Mount Si High School has history of award-winning Jazz Bands. Last weekend, Jazz Band I placed third at the Bellevue Jazz Festival, often described as the “state championship” of high school jazz bands. The annual fundraising event, Jazz at the Club, is the primary fundraiser for the Mount Si High School Band Program. Money raised supports band trips, instruments and repair, sheet music, competition fees and scholarships.
This year’s Jazz at the Club happens Friday, May 18th, from 7:30-9:30PM at the TPC Snoqualmie Ridge Clubhouse. The event includes dessert and music by both of the Mount Si Jazz Bands, as well as guest trumpeter Jim Sisko. Mount Si Music Booster Board member, Jane-Ellen Seymour, says, “Jazz at the Club is an elegant event that provides a lovely evening out to enjoy good jazz by talented kids.”
And they are indeed talented. In addition to its high-ranking Bellevue Jazz Festival Performance, Jazz Band I competed and earned a slot at this year’s Swing Central National Festival. In late March they traveled to Savannah, Georgia to perform at the annual festival.
Earlier this year, senior, Matt Baumgardner, performed with the Grammy Band in Los Angeles at the 2012 Grammy Awards. He was also recently accepted into the Monterey Jazz Festival program, The Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, and will tour Japan with them later this summer. Next year Matt will attend The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York City.
Along with Matt, many MSHS Jazz Band members are honors and AP students, involved in other school clubs, sports, National Honor Society or ASB. Some also work. Most, if not all of them, have been getting up and coming to school at 6:30 every morning for the majority of their high school careers. Jane-Ellen says, “Being in the music program teaches them discipline, teamwork, poise and makes them more attuned to the rest of their studies.”
Next year, Jazz Band seniors will be attending universities and colleges such as MIT, University of Washington, Washington State University, Western and Central Washington Universities. Some are even traveling to Chicago, Boston, St. Louis, New York and Washington DC for college.
Again, Jazz at the Club happens Friday, May 18th, at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge from 7:30-9:30PM. Tickets are a $50 donation and include an evening of award-winning jazz music, dessert and a no-host bar. The deadline to purchase tickets and ensure a dessert is Sunday, May 13th. Tickets can still be purchased after this date, but dessert cannot be guaranteed. To purchase tickets visit the Mount Si High School Music Boosters website.
