Jazz Spectacular
at Loras College
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Photos and
Story by John Woodin
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Audio
Essay by Gary Olsen and John Woodin
February
22, 2001
Click
on the photos to view the larger versions
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 Click
on this button to hear Gary Olsen, John Woodin,
and music teacher Deb Stevens talk about the Jazz Spectacular
at Loras College. For help with listening to Audio Essays, click
on the Sound Safari.
Gary
interviews music teacher Deb Stevens, founder of the Caboose
Jazz Band.
The district
jazz band directors combined some of the best jazz artists in
the midwest with some of the best jazz educators in the midwest.
"The guest clinicians at this year's Dubuque Community
Schools Jazz Spectacular were more than spectacular," said
a Senior High student. "They were awesome."
Loras College
was the host for the 8th annual district Jazz Spectacular on
February 22. Student participants included members of the all
district elementary jazz band The Caboose, the Jefferson Jr.
High Jazz Band, the Washington Jr. High Jazz Studio Ensemble,
the Hempstead High School Jazz Band, the Senior High School
Jazz band and
the Senior High School Swing Band. Jazz students had the opportunity
to perform for the clinicians and receive comments in both the
large ensemble and sectional settings.
Guest clinicians included the director of Jazz Studies at the
University of Northern Iowa along with jazz educators and performers
from Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota and Iowa.
The final
concert was two hours of toe-tapping amazement. The jazz ensembles
from the junior and senior high schools performed, and the day
was capped off by the clinicians who proved that they could
not only talk the talk, but they could also play the tunes.
These "cats" can play as well as teach. Because of
student input, there is consideration to change the title
of the event from the Jazz Spectacular to the Jazz "Awesome."
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