Jazz great shares secrets of music, life with Waubonsie students

As a teenager, jazz legend Kirk Whalum thought he could skate by on his natural talent for playing the saxophone.

But the Memphis, Tenn., native quickly learned otherwise when he couldn't even get a seat on the all-city band.

"That failure actually taught me some lessons … in my life," he told Waubonsie Valley High School students Thursday. "That's exactly when I got it. I figured it out. I'd been given a gift. The gift, you open it and it says assembly required. What is the assembly? Hard work."

Having learned that lesson, Whalum went on to record 17 albums, has been nominated for seven Grammy Awards, and performed with artists such as Luther Vandross, Whitney Houston, Barbra Streisand and Al Green.

He performed for Waubonsie students Thursday and talked to them about finding their passion and putting the effort into developing their talents.

"Each one of us has a passion, and that gift is something we're supposed to do something with and ultimately give away," he told them.

Whalum will be doing just that when he performs a concert at 8 p.m. Saturday at the school, 2590 Ogden Ave. in Aurora. Tickets are $25 and proceeds will benefit Waubonsie's Warriors Reaching Out stewardship program.

As part of the new initiative, members of the school's Mosaic Ensemble will travel to South Africa in June to hold music workshops with children and work with South African high school students on an AIDS awareness program.

Whalum is the godfather of a student in the Mosaic Ensemble and also has done volunteer work in South Africa, so his visit is a good fit for the school, Assistant Principal Joy Ross said.

"It was really a very natural blend of passion and of music," she said. "It complemented nicely with what it is we intend to do when we go to South Africa."

Select music students will have a chance to perform with Whalum Saturday, and tech students also will be helping Whalum's crew run the show.

"He's giving them working knowledge and very practical applications as it pertains to music that will culminate in a concert Saturday night," Ross said. "We've just been very fortunate for this experience. How many kids in high school get to say they've (met) an internationally acclaimed artist?"

Sophomore Samantha Torres and her father, also a saxophone player, are longtime fans of Whalum.

Torres wants to be a singer one day and said getting to meet Whalum was "amazing."

"It really helps, what he said, keep trying, never give up and I'm really going to take that into consideration," she said."

See a legend perform

What: Jazz legend Kirk Whalum in concert

When: 8 p.m. Saturday

Where: Waubonsie Valley High School, 2590 Ogden Ave., Aurora

Tickets: $25

Info: (630) 375-3003