Tim Newhouse.
Camera IconTim Newhouse. Credit: Supplied/Andrew Ritchie d458903

WAYJO’s It Don’t Mean A Thing! swings into Astor Theatre

Tanya MacNaughtonEastern Reporter

MUSICIAN, composer and arranger Tim Newhouse attributes his success to being a member of the WA Youth Jazz Orchestra, whose members range in age from 14 to 25.

“It’s given me all the opportunities that I’ve had or has been linked to every opportunity that I’ve had in the industry so far,” Newhouse said.

“This is my sixth year at WAYJO; I joined when I was in Year 11 after auditioning unsuccessfully the previous year.

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“I was doing saxophone at school and really got into jazz music but my school didn’t really offer a lot of jazz education.

“I wanted to play more with other people who were like-minded and loved jazz as well.

“I had many friends who were already in the band, so I thought it sounded awesome and the rest is history.”

Newhouse completed his Undergraduate in Composition at WAAPA last year and is studying his honours.

He travelled to Melbourne and Brisbane earlier this year on WAYJO’s Jack Bendat Travel Scholarship to collaborate with other big band ensembles.

“The experience was basically doing concerts and recordings of my own music with those bands as a featured guest composer,” the 21-year-old said.

“I also had lessons from a bunch of composers who lived over there, some of whom are WAYJO alumni.”

The saxophonist, who also plays flute, clarinet and piano, is preparing for WAYJO’s concert It Don’t Mean A Thing! at Astor Theatre on September 17.

He said the annual show at the Mt Lawley venue functioned as a historical overview of music for big band and jazz orchestra, with a repertoire from the 1920s to now.

This year’s performance will feature special guest clarinet player Ben Clapin and musicians from Showa University in Japan.

“Ben played in the band last year and is studying at Oxford University in England; he’s an amazing clarinettist,” Newhouse said.

“WAYJO has a cultural exchange program with Showa University where each year we send some of our musicians to play with them and some of their musicians come here.

“I haven’t gone to Japan but I’m hoping to at some point; it’s an amazing program.”

THE ESSENTIALS

What: It Don’t Mean A Thing!

Where: Astor Theatre

When: September 17

Tickets: www.astortheatreperth.com