Jazz VP Report
By Mike Sakash, [email protected]
Maine State Jazz Festival Scoring
At the MMEA conference this year members voted to adopt a “Gold” ,
“Silver”, “Bronze”, system for awards. This system recognizes bands and
choirs that receive the appropriate score to receive an award, regardless of
division. A survey was recently sent to all MMEA members regarding the
scoring for this system. If you wish to weigh in on the scoring, please check
your email for the survey. The goal is to tweak the “Gold” “Silver” and
“Bronze” levels so that they represent a significant accomplishment for
students, and align with the scoring rubric that is already in place for Maine’s
state jazz festivals. This year’s high school state jazz festivals will include a
night showcase featuring gold medal ensembles, as well as a guest artist
performance.
Jazz Residencies in Maine Schools
Exposing students to world-class musicians can often have a lasting impact
their musical development. I vividly recall stepping into a club in
Northampton, MA while legendary alto saxophonist Phil Woods was warming
up for his first set. I was a freshman in high school, but those sounds are
still with me every time I play. This year students in Maine will be lucky to
have access to a wide variety of top-flight jazz musicians. What follows is a
listing of a few of these events, along with a short description of each artist.
• Dave Douglas Master Class: Saturday, October 8, 2-3:30, Corthell
Hall, University of Southern Maine
Dave Douglas is a New York based trumpet player, band leader, and
composer who leads a wide variety of creative ensembles. As a composer
and band leader, Dave’s career spans over forty highly acclaimed recordings.
For more information, contact the USM School of Music. (https://
usm.maine.edu/music)