{"id":4630,"date":"2020-05-05T10:32:32","date_gmt":"2020-05-05T09:32:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.lboro.ac.uk\/students\/?p=4630"},"modified":"2020-05-05T11:00:39","modified_gmt":"2020-05-05T10:00:39","slug":"all-that-jazz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.lboro.ac.uk\/students\/societies\/all-that-jazz\/","title":{"rendered":"All That Jazz!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jazz up your Loughborough experience with Tuxedo Swing, the University\u2019s Big Band.<\/em><\/p>\n

About the Band<\/strong><\/h2>\n

With its roots back in the 1980\u2019s, Tuxedo Swing is one of Loughborough Students\u2019 Union\u2019s most longstanding and well-known societies. Now an established semi-professional function band, Tuxedo Swing (usually shortened to \u201cTux\u201d) gives its members an amazing opportunity to rehearse and perform a wide range of music at a high standard. The band\u2019s huge repertoire covers everything from classic jazz standards to arrangements of modern hits; there\u2019s something for everyone and every occasion.<\/p>\n

Tux has had the opportunity to perform several high-profile gigs, including a BBC Children in Need television performance; and has hosted an evening session at renowned jazz bar \u201cBert\u2019s\u201d, of Belfast. Closer to home, the band regularly hosts its popular \u2018Gin and Swing\u2019 event at local cocktail club, \u2018The Kelso\u2019; and provides music for the Athletic Union\u2019s annual ball at the Athena, Leicester, amongst many other local and national gigs.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Highlights from Our Year<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Standing out from Tux\u2019s packed calendar of gigs is the band\u2019s annual showcase event, Union Jazz. Room One, the main performance space in the Students\u2019 Union, is transformed into a jazz club for the evening, with cheese and wine spread on cosy, candle-lit tables. The event offers the band the opportunity to perform at its very best for a large audience of mainly friends, family and other students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The band also has a long history of raising money for charity. Every Easter holiday a charity tour heads off to somewhere exciting the in UK. Last year\u2019s tour was to Northern Ireland, where the band raised over \u00a3840 for Anthony Nolan. We had a wide variety of gigs, from pubs and restaurants to a packed night-club; and when we weren\u2019t performing, we had plenty of time to go sightseeing! One of my favourite outings was a hike at the Giant\u2019s Causeway on the Northern Irish coast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Part of the Family<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve been a part of Tux for nearly five years now; joining the band has had a huge positive impact on my time at Loughborough. I\u2019ve learned a huge amount about jazz performance from all the gigs and rehearsals over the years and had the opportunity to perform at some amazing venues. Playing a dinner function in a hangar at a helicopter exhibition stands out as one of the most memorable! But Tux has always been just as much about people as it has been about the music. Through the gigs, tours and my time helping to run the band, I\u2019ve made some brilliant friends. The band regularly hosts social events, bringing together a close-knit community of like-minded musicians, and can often be found occupying one of Loughborough\u2019s pubs after rehearsals and gigs!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Join Us<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re a musician looking to study at Loughborough, or perhaps you\u2019re already here and thinking of getting involved, I couldn\u2019t recommend Tux enough to you. As I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve heard many times before, getting a good work-life balance is important; but I\u2019ve always found that Tux is a flexible commitment and you can make as much or as little of it as you wish! We have parts available for any of the following instruments:<\/p>\n\n\n\n