MCC jazz musician recognized for compositions

When the McHenry County College Jazz Ensemble had just finished playing "Summer Buzz," a bright, uplifting jazz song, at a recent concert, director Michael Bazan asked jazz ensemble member Ray Carle to come to the stage.

Bazan told audience members that he encourages students to write original compositions for the Jazz Ensemble and then noted that "Summer Buzz" was just such a number written by Carle. In fact, over the last five years, Carle had written more than 30 jazz compositions for the ensemble.

In recognition of Carle's outstanding contribution to the MCC Jazz Ensemble as an "unofficial composer-in-residence," Bazan presented Carle with a special plaque from the ensemble members to thank him for his tireless work to create original jazz charts. Each year, the ensemble has played many of Carle's compositions at their concerts and at the annual Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Jazz Festival.

Carle, 68, of rural Harvard played trumpet while he was a student at Maine East High School and thought seriously about a career in music education. But his career path shifted while he was in college and he entered the business world instead and co-founded a company that designed and developed electronic security alarm equipment. While his career path took several directions, he never lost his love of music and his desire to return to it.

"Music and the trumpet was a big part of my life," Carle said. "I wanted to continue that relationship with music. When I thought about writing music, it was a new and challenging path to follow."

Several years ago, he decided to learn how to write music as a way to reunite with his love and immersed himself in self-study courses on music theory, composition, and other related topics and listened continuously to all genres of music.

When he discovered an introductory level music notation software that allowed him to both write and hear electronically the songs he wrote, he took his work to the next level.

After three to four years of experimenting and learning on his own, he decided to retire early from his career and enroll in the Music Department at McHenry County College to formally study music composition.

"I found MCC's music coursework to be demanding, challenging and rewarding," Carle said, adding that in two years he took all the music theory, keyboard harmony, ear training, sight singing, and electronic music courses he could.

"I was working at the coursework more than eight hours a day, every day, and it was challenging to keep up," he said.

Indeed, he did keep up and his efforts have been appreciated by faculty members, including Tara Singer, adjunct instructor of music theory and piano.

"Ray was a wonderful student who worked as diligently as anyone I have taught in my 18 years at MCC," Singer said. "His work was meticulous and he always asked thought-provoking questions. His easygoing demeanor and personality was an asset to other students in my classroom.

Bazan agreed, saying, "We love having Ray working with us. He comes to every rehearsal and listens carefully to how the ensemble members play, and then he adjusts his charts to fit the ability levels of the players. It's a great opportunity for the ensemble members to work on his one-of-a-kind pieces, because they have to read, understand and interpret without the assistance of previous recordings."

When asked about how he approaches writing a song, Carle said his goal is to write a memorable melody that people will have fun playing.

"The process for me is evolving," Carle said. "I really believe that if the musicians are having fun playing the song, the audience will share that enjoyment."

Carle notes that he initially writes each piece as a big band chart, such as four trumpets, six saxophones, four trombones, percussion, bass, piano and guitar, and then modifies it for the actual composition of the Jazz Ensemble for any given semester.

Fellow trumpeter Bruce Lane of Cary said he respects Carle's work.

"I really like the fact that his music challenges me," Lane said. "There are rhythms that take a lot of work to get under my fingers and there are very tricky high notes. However, that push that his music provides is what helps me to improve as a musician."

Carle said he is grateful for the support by his instructors and classmates.

"I can write the notes, but the musicians give the music life when they apply their own interpretation, particularly when they are improvising," Carle said. "When it clicks, it just gives me goose bumps."