part in a jazz music camp.

The 15 young men, under the direction of musician Wendell Shine Hayward, were to take part in seminars and music enhancing classes.

Before their departure, group members and organisers spoke to The Royal Gazette about attending the prestigious camp.

Justin Brangman said he was looking forward to his time at the Jamie Abersol Music Camp, in Louisville, Kentucky.

Justin, who has played with the National Youth Jazz Ensemble (NYJE) for only a year, and was taught at Warwick Academy by Mr. Hayward, said: ?The music camp is like the top music camp in the world, so it is going to have some of the best jazz artists.

?We will have a good experience and learn and improve our skills as musicians.

?This is my first camp so I am looking forward to it. We are rooming two in a dorm with people we don?t even know from all around the world. We know who our roommates are, but we may not even see them because I hear musicians practice there almost 24/7.

?We leave and play a lot of music and we have only an hour of shopping time allotted. Hey, it is all about music at that camp.?

The NYJE had a fundraising concert back in early May which paid for most of the trip but the balance was donated by the Ross Blackie Talbot Foundation.

Justin, who plays alto saxophone and keyboard, added that the experience of playing with a visiting Cuban band in May was phenomenal.

?I would go to Cuba to play for a while,? said the young man, who is not sure whether his passion for music will outweigh his love for accountancy.

When the NYJE went to Cuba last year they wrote a song, which is now one of their performance songs, he added.

Fellow musician Aaron Edness, who has been with the ensemble for five years, is one of the longest standing members.

The 17-year-old has travelled with the ensemble to England, Milwaukee, USA, Cuba, and Kentucky.

?Cuba was the best trip so far, the music was fantastic,? he said. ?It was the first place that everyone (Cubans) played an instrument.

?Every camp or tour has been a different experience and there were so many differences between Cuba and England.

?In England there was such a wide variety of music, jazz to pop to bag pipes.

?I?d like to say a big thanks to Mr. Hayward and Mr. Bassett does a lot, he?s our hustler (fundraiser).?

Participant Hugh Seymour, 16, who plays drums with the ensemble, has been on two previous trips. He hoped to improve his skills in jazz drumming over his time at the camp.

?My drumming is something that developed after I was tapping on the table,? he said.

?Classical wasn?t my favourite so I decided to try something different and it was jazz.?

The young musician said jazz musicians, pianist Herbie Hancock and saxophonist Canonball Adderley were his favourites by far.

Hugh plans to study sound recording arts at Full Sail Real World Education in Florida.

?That?s where a lot of top recording artists go,? he said, ?I have always been interested in sound, but going college and doing a whole pile of subjects that I don?t need didn?t make sense.

?Full Sail offers a direct and compact programme.?

Mr. Hayward said the camp covers both music theory and practice and has an all-star staff of facilitators who have been in the business for years.

The same authors who write many of the books jazz musicians use will be on hand, he said, such as Jamie Abersol.

?It is the number one go-to source of jazz education right now,? said Mr. Hayward.

He also encouraged all the young people to take a private lesson or two from one of the presenters.

?The information they will get, they can use it for the rest of their lives,? he said. ?It is said that one week at this camp will change your life and I believe it ? I?ve done it.

?When I go there, I am a participator, so I also audition and I am placed also and I do take a private lesson while I am there.

?So when I encourage these guys, I believe not only do as I say, but do as I do.?

Coordinator and fundraiser Dr. Melvyn Bassett said the group going to the camp was very diverse.

?This includes about ten to 25 students from both public, private, middle, senior and the Bermuda College,? he said.

?When we get them all up and ready, they are usually off to university, so some of these folks have been off and now they are back. It is not a very static group at all.

And Ross Blackie Talbot Foundation trustee Clement Talbot said he was very privileged to be able to provide sponsorship of $5,000 to go towards the cost of sending the ensemble to this very prestigious and respected summer camp.

?The Foundation was set up to provide financial assistance to Bermudian students who want to study the arts, music,? said Mr. Talbot.

?We assist with school fees and for help in purchasing instruments for young people who are not in a position to buy.?