Schools

Downers Grove South Jazz Ensemble Selected for National Competition, Workshop

The ensemble will participate it the eighth annual Swing Central Jazz High School Jazz Band Competition and Workshop in Savannah, GA, in March.

The Jazz Ensemble at South High School in Downers Grove is one of only 12 bands nationwide to be selected to participate in the eighth annual SWING CENTRAL JAZZ High School Jazz Band Competition & Workshop in Savannah, Georgia.  The event, produced by the Savannah Music Festival, will take place March 27-29, 2013. 

“We are thrilled to have been selected to participate in this fantastic event,” says South High’s Jazz Ensemble Director Craig Roselieb. “Our student musicians are very talented and deserving of the opportunity to immerse themselves in this experience, and to expand their musical abilities and knowledge.” The group participated in a similar festival, Essentially Ellington, in 2011 at Lincoln Center in New York City. 

During their stay in Savannah, students will work with jazz masters, perform in showcases on Savannah’s River Street, play in competition rounds, and attend a variety of performances. 

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“It was a difficult process to select our 12 high school bands from a very strong group of applicants,” says Associate Artistic Director Marcus Roberts. “We will have a great group of world-class musicians working with these bands in team settings during the festival.” 

In addition to South High School, the program will feature the following bands, all of which will be competing for $13,000 in cash awards: 

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  • Agoura High School Studio Jazz Band from Agoura High School (Agoura Hills, CA) 
  • Agoura High School Jazz “A” from Agoura High School (Agoura Hills, CA) 
  • Charleston School of the Arts Jazz from Charleston School of the Arts (Charleston, SC)
  • Camden Creative Arts Jazz Band from Creative Arts Morgan Village Academy (Camden, NJ)
  • Denver School of the Arts Jazz Workshop Orchestra from Denver School of the Arts (Denver, CO) 
  • Grissom High School “A” Jazz Band from Grissom High School (Huntsville, AL)
  • Lower Moreland High School Jazz Ensemble from Lower Moreland High School (Huntingdon Valley, PA) 
  • Overton High School Blue Jazz Ensemble from Overton High School (Memphis, TN)
  • Savannah Arts Academy Jazz Band One from Savannah Arts Academy (Savannah, GA) 
  • Tarpon Springs High School Jazz Ensemble I from Tarpon Springs High School (Tarpon Springs, FL)
  • The Lovett School Jazz Ensemble from The Lovett School (Atlanta, GA) 

The competition portion of the event will be webcasted on March 29, 2013.

The event is part of the Savannah Music Festival, which runs March 20 through April 6. The festival includes more than 100 performances of world-class jazz, classical, blues, bluegrass, gospel and other genres of American and international roots music in intimate venues throughout the historic district of Savannah. For more information, visit http://www.savannahmusicfestival.org.

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