“Although weather conditions prevented several schools from competing this year, the excitement for those who blew in was palatable during the festival. It is always a bright spot of hearing and making music, music, music,” said Margaret Schultz, Northeast director of choral activities and festival director. “Having students from across the Midwest here on campus for the festival, was truly a delight.”
The two-day event, sponsored by the Northeast Area Jazz Ensemble and Northeast Music Department, drew 60 musical groups featuring 1,300 students plus directors from Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota.
The competition hosted jazz bands and show/jazz choirs for schools in four levels. Trophies were presented over the two days for first, second, third, and fourth place and solo and instrumental awards. In addition, tuition waiver scholarships were awarded to some senior student participants.
Schultz said the Jazz Festival helps students develop as musicians and shows them what other schools are doing. It also presents an opportunity to current collegiate students to be a part of how the festival works. She said the most rewarding part is the award ceremonies as recognition is given to the top four groups and an outstanding soloist in each category.
“The hushed anticipation and then the cheers and applause for each group announced never gets old,” Schultz said. “The quality adjudication comments provide musicianship growth to both students and directors. All in all, the festival ran very smoothly due to the support of Northeast Area Jazz Ensemble, the college and the Northeast students who help work the festival. Coming inside from the blustery conditions and warming to the sounds of music, those in attendance expressed their pleasure to hear these young musicians.”
Results from the Jazz Festival include:
DAY 1 TROPHY PLACEMENTS
LEVEL IV
1. Norfolk Junior High #1; 2. Norfolk Junior High # 2; 3. Pender Public
Pender; 4. Due to inclement weather some groups were not able to attend.
Outstanding Soloist: Blake Faust, Alto Saxophone, Norfolk Jr. High.
Level IV Show Choir
Norfolk Junior High; 2. Norfolk Catholic Junior High; 3 and 4. Due to inclement weather some groups were not able to attend.
Outstanding Soloist: Blake Faust, Alto Saxophone, Norfolk Junior High.
Level III Band
1. Ponca Public School; 2. Stanton Community School; 3. Norfolk Catholic High School
4. Centennial High School, Utica.
Outstanding Soloist: Matthew Hoops, Trumpet, Centennial High School, Utica.
Level III Show Choir
1. Westwood CSD, Sloan, Iowa; 2. Bishop Neumann Catholic High Schoo, Wahoo; 3.
Aquinas Catholic High School, David City; 4. Norfolk Catholic High School.
Outstanding Soloist: Jack Wylie, Bishop Neumann, Wahoo.
Level III Vocal Jazz
1. Stanton Community; 2. Ponca Public School; 3. and 4. Due to inclement weather some groups were not able to attend.
Outstanding Soloist: Brooklyn Lowe, Ponca Public School.
DAY 2 TROPHY PLACEMENTS
Level II Band
1. Dakota Valley School, North Sioux City, S.D.; 2. Nebraska City High School
Nebraska City; 3. Blair High School; 4. Due to inclement weather some groups were not able to attend.
Outstanding Soloist: Stella Young, Trombone, Nebraska City High School.
Level II Show Choir
Due to inclement weather some groups were not able to attend.
Level II Vocal Jazz
Due to inclement weather some groups were not able to attend.
Level I Band
1. Sioux City East High School; 2. Norfolk High School #1; 3. Millard South High School,
Omaha; 4. Columbus High School.
Outstanding Soloist: Jackson Dibaise, Alto Saxophone, Millard South Omaha.
Level I Vocal Jazz
1. Columbus High School; 2. Thomas Jefferson High School, Council Bluffs, Iowa; Outstanding Soloist: Aiden Ballentine, Columbus High School.
Level I Show Choir
1. Norfolk High School; 2. Thomas Jefferson High School, Council Bluffs, Iowa; 3 and 4. Due to inclement weather some groups were not able to attend.
Outstanding Soloist: Gabriel Russell, Thomas Jefferson, Council Bluffs, Iowa.
NORTHEAST JAZZ FESTIVAL SUPERIOR (I) SHOW CHOIR RATINGS
School, Level
Norfolk Junior High, IV; Norfolk Catholic Junior High, IV; Aquinas Catholic High School, III;
Bishop Neumann Catholic High School, III; Westwood CSD, Sloan, Iowa, III;
Norfolk High School, I; Thomas Jefferson High School, Council Bluffs, Iowa, I;
NORTHEAST JAZZ FESTIVAL SUPERIOR (I) JAZZ CHOIR RATINGS
School, Level
Ponca Public School, III; Stanton Community School, III; Columbus High School, I; Thomas Jefferson High School, I.
NORTHEAST JAZZ FESTIVAL SUPERIOR (I) JAZZ BAND RATINGS
School, Level
Norfolk Junior High #2, IV; Norfolk Junior High #1, IV; Ponca Public Schools, III; Stanton Community Schools, III; Homer Public School, III; Dakota Valley School District, II; North Sioux City, S.D.; Blair High School, II; Nebraska City High School, II; Papillion LaVista High School, I; Norfolk High School #1, I; Sioux City East High School, I; Columbus High School, I; Millard South High School, I;
NORTHEAST JAZZ FESTIVAL EXCELLENT (II) SHOW CHOIR RATINGS
School, Level
Centennial High School, III;
NORTHEAST JAZZ FESTIVAL EXCELLENT (II) JAZZ CHOIR RATINGS
School Level
Due to inclement weather some groups were not able to attend
NORTHEAST JAZZ FESTIVAL EXCELLENT (II) JAZZ BAND RATINGS
School Level
Pender Public Junior High School, IV; Pender Public High School, III; Norfolk Catholic High School, III; Centennial High School, III; Dakota Valley School District, III; North Sioux City, S.D.; Blair High School, III; Nebraska City High School, III; Norfolk High #2, I; South Sioux City, I;
VOCAL SOLO AWARDS
Bishop Neumann Catholic High School, Wahoo — Joe Haberman, Jack Wylie.
Columbus High School — Aiden Ballentine, Breanna Wemhoff, Brittney Munoz, Ella May Shevlin, Fatima Munoz, Nathaniel Navarrete.
Norfolk Catholic Junior and Senior High School —Elizabeth Kassmeier, Keelyn Bamsey, Miranda Headley, William Harrington.
Norfolk Junior and Senior High School -- Andrew Henkel, Blake Faust, Kinley Adams, Nora Springer, Levi Phelps, Jay Koozer, Kylie Sisson.
Ponca Public School — Abby Fernau, Brooklyn Lowe.
Stanton Community School —Kennedie Gartner, Mia Sherman.
Thomas Jefferson High School, Council Bluffs, Iowa — Gwyneth Sudario, Lily Mitchell, Gabriel Russell, Cree Christensen.
Westwood CSD, Sloan, Iowa —Chase Lee, Jayna Tucker.
INSTRUMENTAL SOLO AWARDS
Blair High School, Blair — Ben Anderson, Guitar; Derek Penner, Piano; Truman Stanley, Trumpet.
Centennial Public School, Utica — Kate Lubbe, Alto Saxophone; Matthew Hoops, Trumpet.
Columbus High School — Jarrett Peabody, Alto Saxophone; Reese Carlson, Guitar.
Dakota Valley School District, North Sioux City, S.D. — Ben Phillips, Bari Saxophone; Eli Honner, Piano; Nick Hanson, Trumpet; Owen Norby, Tenor Saxophone.
Homer Community School — Okie Bolles, Trumpet.
Nebraska City High School, -- Jayden Bailey, Flugelhorn; Stella Young, Trombone.
Norfolk Junior and Senior High School, Norfolk—Jenna Probasca, Trumpet; Nathan Solorio, Bari Saxophone; Allie Scholl, Trumpet; Blake Faust, Alto Saxophone; Jonah Thone, Drums; Keegan Barr, Alto Saxophone; Keyaira Monroe, Trumpet; Noah Asbury, Trombone; Ryker Dahlkoetter, Trombone.
Papillion LaVista South High School — Connor Bigelow, Trombone; Ethan Mann, Tenor Saxophone; Michael Williams, Drums.
Pender Public Schools —Brody Krusemark, Tenor Saxophone; Easton Dutcher, Guitar.
Sioux City East High School, Sioux City, Iowa — Ella Gosch, Trombone; Isabelle Barrett, Trombone; Nathan Carey, Trombone; Nicolas Sawyer, Trombone.
Stanton Community School — Aubrey Kment, Alto Saxophone.
$1,000 TUITION WAIVER SCHOLARSHIPS
Columbus High School — Lillian Hudnall Papillion.
LaVista High School — Kimberly Engel.
Sioux City East High School, Sioux City, Iowa — KayLynn DeBates.
Stanton High School —Micah Mcgillivray, Tori Ruppert.
Jazz Festival cutline
The Norfolk Junior High Jazz Team #2 was among the performers during the Northeast Area Jazz Ensemble Northeast Community College Jazz Festival. (Northeast Community College)
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