DGS Jazz Musicians are busy preparing for a flurry of jazz events that are certain to warm the spirit of all who attend.
On January 16-17 the Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Lab Band will attend the Purdue University Jazz Festival in West Lafayette, Indiana. The groups will compete against jazz ensembles from more than 70 high schools around the midwest, and, they'll receive expert adjudicator feedback on how to improve as an ensemble.
On Tuesday, January 20, the student musicians will be treated to a performance and a rehearsal clinic from the Columbia College Faculty Combo. This renowned Columbia Ensemble will perform for students in both jazz bands, then, faculty members will listen to each ensemble and offer suggestions for improvement.
On Thursday, January 22, the musicians will participate in the DGS Jazz Cafe'. This annual event features student musicians from DGS sender schools Eisenhower, Jefferson, Lakeview and O'Neill. The event begins at 6:30 PM in the DGS cafetorium and admission is free. In addition to some of the hottest jazz music in the Western Suburbs, charitable donations will be accepted for the group Potters for Peace, an organization that teaches underersourced cultures how to make water purification devices. For more information go to http://www.pottersforpeace.org/
Finally, our DGS jazz musicians will perform alongside the renowned Northern Illinois University Jazz Band, directed by Ron Carter, featuring internationally acclaimed jazz trumpeter Lew Soloff - http://www.lewsoloff.com/. The District 99/NIU Jazz Festival is Friday, February 6, 2009 at 7:00 PM in the Clarence Johnson Auditorium at Downers Grove North HS. Adult tickets are $8, student tickets are $6, and they are available at the door. In addition to performing with the NIU band, our student jazz musicians will work side by side with NIU musicians, Ron Carter, and Lew Soloff.
Be certain to catch all of these events to provide a warm sonic blast for the deep midwestern winter!
