Imagine this: a restaurant with moody lights, exceptional food and, most importantly, soulful, live jazz. The Interdisciplinary Institute collaborated with Nando Milano Trattoria to bring this ambience to the community.
In September, the Institute announced a new partnership with Nando Milano: Live Jazz Tuesdays, from 6-8 p.m. Here, guests can enjoy a fine meal while also experiencing a show.
Some guests said the live music unexpectedly impacted their experience.
“It definitely set a certain ambience for the meal,” said Janna Lesniak, a guest and junior in FAA. “It felt a lot more classy. Especially having live music as opposed to listening to something pre-recorded.”
It all started with the founding director of the Interdisciplinary Institute, Joy Yang, a former FAA student and performing artist specializing in piano and theremin, who earned her masters in classical piano and doctorate in jazz piano performance from the University in 2024.
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The Institute works closely with the community to inspire performers, innovators and creators to leave a unique impact on the Urbana-Champaign area.
“A lot of these collaborations started because I love exploring new things to do,” Yang said. “Often, I notice how we can make things better for everybody, for the business owners and for the attendees. So that’s how this idea came about.”
Live Jazz Tuesdays is one of the Institute’s community partnership events sponsored by the City of Champaign’s Sound Check Live Entertainment Grant. The event is part of the Institute’s outreach program, aimed at expanding its platform.
Yang, her family and friends all love Nando Milano. That’s why Live Jazz Tuesdays started where it did.
“They always treat us like family here,” Yang said.
The event serves not only as a relaxing night for the guests, but also as an opportunity for the artists.
Through these live events, the Institute aims to provide real-world performance experiences for members of the Institute while simultaneously boosting business for its partners by bringing diverse clientele and more revenue.
Every night, the Institute continues to expand its audience. When asked about the event, Parker Bade, a guest and junior in Media, wasn’t aware of it before grabbing dinner at Nando Milano but the live music left a positive impression on the restaurant for him.
“There was definitely a tone shift when they were playing music on the speaker and then when there was live music. It made it more peaceful and fancy,” Bade said.
Paul Mock, a member of the Interdisciplinary Institute and performer for Live Jazz Tuesdays, explained that he runs events like this so he and the crowd can feed off each others energy.
Mock referred to the positive feedback loop: when an outcome of a process encourages the process, amplifying the outcome.
“These events are contributing to that, and anything that contributes to that is worth doing, worth fighting for and worth preserving,” Mock said.
Besides Live Jazz Tuesdays, the Institute organizes various other events.
Located at 75 E. Chester St., the Interdisciplinary Institute is a hub for self-discovery and a marketplace for creativity and science. Its goal is to educate, promote and conduct STEM and art research.
It offers one-on-one lessons in singing, piano, guitar, production, composition, improvisation, jazz, classical and more as well as workshops and concerts. All lessons come with a student discount for University students.
The Institute also collaborates with other local businesses to produce events similar to Live Jazz Tuesdays, like Soundbath Sundays, DJ Night Wednesdays and Producer Fridays.
Yang recalls her time at the University and explained that she was always in search of something more.
“When I was a student, I was always seeking more opportunities off campus,” Yang said. “I was kind of in my campus bubble. So the institute is a way to give more real-world exposure to people.”
Now the Institute is opening doors for students who, like Yang, want real experience in science, technology, engineering, art and math.
Outside of the Institute, Yang is a performing artist. On Feb. 6, she will perform a classical piano piece at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. Then, on March 8, she will perform a contemporary piano piece at the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians.
Yang and the other members of the Institute feel it’s important to share their art with others, creating a collective experience.
“We want to bring this skill, this art, that we’ve honed for many, many years, and want other people to experience that and hopefully give some of that positive energy back,” Mock said.
