Fenton Lio Invited to All County Jazz
Fenton Lio lights up when he speaks about playing "All the Things You Are," a song composed by Jerome Kern, on his Gibson Les Paul guitar. “It has beautiful chord progressions,” said Fenton about the Broadway show tune turned jazz standard. “It’s fun to improvise.”
The John Jay High School sophomore will have more opportunities to play jazz guitar in the coming months; he has been selected to be a guitarist in Westchester All County Jazz Band. Jared Henderson, conductor of John Jay High School’s Jazz Band, said that the audition was a competitive process. “The ensemble will rehearse four times and then perform a concert on March 17 at Hommocks Middle School in Larchmont,” said Henderson. “It’s an amazing opportunity to work with legendary jazz trumpet player and director Scott Wendholt.”
Fenton has participated in all of the music opportunities Katonah-Lewisboro School District offers since the fourth grade, when students choose an instrument, and begin lessons and playing in an ensemble. He was already playing guitar when he chose cello as his school instrument, first playing in the Katonah Elementary School Orchestra, followed by the John Jay Middle School Orchestra and the John Jay High School Orchestra. He plays guitar in the high school's Jazz Band as well as John Jay’s house band, Route 121. Along the way, Fenton began playing piano, bass and drums. He also plays guitar in the pit for school musicals, takes Music Technology and sings with one of John Jay’s a capella groups, the Treble Makers.
Fenton’s looks forward to a professional career in music, but for now, he cites John Jay’s Jazz Band as his most satisfying experience. “When done well, jazz is so fun!”