SIOUX FALLS - Eighteen high school students from three Sioux Falls schools will come together to hone their jazz skills while forming the Sioux Falls Jazz & Blues Society’s All City High School Jazz Ensemble.

The ensemble, along with Augustana’s award winning Northlanders Jazz Band, will perform in concert on Tuesday, December 2, at 7:30 p.m. in Kresge Recital Hall, located in the Humanities Building on the campus of Augustana College. The concert is free and open to the public. A free will donation will be accepted. The Humanities Building is accessible from 30th Street and Grange Avenue.

Dr. Paul Schilf, associate director of bands at Augustana, will conduct the group.

While practicing for the December event, the high school and college students will also participate in a workshop with Grammy winning guest artist Bobby Shew.

Shew has performed as the lead trumpet for many well-known acts including Tommy Dorsey, Della Reese, and Buddy Rich. Shew provides the trumpet sound on the “Rocky” recordings. The Northlanders Jazz Band will perform with Shew, sharing the concert stage with the All-City group and the Augustna Jazz Lab.

“The 2008 All City Jazz Ensemble unites the students from Washington, Roosevelt, and Lincoln in a non competitive art form and provides and aesthetic educational experience that is intrinsically rewarding,” said Dr. Schilf. “It is exciting both groups have the opportunity to play with a world class musician like Bobby Shew.”

The All City Jazz Ensemble is funded through the Sioux Falls Jazz & Blues Society and K & M music. The Society’s Educational Fund provides supplemental music education opportunities to the youth in the Sioux Falls community. This is the fourth year the Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues Society has partnered with Augustana to provide this quality opportunity for the area High Schools.

The Sioux Falls Jazz & Blues Society’s Michael Miller Scholarship will be awarded to a high school jazz ensemble participant. This $1,000 college scholarship allows students to further their musical studies at an in-state, four-year institution.

Meredith Reynolds, a student at Augustana and a member of the Northlanders Jazz Band, won the scholarship in 2007.
 

Bruce Conley
Director News Information
Phone: 605.274.5526
Fax: 605.274.4903