Lenape students to present jazz festival

Lenape Regional High School District students will be presenting the third jazz festival this month on Feb. 22 at Seneca High School.

Students in the selected jazz bands will compete with 10 area high schools for the top honor as best jazz ensemble.

This will be the last competition before the bands travel together to the Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Mass.

“With so many jazz bands participating this year, there will be music to satisfy every jazz enthusiast, from swing and Latin to measured ballads,” said Shawnee director of bands Nick Rotindo said in a release. “Our Jazz Ensemble plays with the heart and soul of real jazz musicians and will close the concert with a couple of great numbers. We’re very proud of them all, and appreciate all of the community support.”

Shawnee’s Jazz Festival was held on Feb.8.

“It’s a competition, but must of all it’s a presentation of local talent,” said Rotindo.

Two bands from Shawnee have been competing in the multiple festivals.

The Shawnee Jazz Ensemble, the highest offered program of jazz, and the jazz band,the training band for students new to jazz, will be performing at Seneca.

“We like to give the kids as much as possible,” said Rotindo. “Unfortunately, jazz is more selective so it’s not as large as the marching band.”

Musical arrangements for jazz are composed for about 17 to 20 musicians.

“The jazz class teaches the musicians about jazz band. It gives them the tools necessary for the rest of their lives as a jazz player or in the future as a jazz major,” Rotindo said.

According to Rotindo, of about 20 members of jazz band, only about two go on each year to study jazz education.

The remainder of the players continues musical endeavors without studying the musical style in college.

Judges will be local musicians. They’ll critique bands, giving awards to best sections and best soloist.

“They’ll give the award to the best soloist who had the best improvising, which is the foundation of jazz” said Rotindo.

The competition isn’t as fierce as a marching band competition, according to Rotindo.

“My kids love listening to the other bands that show up to the competition, it isn’t like what you would see in a marching band competition. The feel of it is different,” he said.

The weekend of March 1, Seneca High School jazz band members and Shawnee students will be traveling together to Boston to compete. The bands will compete separately, but will travel and stay together at the convention center.

“The trip is always fun and a highlight for everyone,” said Seneca band director Doug Barber. “Friday night [when we arrive] we’ll go out and see professional musicians play. They won’t be jazz musicians, but we’ll be seeing the Boston Symphony.”

According to Rotindo, the event is the largest one-day jazz fest in America.

The Berklee College of Music critiques each band.

“They learn a lot while they’re there,” said Rotindo. “They get the chance to know the kids from Seneca and network. It’s a great weekend for everyone involved.”

Seneca’s Jazz Festival will be held at Seneca on Feb. 22 at 5 p.m. Seneca High School is located at 110 Carranza Rd. in Tabernacle.

For more information, visit, lrhsd.org