001[applause] >> Please welcome the Beaver Dam Middle School Jazz Band. I'm Debbie Battenberg. I'm the director of the Beaver Dam Middle School Jazz Band and I'm going to also welcome you tonight to our Jazz Fest. I was counting tonight how long some of how many some of you have probably been to if your student was with me in Jazz Band or or with Miss Lopez in middle school. I think it could be five that you were at because of COVID, five or six. Fortunately, it's not six or seven. It's either five or six. But anyway, um I like a little tired of that one, but it's still there. Um I love teaching Jazz Band. These kids go over and above and um all of us teachers that that are teaching them, I think, experience the
002same thing, which is just that dedication to their craft on their instrument. And as a teacher of Jazz Band, it's incredibly rewarding and I'm sure this is true of my colleagues because when when the kids first join in middle school, like they barely even know what Jazz is, most of them, unless you've listened to it at home. Most of them don't really have a great idea of what it is. And of course, Jazz is like lots of things. Um so, when they come to me in Jazz Band, first of all, it's music they're not used to. It's a swing beat, which is different. The counting is a little bit weird and different. And then the band, although this is a big band, it's small it's smaller than the regular band. So, their part is really
003exposed. So, the music's different. It's kind of hard and their part's really exposed. And if they stick it out through that first year and then they continue through the second year, the confidence and then continue on through high school, the confidence, I'm sure you see this as parents, just keeps growing and growing and growing. And it's so awesome as a teacher to watch that happen. And I have to believe that, you know, that confidence Well, they take it back to the regular band group. So, it's great for our program as a whole. And then I also know it's great for them just as people. So, um so, it's really fun teaching Jazz Band. So, uh we are going to start out with a Freddie Mercury, a Queen song from 1979, Crazy Little Thing Called Love.
004You're going to hear two soloists on this, Amy Utech and Elena Soldner. >> [applause] [music] [applause] [music] [applause] >> So, like I said, one of the fun things is watching their confidence grow and you heard a couple soloists. We have a bunch on this next piece. Um and they're all going to happen right in a row, so if you can hold your applause till the end. So, we have Scarlet Derchi, Faith Bell, Amy Utech, Elena Soldner, Charlie Rowland, Gradyn Straseske and Sadie Zeeman all soloing on our next song called Escalator Blues. >> [music] [music] [applause] [music] [applause] >> We have a change in percussionist, so to eat up that time, I would like all the kids who are in eighth grade wave your hand uh really high so we can see how many eighth graders
005we have. And now seventh graders wave your hands. And seventh graders, aren't there more? I feel like there are more of you. And then anyone who's on a second instrument, not your normal instrument? Yeah, so we have a bunch of kids already. You see that a lot in high school, but already starting to learn these extra instruments, which is pretty awesome. Um our last song Bugle Call Rag, and we've got some soloists on this as well. Amy Utech, Scarlet Dirchi, Hannah Mankey, and Grayden Strzeszewski. >> [music] [music] [applause] [music] [applause] >> Good evening. Thank you so much for being here. I echo everything Mrs. Bettenberg said. Um I know it takes extra extra rides and things to get your your students to and from jazz band. It's such a great experience um for them, and
006we really get to see them grow. So, thank you for giving them that opportunity and for being here and supporting it. The first piece we're going to play for you today is called Can't Buy Me Love. It's a Lennon-McCartney tune, Beatles tune from the '60s. And there are two solos. The first will be Teagan Bolch on flute, and the second will be Easton Stahli on trumpet. >> [music] [music] [applause] [applause and music] [music] [applause] >> Thank you so much. Um, our next song we're doing is Malaguena. It is based on a a very famous Spanish tune. Um, probably the most famous version was by Stan Kenton. Um, and we have another trumpet solo on this one, Easton Stahli. >> [music] [music] [applause] [music] [applause] [music] [applause] >> Thank you so much. I also want to
007mention that because we are a smaller band, um, even though solos aren't mentioned often times for most of the parts there is one person a part and that's pretty typical of a lot of jazz music as well. Um, so all of you are doing a great job and they really they're really growing. Um, I also wanted to mention in that first that first song that I forgot to, um, both of those solos were improvised and improvisation is something that I still get nervous about, um, that you're just playing based on the chords and you're making up the solo as you go. So, it's super super impressive to me when middle schoolers can can stand up in front of a big crowd and do that. Yeah. >> [applause] >> This last song you probably know, it's
008called Sweet Caroline. >> [music] [music] [applause] [cheering] [applause] >> All right, hello. We are Jazz 2. Um so our first tune is Orange Sherbet by Sammy Nestico. So originally recorded in 1975 by Count Basie and titled because Basie loved to eat orange sherbet. This fresh setting features strong jazz figures and bright swing style. Miles Weedenhoft and Charlie Scholes will play a trumpet and piano solo in the middle of this chart. 2 1 2 ready and >> [music] [music] [applause] [music] [applause] [music] [applause] >> Our next tune is Cruisin' by Mike Tomaro. Mike Tomaro has been director of jazz studies at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh since 1997. As a saxophonist, flutist, clarinetist, composer, arranger, and educator, he earned his uh bachelor uh uh bachelor of music degree in music education from Duquesne University and his master's
009um in saxophone performance from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. Prior to his appointment at Duquesne, he lived in Washington D.C. area for 17 years as a member of the Army Blues Jazz Ensemble, a unit of the prestigious Pershing's Own U.S. Army Band. Tomorrow composed this rock chart which will feature Gianni Gigante on alto saxophone. >> [music] [music] [applause] [music] [applause] >> All right, our next chart is Land of Make-Believe. Um this is a Chuck Mangione tune arranged by Victor Lopez. So, um Land of Make-Believe is the eighth album by jazz artist Chuck Mangione released in 1973. And the title song is sung by Esther Satterfield and features uh Mangione's older brother, Gap, and uh jazz trumpet player Jon Faddis. Um so this arrangement features solos by Hadley Coots, Gianni Gigante, Zach Steel, and uh
010Laser Hansom. >> [music] [music] [applause] >> So, before we play our last number, I want to say thank you to everybody in Jazz 2. Um and I would like to um say that we our last performance was at Solo and Ensemble, and Jazz 2 uh received a superior rating in class B. So, on the highest we could get was a one, and we got a one on uh both our performance for Orange Sherbet and Land of Make Believe. Um Yep. >> [applause] >> So, now um I would like to recognize the seniors in the group. If you could stand up. Um so, we have Alexa Arnold, Ella Geci, Grace Haines, Peter Henning, Ethan Paswald, Thea Smullen, and Zach Steel. Give everybody a round of applause. >> [applause] >> Thank you very much. So, um It's
011been a great year of jazz uh and great year in Jazz 2. Uh this is the this is the third year that that we've received a superior rating, and some of these students have been in Jazz 2 for 4 years. Um So, again, I say thank you. >> [applause] >> Okay, and now our last our last number for for Jazz 2 is Aim High by Fred Sturm. So, Fred Sturm was a nationally recognized jazz educator, an award-winning composer, and spent 26 years as member of the Lawrence Conservatory of Music faculty spanning two different teaching stints from 1977 to 1991 and 2002 to 2014. In between, he taught at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where he was the chair of the Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media Department. A 1973 Lawrence graduate, Sturm
012was a beloved mentor to hundreds, if not thousands, of aspiring musicians. The student ensembles he directed were recognized with nine DownBeat Awards, widely considered among the highest music honors in the field of jazz education. DownBeat also honored Sturm himself with its Jazz Education Achievement Award in 2010. Written in 2004, this hip-hop and shuffle chart was commissioned by the Cranbrook Schools in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, to celebrate their centennial school year. This chart features Jonathan Semrau on on drum set, and Peter Henning on trombone, and Drew Norenberg on tenor saxophone. >> [music] [music] [applause] [cheering] [applause] [music] [applause] [music] [applause] >> All right, good evening everybody. This is Beaver Dam High School Jazz 1. My name is Kyle Hendrickson, the director. Uh, that first selection was I Left My Heart in San Francisco, originally composed by George
013Cory and Douglas Cross. That version arranged by Quincy Jones. I This piece was most famously known as a favorite of Tony Bennett's. Um, we featured Louie Mercier on piano and Miles Weidenhoeft on alto saxophone. Up next for Jazz 1 is Feels So Good, the title track from Chuck Mangione's album Feels So Good. Chuck Mangione was an American flugelhorn player, trumpeter, actor, and composer. He came to prominence as a member of Art Blakey's band in the 1960s, uh, famously known for Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. Um, and he filled the trumpet chair previously held by some trumpet players you may have heard of, Clifford Brown, Freddie Hubbard, Kenny Dorham, Bill Hardman, and Lee Morgan, to name a few. We're honored to feature our feature our lead trumpet player Abby Good Connect on flugelhorn, as well
014as Seth Webster on tenor saxophone, and Alex Wilkins on guitar. This is Feels So Good. >> [music] [music] [applause and music] [music] [applause] [music] [applause] >> One more time for Abby Good Connect on the flugelhorn. >> [applause] >> Our next selection is There Will Never Be Another You with original music by Harry Warren and lyrics by Mack Gordon. The song was written for the musical Iceland. Performed [clears throat] more traditionally nowadays as a jazz standard, we're going to feature a bunch of different soloists on this one. We'll have Nate Smith on drums, Tyler Winkel on tenor saxophone, Alex Wilkins again on guitar, Aurora Rincone on bass, Owen Hemling on trombone, Peter Henning on trombone, and Louie Mercier on piano. Enjoy There Will Never Be Another You. >> [music] [music] [applause] [music] [applause and music] [music]
015[applause] [music] [applause] >> Lot to keep track of in that one. Up next for us is the second of our songs from district solo and ensemble. The first one we played for you tonight, I Left My Heart in San Francisco, was our selection from the WSMA list. And then our choice selection, you got to pick something from the list when you do solo and ensembles of jazz band. And then you get to pick pretty much whatever you want. As long as you one of them is a swing chart, the rest of it's up to you. So we selected this one this year, Amazing Grace, arranged by arranged by Dave Rivello. So this traditional hymn arranged for big band is um is one of those two that we played for district. And we're honored to be
016returning to state solo and ensemble for the fourth year in a row this Saturday. >> [applause] >> It's a big honor to be there every year to play in Oshkosh. Personally for me, I really really enjoy going cuz that's where I I went when I was in high school and got to play on that stage. So it's neat to see all of these guys getting to play there as well. So I'd like to thank the Paddle City Big Band for lending us this chart. If you don't know the Paddle City Big Band, they're a local big band of a lot of music teachers, retired musicians, and stuff. More about them later, but thank you to them for lending us this chart. We are we're going to feature Seth Webster once again on tenor saxophone. This
017is Amazing Grace. >> [music] [music] [applause] [music] [applause] >> All right, we are getting to the tail end of our program and I want to thank you again for sticking with us. I know four groups and I think it's about 15 15 or so charts is a lot of music, but we have a lot of fun here in our jazz programs in Beaver Dam. So, thank you for being here tonight and supporting your children on their music education and specifically their jazz education. Um I have a number of folks in the group tonight that this is their last jazz fest and some of them have been with me for a number of years. So, I want to take a moment by section to recognize all the senior members of jazz one. I was kind of
018putting the names together and stuff and it's over half of our group, which is pretty crazy. Um so, thank you to all of these guys for sticking with it. I hope you have fun. Um I know I always enjoy our Tuesday night rehearsals even as much as the trumpets heckle me. I do appreciate that. Um Story for another time. Anyway, thank you to our senior class here in jazz one. So, if you could stand up by section. In our saxophone section we've got Seth Webster and Tyler Winkel. >> [applause] >> In the trombone section Owen Humling and Peter Henning. >> [applause] >> In our trumpet section if you could just give a wave Abby Gutknecht and Natalie Teetz. >> [applause] >> And in our rhythm section Alex Wilkins, Aurora Rincon, and Caitlin Jameson. >> [applause]
019>> There's some thank yous listed in our program for some important folks from admin from both St. Catherine Drexel and BDUSD and a number of other folks, but I've got a couple I want to shout out as well. We're fortunate to have a live stream for all of our concerts here at the high school and that can't happen along with all the lights, sound, and everything fancy happening here. So, I'd like to thank Mr. Greg Richard up in the booth back there for running everything for us. >> [applause] >> I'd also like to thank a member of my jazz band. As you may have noticed our program is kind of fancy and pretty and all springy and stuff. So, I'd like to thank Abby Gutknecht for putting together our program for us. >> [applause] [clears
020throat] >> As with all of our concerts here at the high school, on your way out you'll see a couple wicker baskets at the tables up top and then on the side door over here. If you have a dollar or two to throw in there, that goes directly to support these guys. We've we've been fortunate to be able to bring in some clinicians. We got a new pick up on our bass this year and that's from donations from all of you and it goes a long way to support jazz. Jazz is an extracurricular here at the high school. So, the funding a lot of times for for new charts and and repairs and things comes from that. So, if you got a dollar or two to throw in there, we do appreciate it. Okay, under
021our last one on the program. Um I've been thinking for a long time about how I'm going to introduce this one and I promised myself I'm going to keep it together. Um I got a text this fall from my dear friend Kim Halverson asking what my mom's favorite song was. To catch you up and provide some context, I lost my mom back in the winter of 2023. Um and to keep it brief, losing a parent is never easy. I love my mom very much. One special part of my relationship with my mother was our shared love of the music of the Beatles. Um This chart in my life >> [snorts] >> that Kim so graciously one week later dropped off at my house after I told her what what song my mom loved. She dropped
022it off at my house one week later to put together a whole arrangement. It was the song for my dance with my mother at my wife and I's wedding. Um so, it it means a lot to me. I I really really love this music. So, my deepest thanks to Kim for her arrangement of this chart. Um we're going to feature Aurora Rincon on bass, Lily Mercier on piano, and Miles Wiedenhoeft on alto saxophone. This is In My Life. >> [applause] [applause] [music] [applause] [music] [applause] >> I think she's here tonight. She could stand up if Kim Halverson's here on the arrangement. Kim Halverson. Thank you, Kim. >> [cheering and applause] [music] [applause] [music] [bell] [music] [applause] >> That was Tank featuring Miles Weedon on alto sax and Jacob McLellan on trumpet. Thanks so much for
023coming. Have a great night. >> [applause]