The Medfield High School Jazz Ensemble won initial place in a 2011 Charles Mingus High School Competition and Festival hold during a Manhattan School of Music in New York City dual weeks ago.
This was Medfield’s initial year in a foe where a rope played “Nostalgia in Times Square,” “Opus 4,” and “Gun Slingin’ Bird” (Watch videos of a performances below.)
“The kids competence have been shaken though they positively didn’t play like they were nervous,” pronounced rope executive Doug Olsen of a foe named for famed jazz musician Charles Mingus (1922-1979). “They played with a passion and knowledge of veteran musicians…Their credentials on a song was excellent, and their passion for music, Charles Mingus’s song in particular, is generally noteworthy.”
It was notable to a judges who awarded Medfield initial place in a Big Band difficulty of non-specialized humanities schools; and also handed awards to Medfield’s superb trombone section, and Outstanding Soloist to trombonist Kevin Holbrook.
“I was really unapproachable of my whole [trombone] section,” Holbrook said. “We’ve come a prolonged way.”
“I was really nervous,” he pronounced of his solo. “I’ve always been shy about soloing though I’ve been operative tough a final few weeks…I went out there and we knew this was a solo of my life and we usually went for it…It was a best I’ve ever played. The adrenalin contingency have been flowing. It was a good feeling.”
Holbrook pronounced Medfield was out-performing some of a behaving humanities schools during a competition, that he pronounced spoke rarely of a Medfield Music Department, and Olsen in particular.
“We usually use once a week for 2 1/2 hours,” he said. “We work hard, and we have a good executive and a good organisation of kids. We’re vehement with First Place.”
The 24-member jazz rope was in New York City from Feb. 19 to 21 and participated in clinics, master classes and jam sessions during a Manhattan School of Music, attended a Mingus Orchestra opening during Saint Bartholomew’s Church, and attended a Mingus Big Band unison during a Jazz Standard club.
“There was a jam event in a afternoon,” pronounced Holbrook, observant a groups were churned to embody opposite students from opposite a nation who were afterwards assimilated by members of a Mingus Big Band. “To play with people who played with Mingus, and his mother being a one doing a competition, was incredible.”
Outstanding Soloists (including Holbrook) sat in with a Mingus Big Band – that was respected during this year’s Grammy Awards for a “Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album” for Mingus Big Band Live during Jazz Standard – during a opening on Sunday night.
“It’s something that will go down in history, that we were initial place winners this year,” pronounced Olsen. “To grasp something like that on a inhabitant turn is extraordinary and moving for all destiny students in a song dialect since they’re going to be means to take partial in something like that.”
The Medfield High School Jazz Ensemble will play during a annual jazz night unison on Apr 29 and will underline Mingus Big Band lead wail actor Alex Sipiagin.
For some-more information on Mingus or a competition, revisit www.mingusmingusmingus.com.
Video: Nostalgia in Times Square
Video: Opus 4
Video: Gunslingin’ Bird