Benjamin Hall, coordinator of the Summer Solstice, spoke about the festival’s growing popularity and the variety of artists who have performed during the years.

“The Wharton Center and Rodney (Whitaker) kind of brought in some bigger-name talent,” Hall said. “We’ve had a lot of folks that have come in here that have played at our festival and have blown up huge.”

Distinguished professor of jazz double bass and director of jazz studies at MSU College of Music Rodney Whitaker performed at the festival Saturday and spoke about the roots of jazz music.

“The greatest thing you can do as a musician is play in front of a live audience,” Whitaker said. “You get to interact with the people — that’s the most fulfilling thing as a musician.”

Whitaker said jazz was born out of African American slavery — but ultimately is a culmination of music from all over the United States.

“It’s our music — it belongs to us,” Whitaker said. “We look often to all these things that divide us — I think jazz is a thing that unifies us.”

This year, the festival added the MSU Education Stage, offering high school musicians the opportunity to play onstage at a major festival — all while being surrounded by some of the most highly regarded jazz talent in the nation.

Okemos residents Ron and Carol Mott have attended the Summer Solstice since it began 17 years ago and spoke about the addition of the education stage.

“When those kids come here, it gives them experience, but the other thing it gives them is inspiration,” Ron said.

According to Hall, the education aspect of the festival will nurture young music fans as well.
“We attract jazz fans, but we are trying to make the next generation of jazz fans,” Hall said.