Jazz Groups attend State at Casper College
Pinedale Jazz Band and Jazz Choir
by Craig Sheppard
February 15, 2005
The Pinedale Jazz Band and Jazz Choir traveled to Casper College last week to participate in the 38th annual Kinser Jazz Festival. The band performed four tunes for their judges and were rated on their performances both individually and as a group. The jazz choir went for comments only and performed three numbers for their judges.
The choir performed their songs for Dr. Michael Krueger, the head of the choral activities at the University of Wyoming and Celeste Delgado-Pelton, a professional musician and assistant professor of music at Northeastern Junior College. She also conducted a clinic with the Pinedale Jazz Choir after they performed.
The jazz band performed for Paul Romaine. He is on the faculty at the University of Colorado – Boulder and also is a professional drummer who has played and toured with the Woody Herman Jazz Orchestra. He also gave the band a half hour one on one clinic on how they could improve their overall jazz playing. Their other adjudicator was Erik Applegate who is a professional bassist. He also is the managing producer of the UNC/Greeley Jazz Festival. The Pinedale Jazz Band received an over all I rating from their judges. Abe Pearce, Joe Pearce, Forrest Michnevich, Mark Pape, Coulter Stroud, Holden Vargas, Jeff Biffle, Meredith Noble, Joe Steege and Marcus Stowe all were singled out for Outstanding Solo Awards. This is the most individual awards a Pinedale band has received at a Jazz Festival in recent years.
The Pinedale jazz groups did a fine job representing our community and school at this festival. There were over 50 groups attending this festival this year from all over the state. There ratings ranked right up at the top with many large schools.
These groups will continue participating at various jazz festivals throughout the Rocky Mountain region at Northwest College Jazz Festival in Powell March18-19, followed by their District Festival April 15 at Kemmerer and the UNC/Greeley Jazz Festival April 22 before finishing up with their home Spring Jazz Concert April 26th.
Those participating in the jazz choir were Sopranos: Jackie Key, Codi Cramer, Amy Keyser, Jennifer Petersen, Altos: Gracy Huntley, Shaina Belton, Jeslyn McGinnis, Ahna McKee, Sadie Nelson and tenor Dylan Nelson. They were accompanied by Jaclyn Nelson and directed by Gena Anderson.
Jazz Band I performers were Kendall Brunette, May Huntley, Mark Pape, Coulter Stroud, Joe Pearce, Conor Raney, Jeff Biffle, Meredith Noble, Joe Steege, Andy Waxe, Kenny Walker, Holden Vargas, Marcus Stowe, Colter Bennett, Abe Pearce, Paul Ziegenfelder, Eli Mrak, Lawson Williams, Cody Higgins, Nate Stroud and Forrest Michnevich. The jazz band is under the direction of R. Craig Sheppard.
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