March is Fine Arts Month, and we've been busy!!

The start of 2017 was indeed a busy time in our world, maybe only eclipsed by the time to come at the start of March. 

First off, our jazz bands attended jazz festivals on January 20th. The Jazz Ensemble 1 attended the Purdue Jazz Festival for the third time, earning straight Division 1 ratings for the first time. Students who received Outstanding Soloist awards were Rylan Stephens, Evah Engel, Chloe Brougham, and Jimmy Gleason. Our Orange and Blue JazzBands attended the annual NorthShore JazzFest. The Orange Jazz Ensemble earned a Division 1 rating, and soloist Delaney Henderson earned a scholarship to the MYA Young Artists program for her great playing. 
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Our band boosters put on the most successful BandCake Breakfast in it's brief history. Over $2,000 came back to the band, and many students participated either in service with the food or musical entertainment. 

We also welcomed several special guests the last few months. Clinicians Jerry Lowrey, Tony Kidonakis, and Brian Logan worked with our top jazz band. Charlie Menghini, Director of Bands from VanderCook College of a music, stopped by to work with the Wind Ensemble. And the Drake University Wind Symphony (with OHS alum Sarah Frantik on trumpet) came by and played along with our bands throughout the day, and gave a great concert after that.

Then things REALLY got nuts. In what was one of the busiest stretches we have ever had, we had two curricular concerts, took 84 people to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to see a duel concert between them and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, and attended the Plainfield Band Invitational with the Wind Symphony and Wind Ensemble, all in four days!!!

The craziness finished up on March 7th and 8th. We had one of the most incredible JazzNites ever; our students absolutely rocked it out, and our special guest artist (trumpeter Victor Garcia) dazzled the audience with his special blend of virtuosity and musicianship. The next night, our top jazz band played at Hackney's Jazz Club in Palos Park, opening up for the Brass Tracks Jazz Orchestra.