Illinois schools score big at 2007 Purdue Jazz Festival

Thursday, January 25, 2007

 

Five jazz big bands and two combos received “Honor Band” awards, the highest recognition given, in competition at the 17th annual Purdue Jazz Festival held Saturday, Jan. 20, on Purdue’s West Lafayette campus.

It was a particularly big day for Campaign Central High School who had two different big bands bring home Honor Awards with a third Honor Band award given to the school system’s middle school, Edison Middle School. All the schools are located in Champaign, IL. Several Champaign students also won individual awards.

More than 1,500 students representing ensembles from 43 high schools and middle schools in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Kentucky attended the competition and surrounding events. An Honor Band award was given in each of seven performance venues to the band that received the highest scores from the judges. The band that scored second in each competition venue received an “Outstanding Performance” award. The “Judge’s Award” given in each venue was awarded at the discretion of the judges. Various soloist awards were also presented.

Other big bands awarded Honor Band status at the 2007 Purdue Jazz Festival were John Hersey HS from Arlington Heights, IL; and Downers Grove North HS II from Downers Grove, IL. Honor Combos included Downers Grove North HS II from Downers Grove, IL; and Bloomington North HS III from Bloomington, IN.

 

Purdue Union / North Ballroom – Middle School Big Bands

Honor Band – Edison MS, Champaign, IL
Outstanding Performance – Woodrow Wilson MS, Terre Haute, IN
Judge’s Award – Zionsville MS, Zionsville, IN Outstanding Soloists
Tanner Guslin, drums, Edison MS
Kevin Kuo, trombone and piano, Woodrow Wilson MS

Purdue Stewart Center / Fowler Hall – High School Big Bands

Honor Band – John Hersey HS I, Arlington Heights, IL
Outstanding Performance – Lincoln Way East HS, Frankfort, IL
Judge’s Award – Bloomington North HS I, Bloomington, IN Outstanding Soloists:
Alex Blumarz, Lincoln Way East
Kevin Jacobs, John Hersey HS

Purdue Stewart Center / Loeb Playhouse – High School Big Bands

Honor Band – Champaign Central HS I, Champaign, IL
Outstanding Performance – Downers Grove North HS I
Judge’s Award – Concord High School, Elkhart, IN Outstanding Soloists
Rusty Jehangir, trombone, Downers Grove North HS I
Michael Anderson, tenor sax, Champaign Central HS I

Purdue Stewart Center / Room 302 – High School Big Bands

Honor Band – Downers Grove North HS II, Downers Grove, IL
Outstanding Performance – Downers Grove South HS II, Downers Grove, IL
Judge’s Award – Downers Grove South HS II, Downers Grove, IL Outstanding Soloists:
Bryant Toles, piano, Kokomo HS, Kokomo, IN
Sebastian Garcia, bass, Downers Grove North HS II

Elliott Hall of Music – High School Big Bands

Honor Band – Champaign Central HS II, Champaign, IL
Outstanding Performance – Valparaiso HS III, Valparaiso, IN
Judge’s Award – Valparaiso HS III Outstanding Soloists
Evan Slazinik, Champaign Central HS II
Stephen Trout, Concord HS II, Elkhart, IN

Purdue Union / West Faculty Lounge - Combos

Honor Band – Downers Grove North HS I, Downers Grove, IL
Outstanding Performance – Champaign Central HS, Champaign, IL
Judge’s Award – Downers Grove North HS I, Downers Grove, IL Outstanding Soloists:
Michael Anderson, tenor sax, Champaign Central 1
Rusty Jehangir, trombone, Downers Grove North I

University Church - Combos

Honor Band – Bloomington North HS III, Bloomington, IN
Outstanding Performance – North Central HS II, Indianapolis, IN
Judge’s Award – Carmel Catholic HS, Mundelin, IL Outstanding Soloists
Tom Whiteman, drums, Bloomington North HS III
Nate Sokolski, drums, Champaign Central HS, Champaign, IL

SPECIAL AWARDS

 

Several festival participants qualified for tuition awards for summer jazz workshops, based on their talent. Michael Anderson of Champaign Central HS, Champaign, IL, and Tyler Scott of Snider HS, Fort Wayne, IN, received awards to attend the Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshop in Louisville, KY. Peter Haralovich from Bloomington North HS, Bloomington, IN, and Justin Kono from Downers Grove South HS, Downers Grove, IL, received awards to attend the Indiana University Summer Music Clinic.

Four other students were selected to perform as the Festival’s “All-Star Combo” at the Finale Concert on Jan. 20. They were Lewis Rogers, guitar; Peter Haralovich, bass; and Ben Lumsdaine, drums/cymbals, all from Bloomington North HS, Bloomington, IN, and Michael Anderson, tenor sax, Champaign Central High School, Champaign, IL.

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