Before his performance at the Harker Concert Series, renowned jazz pianist Taylor Eigsti, bassist John Shifflett and drummer Jason Lewis held a master class in the Nichols Hall auditorium for upper and middle school students to help them improve their musicianship both as individuals and members of a group.

Students gathered around Eigsti as he sat at the piano and offered his advice. When improvising, he told the students, it is good to “leave a little of space” so that he can hear what his bandmates are doing and perhaps give them some room to add flourishes of their own.

The upper school jazz band played their rendition of John Coltrane’s “Blue Train” for the trio, who then gave them advice on how to improve, warning them against cutting into one another’s soloing time and advising them to be mindful of signals from their band mates.