UNC/Greeley Jazz Festival
by Sublette County School District #1
May 3, 2009
The Pinedale High School Jazz Band traveled to Greeley, Colorado last week to participate in the 39th annual UNC/Greeley Jazz Festival. This festival, put on by University of Northern Colorado and the city of Greeley, is the largest event of its kind in the nation. This festival brings together internationally recognized artists, award-winning clinicians, and over 250 college, high school, and middle school big bands, combos and jazz vocal groups. Each year over 7000 participants enjoy the concerts, performances and educational workshop sessions.
The band performed four tunes for their judges and received a II+ rating and a II rating. They also received four IAJE solo awards with Casey Terrell earning one on his trombone, Kodee Williams on tenor sax, Will Rogers on bari sax and Shanna Corwin on her trumpet. One of the band’s judges was Vern Sielert from the University of Idaho. He also worked with the band in a half hour clinic following their performance. The other judge was Ken Walker.
There are five different adjudication rooms at this festival with each venue featuring different groups at the same time. The room the Pinedale group played in had mainly large schools from Colorado and Wyoming that have more population in their high schools then in the entire town of Pinedale. There were groups from 11 different states (Maryland being the farthest away) and even a group from Winnipeg, Canada in attendance this year.
The Pinedale band played well and represented their community in a fine manner. They were definitely one of the smallest schools at the festival (if not the smallest), but they did not play or act that way.
Students performing in Pinedale Jazz Band I at this festival were Maggie Hudlow, Lizzy Cooney, Will Rogers, Andi Noble, Kodee Williams, Kelsi Dean, Casey Terrell, Jo’Lee Springman, Jake Brunette, Josh Abel, Shanna Corwin, Ashley Transtrum, Dylan Strike, Jayne Thompson, Gus Holz, John Cooney, Harley Estrada, Garrett George, Jared Attanasio, Niko Kolis, Cody Booth, Morgan Holz, Kathryn Konicek and Jordanne Steege. Chaperones for this trip were Ellen Sheppard and Bernie Holz and our bus driver was Ray Sanborn. The band is under the direction of R. Craig Sheppard.
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