“Music is really the one thing that makes us human,” said Copiah-Lincoln Community College Jazz Band director Juanita Proffitt.

Music has a way of connecting people. Music can be felt and understood across a variety of generations, nationalities, personalities, etc. The jazz band recently decided to include the Mississippi Adolescent Center on their 2013 Spring Tour on April 25. The fun melodies and soulful tunes were felt by everyone in the room, connecting those with disabilities and those without.

The Mississippi Adolescent Center in Brookhaven provides behavioral, educational and social development skills for adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“There’s a lot of power in music,” said Proffitt.

One glance across room, filled with the sound of booming brass, reflected the success of the Co-Lin group in moving the students there. Many were dancing and swaying with the music.

“When our students saw their reactions, that spurred our students on to play an even better performance for them,” said Proffitt.

The jazz band decided to include the center in their tour in observance of Autism Awareness Month. Also, one of the jazz band participants has a little brother with autism; not to mention, one of the Blue Wave Show Band student’s mother works at the center.

“This is the first time we’ve ever played anything like this,” said Co-Lin Director of Bands Shaw Furlow. “This is usually a big recruiting effort for us, but today, it is more of a good will thing.”

The spring tour’s theme this year was “Rock This Town” and included a variety of music designed to get spectators on their feet; and many of the students at the center were on their feet, enjoying the fun music. Genres included Latin, swing, jazz, rock and more.

“You could see them responding to something outside of their person,” said Proffitt of their audience.

The jazz band didn’t provide the only performance, but the Co-Lin Colettes and Color Guard also participated. Students at the center seemed to really enjoy the fun dancing and colorful flags.

This is Proffitt’s first year to direct the jazz band.

“I am really enjoying it. The jazz band is our top audition group,” she said. She praised her hard-working students.

During the spring tour, the jazz band, Colettes and color guard played at several high schools, Porches Restaurant, the Mississippi Scholars Banquet and finished with a big finale on Co-Lin’s campus.

“Some high schools don’t have jazz bands. It shows students something that they can do in college,” said Proffitt of the tour.

The stop at the adolescent center was obviously not a recruiting effort, but a gift to the students there and the staff.

“That has to be a difficult job and demanding,” said Proffitt, who stressed the Co-Lin group’s desire to give something positive back to the staff.

Students and staff enjoyed the entertaining performance, complete with vocal and soulful saxophone solos.

“This was giving something back to the community,” said Proffitt.