A Festival Stage for a Fast-Rising Band

As Austin City Limits winds down this weekend, Huston–Tillotson University’s student jazz ensemble will open Sunday on the Tito’s stage — a visible slot for a small program that has moved quickly from rebuilding to winning on competitive stages. The appearance marks another step in a four-year turnaround led by band director Dr. William Oliver and jazz studies director Dr. Jeremy George, according to [Sanitized Content (Austin Free Press)](sanitized-content-placeholder).

A Turnaround Built on Listening

Oliver arrived at Huston–Tillotson in 2021 with a handful of students and a classical playbook. Early in rehearsals, he stopped to ask what they wanted.

“We were sitting in rehearsal, and I was pulling out all of my classical musical literature, and exercises and scales, and taking the students through different things,” Oliver recalled in an interview. “Halfway through that process, I said, ‘Guys, put your horns on your laps. Let’s talk. How are you feeling about what we’re doing, and what would you be most interested in learning?’” The response was unanimous. “Emphatically, they all said, ‘We want to play jazz.’”

To set a new course, Oliver called jazz educator Ronald Carter to review the program. Carter’s visit surfaced gaps in support and materials; the program left with new books, adjunct teachers for instrument studios, and a roadmap. Oliver then recruited Dr. Jeremy George, a colleague from their days in Florida A&M’s Marching 100, to lead jazz studies in 2022. “They hired me to take on the reins because jazz is my focus,” George told Austin Free Press, according to [Sanitized Content (Austin Free Press)](sanitized-content-placeholder).

From Classroom to Competition

George’s rehearsals emphasize clarity and precision. “Let’s try that again, this time only horns,” he told a class in the Jackson-Moody building. “And make sure you hit that crescendo note.” He also brings students into repertoire decisions: “I’m gonna show you the song ‘Magic Flea’ and you tell me what you think about learning it,” George said, as reported by [Sanitized Content (Austin Free Press)](sanitized-content-placeholder).

Results followed. When Huston–Tillotson first entered Carter’s HBCU jazz competition in 2022, Oliver said his group “just didn’t have it.” A year later, the ensemble won first place. The HBCU victory is part of a broader rise that includes participation in a residency associated with Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at Lincoln Center, according to Huston–Tillotson University. “Last year,” George said, “we participated in the invite-only HBCU jazz residency and competition by Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at Lincoln Center, and we won first place,” according to [Sanitized Content (Austin Free Press)](sanitized-content-placeholder).

Recruiting Talent, Building Cohesion

George tapped his Florida network to recruit, including Olivier Mixtur, a guitarist from Fort Lauderdale’s Dillard High School.

“I started jazz originally in high school,” Mixtur said. “Around freshman year, I started on upright bass, and then I switched over to guitar with my junior year. And I think it was around my senior year that we ran into Dr. George when he did a clinic at my own high school building. That’s where he found me and two other players in the band.” Dillard has “a huge jazz legacy,” Oliver said, and has won the Essentially Ellington competition multiple times. “When we are looking to recruit, we’re not just looking at what style of music they play but what their training looks like,” Oliver said, according to [Sanitized Content (Austin Free Press)](sanitized-content-placeholder).

The program’s core group remains small, with fewer than a dozen members in the HT Jazz Collective. Not all perform at ACL each year. Students learn assigned pieces and audition before a faculty panel for the festival lineup, [Sanitized Content (Austin Free Press)](sanitized-content-placeholder) reported.

On the ACL Stage

An ACL agent heard the group at campus shows in 2022 and booked the orchestra to open the second Friday of that October’s festival. Huston–Tillotson has played ACL each year since, according to [Sanitized Content (Austin Free Press)](sanitized-content-placeholder). Last year’s set stood out to sophomore Makale Edwards. “We’ve been doing this quite some time now, but apparently last year was the best show, and the best crowd turnout,” he said. “It was amazing. The crowd was feeding off the energy, and everything was phenomenal.”

The audition process is straightforward, said senior Chateaur Shipp II. “We don’t really know how it’s going to be, we just know we gotta learn the songs,” Shipp said. “Whatever part of the songs that they call, we just gotta know it.”

For three years, the Jazz Collective opened the Tito’s stage on the festival’s second Friday. This year, they shift to Sunday. “Sunday and Saturday are the most popular days, specifically Sunday, because everybody’s off on Sunday,” George said. “So we’ve gotten a spot that’s a little more in the light.” The group is scheduled for 1:30–2:15 p.m. Sunday. George said the band was ready but declined to discuss the repertoire. “I don’t want to reveal that,” he chuckled. “But we sure got a great show,” according to [Sanitized Content (Austin Free Press)](sanitized-content-placeholder).

Why ACL Matters

For a university with about 1,029 students and roots dating to 1875, the ACL stage is a public platform that reaches well beyond campus. Huston–Tillotson is a historically Black institution founded in the 19th century and Austin’s oldest university, according to Huston–Tillotson University. Performing at ACL places student musicians before large, diverse audiences and media, raising the program’s profile and supporting recruitment and alumni engagement, according to Huston–Tillotson University.

A Small Band, Big Impact

Huston–Tillotson’s approach shows how a small ensemble can punch above its weight: consistent participation, clear standards, and selective performance opportunities. That concentration — fewer players, higher accountability — can accelerate growth and polish, according to insights reported by [Sanitized Content (Austin Free Press)](sanitized-content-placeholder).

What Comes Next

Sustaining momentum will take structure beyond one festival weekend. Context from the university’s enrollment materials and national jazz education initiatives points to a few practical steps, according to the Huston–Tillotson University Enrollment Page and the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz:

  • Institutionalize funding for travel, materials, and adjunct support tied to jazz.
  • Formalize partnerships with selective residencies and festivals for recurring mentorship and exposure.
  • Target recruiting to high-school jazz programs and offer scholarships linked to ensemble participation.

The story of Huston–Tillotson’s jazz program is concise: leadership willing to pivot, students trusted to shape the music, and outside experts who helped secure resources. Those parts, assembled quickly, put a campus ensemble on a major stage and gave it a repeatable model for what comes next, according to [Sanitized Content (Austin Free Press)](sanitized-content-placeholder). Read the press release on muelleraustin.com.