Heather Thorn and Vivacity are excited to announce the upcoming release of their new album. Inspired by the band’s performance in the International Festival of Jazz in Brazil, this album is a snapshot in the life of the artist, Heather Thorn. Surrounded by the music, friends, family, and band members she loves, it seemed only fitting to title the album “Taking a Chance On Love.” Boasting marvelous musicians including Heather…
Category: Jazz Band Winter Park Florida
I Love Jazz Festival – Brazil
The Vivacity band has just returned from the I Love Jazz Festival in Belo Horizonte, Brazil where they performed for an appreciative audience of 5,000 Jazz listeners, Swing and Lindy Hop dancers! They are still raving about what a wonderful weekend of music that was enjoyed there! Heather Thorn and Vivacity were the headline act for the Saturday evening performance playing classic Jazz and Swing tunes like Five Foot Two Eyes…
Xylophone: The Original Dance Band Instrument
About the Xylophone The xylophone has thick, hardwood bars to create a sharp, short, crisp notes. Many are made of hardwood, but some are constructed from other woods including maple and bamboo. Each wood gives it a different sound. The bars of the xylophone are laid out in the pattern of the piano. The length of the bars determines the pitch; shorter bars are higher, longer bars are lower. Beneath…
Jazz Fun Facts
Jazz came about as a blend of African and European musical traditions. Jazz became wildly popular across the United States in the 1920s when radios became a household item and spurred “The Jazz Age.” Louis Armstrong is considered a large influence in increasing the popularity of Jazz and became known as the Ambassador of Jazz. Jazz has many different styles (sometimes based on the location they were played) including Swing,…
Swing Dancing Fun Facts
Swing dancing emerged in the 1920s when household radios allowed Jazz to sweep the nation also known as “The Jazz Age.” The dance the Lindy Hop was named after the famous aviator Charles Lindbergh or “Lucky Lindy” known for his transatlantic flight from New York to Paris. Many people use the terms Jitterbug, Lindy Hop and Swing Dancing interchangeably although many seasoned dancers consider Swing Dance to be the genre…