BHS Jazz Band Going Big-Time

Berklee College of Music's 44th High School Jazz Festival will showcase over 3,000 students and 200 bands and vocal ensembles from 13 U.S. states and Ontario, Canada, competing for $175,000 in scholarships to Berklee's Five-Week Summer Performance Program.

Berlin High School will be competing in the competition.

The largest high school jazz festival in the U.S. will include clinics and concerts by drummer Kendrick Scott, saxophonist Hailey Niswanger, and SF Jazz faculty members. Berklee’s Tower of Power and P-Funk ensembles, the Berklee Rainbow Band, and the Berklee City Music High School Academy will perform.

"Ray Sinclair, the Jazz Band director, and I are very excited about the Jazz Band's participation in the festival," said Mark Bowing, Music and Band teacher. "This will be Berlin High School's first venture into the world of competitive Jazz Band. Our goal is to establish a group at BHS that can represent our school and community at the regional/national level.

"The Berklee Jazz Festival is the largest of its kind in the United States. This being our first year of national-level competition, we are hoping that the students have a great learning experience and come away with a positive attitude about the whole idea of competition. If so, Mr. Sinclair plans to register the group for more competitions next year."

The entire event is free and open to the public, and will take place on Saturday, March 10, 2012, at the Hynes Convention Center, 900 Boylston Street, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Scholarship and award winners will be announced at 6 p.m., followed by a winners showcase concert at 7:30 p.m. Find the complete schedule at berkleejazz.org.
 
Prestigious honors will also be awarded to a band director and a student for outstanding achievements. Dr. Ferdinand A. Pasqua, director of bands and district liaison for Harrison (NY) County Public Schools, will receive the Take Note Award for his innovation in contemporary music education. As this years winner of the Herb Pomeroy Jazz Composition/Arranging Contest, Princeton (NJ) High School student Frank Rein will hear his winning piece, “I Think I’ll Miss You Most Of All,” performed by the Berklee Rainbow Band, and receive a full scholarship for a Berklee Five Week Summer Performance Program.