After a cold, harsh, winter, the first sign of spring is coming.
The MTHS Jazz Festival is a celebration of all things jazz. Eight bands will perform, and a panel of two judges will score each performance, with each ensemble performing three jazz charts.
The festival is a TIA (Tournament Indoor Association) sanctioned event, the counterpart of Marching Band’s sanctioning body, the TOB. (Tournament of Bands)
Our own Jazz Ensemble, under the instruction of the Director of Bands Andrew Fodor, has been practicing since early January for this event. Besides their home festival, the Jazz ensemble will take stage at Somerville HS on March 20th, Jackson Township HS on April 18th, and pending Board of Education approval, they’ll take their annual theme-park trip to Hersheypark on May 30th, after performing at a Hershey-area high school.
MTHS senior Athens Licitra, lead trumpet in the Jazz Band said the following about her time in Jazz Band. “It [Jazz Band] is a way for me to improve and upgrade my skills, in a genre of music that I really like. Running a Jazz festival last year was really cool, and being able to watch how other bands and ensembles performed was great, and helped me improve my playing.”
The pieces that our MTHS Jazz Band will perform are Oye Como Va, a Latin Rock piece by Tito Puente, Five Spot After Dark, composed by Benny Golson, and Ain’t Misbehavin’, by Thomas “Fats” Waller.
Doors for the festival will open at 5:30, with the first band taking the stage at 6:00. The event will be ticketed, with the cost being $15/ticket. Proceeds will support the MTHS Music Department.
When asked why the regular student should go or care about the festival, the aforementioned Director of Bands Andrew Fodor said “It’s a different style of music than we’re used to, it’s a good night of music, not only for the performers, but for the community.”
With spring on the way, birds begin to chirp, leaves begin to grow, and the warmth of music begins to grow throughout the community. Come out to the Hawks Nest on Friday, February 27th at 5:30 PM for a jazzy night of music!
