FARMINGTON – Karen Beacham’s body and hands moved with the music she was reading as she conducted jazz musicians in performing “Blues in the Night.”

Trumpets, you’ve got to play aggressively,” she said once the music stopped, and went on to describe how she wanted the piece to sound.

Leigh Hays and Andrew Hardy put their trumpets to their mouths and gave their part another try.

When Beacham was satisfied, members of the Mt. Blue High School Jazz Band played on during practice Tuesday night.

The 14 members of the band are scheduled to play the song with the legendary Al Corey Big Band under the direction of Brian Nadeau and Beacham on Saturday night.

Jazz band players and other SAD 9 music students will get some tips from the Big Band musicians during a clinic from 3 to 5 p.m.

Done with practice, the musicians talked about learning from the professional musicians.

“We’ll get anything out of it we can,” said senior Tom Anderson.

He said he was looking forward to performing with the band. “I look forward to any concert,” the trombone player said.

The jazz band has three electric guitar players, including two who play bass guitars.

Laura Crowley recently started playing bass guitar and likes it. She had played the upright bass previously. She has adapted all right, she said.

Flutist Emily Pottle said she is looking to learn some improvisation techniques from the professional players.

Dylan Anderson, a seventh-grader at the Mt. Blue Middle School, does a lot of improvisation and has a solo part. He’s been playing tenor saxophone for three years.

He practices his own improvisation, in which he adds his own music to a song at home.

Kaitlin Frost, who plays an electronic keyboard, and Alex Taylor, who plays electric guitar, both play outside of the school band with their band Golden Lotus.

Sophomore Andrew Hardy said he wants to gain some form from the music clinic.

He wants to learn how to breathe correctly and do some lip exercises to improve his trumpet performance.

There are some different breathing techniques, Tom Anderson said.

Band members concentrate on their sheet music while playing and watch Beacham using their peripheral vision, said Devon Robinson, a senior who plays alto saxophone.

Drummer Lee Fellman said he is the timekeeper for the band.

“I have my music memorized,” he said, and he watches Beacham as she conducts the band.

The rest of the band follows his beat.

“The most important thing is that Lee and I are together,” Beacham said. She gives the accents and dynamics of the students’ music with hand motions.

Before the band broke off for the evening, Beacham told them what concerned her the most about Saturday.

“Know what I’m really worried about?” she said. “Food for the potluck.”

The clinic fee for SAD 9 music students is bringing something to eat for the potluck meal from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

Go and Do:

What: Concert by Al Corey Big Band and Mt. Blue High School Jazz Band

When: 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 15

Where: Mt. Blue High School Auditorium

Admission: $7 adults, $5 students and seniors, SAD 9 music students free with pass